OUR STRENGTHS
Many English schools exist in Chișinău. Some of them
are well known in the city as a result of their incessant
aggressive advertising campaigns. They boast of their high
enrollments and earnings. According to an old proverb, the big
fish eat up the small... This is not our case! You may ask why
people choose Terra Nova... There are many great reasons to
entrust our school with your TOEFL iBT preparation. Our students
usually give the following cogent reasons for having enrolled in
our school to prepare for the TOEFL iBT with us!
ENGLISH-ONLY ENVIRONMENT
At Terra Nova, we have a strict English-only policy. While our
students are in class or participate in school activities or
events, they must speak English and ONLY English. Our strict
English-ONLY policy promotes a serious studying atmosphere,
facilitates learning test-taking strategies, and accelerates the
process of acquiring advanced English language skills.
INSTRUCTOR WITH SUBSTANTIAL AMERICAN
EXPERIENCE
An ideal TOEFL instructor must have earned a degree from a famous
American university, must have lived and worked in the United
States for at least several years, must be both a linguist and a
scientist as well as a psychologist. Our TOEFL instructor has
native English speaker competence. He has substantial American
experience, which is extremely important to any good TOEFL
instructor. In 1996, he received a research assistantship to be
able to pursue his graduate studies at Purdue University in West
Lafayette, IN, USA. In the summer of 1997, while a student at
Purdue, he interned at the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station in Portland, OR, USA. In May 1998, he successfully
completed his graduate program and got his master's degree from
Purdue's Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. In
August-December 2001, he did research on natural resource
management, policy, and conservation issues, conducted research
trips to Hawaii, Colorado, and Ohio, and attended classes in the
Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management of
the College of Natural Resources at the University of California
in Berkeley, CA, USA. Since then, he has done scientific research for a large
number of institutions located in the United States and the
European Union and has participated in a number
of programs and projects sponsored by the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State. He
regularly exchanges experience with American ESL and TOEFL
instructors teaching students whose native language is not
English. Thus, during his visit to the United States in the
summer of 2008, he met with ESL and TOEFL instructors in Hawaii,
Florida, and NYC. He also attended a seminar organized by ETS
(Educational Testing Service). During his trip to the United
States in the summer of 2010, he met with ESL and TOEFL
instructors in Indiana, Ohio, and New York, and with professors
and admissions officers from Purdue University (West Lafayette,
Indiana). In August 2012, he met with ESL teachers in
Massachusetts and Georgia. Between June 1 and July 31, 2012, he
volunteered as a ranger for Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, located in the
U.S. State of Hawai'i on the island of Hawai'i, working with the
Division of Interpretation in the Kilauea Visitor Center and the
Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, orienting visitors to the park and its
resources, presenting talks, and leading guided hikes for
visitors along some of the park's main trails. In the summer of
2014, he visited Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
and Texas. In the summers of
2016 and 2017, he visited New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New York, and Texas. In the summers of 2018 and 2019, he visited New Mexico, Florida, California, Texas, Arizona, and Hawaii.
Our TOEFL instructor has extensive English teaching
experience. Since 1998, he has been preparing students of
different ages and cultural and linguistic backgrounds for taking
the TOEFL. Enthusiastic and creative, he will help you feel
comfortable speaking English!
SMALL AND INTIMATE SCHOOL
While almost all English schools in Chișinău are
extremely versatile and teach everybody, from beginners to
advanced students, and everything, from English for Kindergarten
Children to Business English, Terra Nova is a highly specialized
educational institution. Our focusing on teaching only one
course, TOEFL Preparation, guarantees our TOEFL instructor's
professionalism, which is the most important school variable
affecting student achievement. Another significant benefit of
studying in a small and intimate school is that all our students
are treated as individuals. Here, you will not be lost in the
crowd. Terra Nova is a school where the TOEFL instructor knows
YOU! A small school means more individual attention and a great
environment in which to prepare for the TOEFL iBT. You are not
just a number to us!
REDUCED CLASS SIZE
In spite of the fact that the admission process at Terra Nova is
rigorous and highly competitive, we have a relatively low
student-teacher ratio, which does not exceed 11 students per
class. Since English is learned with practice, it is only natural
that the smaller the classes are, the more rapidly your language
abilities will improve. Likewise, for fruitful TOEFL iBT
preparation, it is very important that the class size be as small
as possible.
WELL-EQUIPPED AND COMFORTABLE
CLASSROOM
We have a well-equipped classroom, which is crucial for efficient
TOEFL iBT preparation. The room is fully air-conditioned. There
is always potable water (cold and hot) in the office, and so are
complimentary tea, coffee, and Bucuria candy and oatmeal cookies. We make every
effort to create a homey atmosphere in our school, which, we
believe, is one of the keys to fruitful acquisition of advanced
English language skills and efficient TOEFL iBT preparation.
UNIQUE PROGRAM
Our TOEFL iBT preparation course is designed specifically for
non-native English speakers and offers you a comfortable and
challenging study environment. This unique study program focuses
on the skills that you need to score well on the TOEFL iBT. It
helps the students understand academic English better, perfect
their grammar- and style-related accuracy, significantly enrich
their TOEFL iBT vocabulary, polish up their listening and
speaking skills, improve their reading speed and comprehension,
develop their TOEFL iBT essay writing skills, learn test-taking
skills and strategies, and increase their knowledge of the United
States. In other words, our unique TOEFL iBT preparation program
is an amalgam of TOEFL iBT preparation, advanced English language
skills acquisition, and American studies.
TOEFL iBT ESSAY CHECKING
Believe it or not, Terra Nova is the only place in
Chișinău where students' essays are regularly checked.
Our students can submit as many essays for checking as they want.
They can either bring their essays to our office on any Saturday
or send them by electronic mail to get feedback on their writing.
Your TOEFL instructor will correct your grammar, spelling, and
punctuation errors, will help you with idea flow, logic, word
choice, and sentence structure, will correct your formatting
style, and will leave comments and feedback that, if you choose
to address, can drastically help improve your writing skills. Our
essay correction service is available 24/7. It does not matter if
it is a holiday, 2 a.m. in the morning, or a weekend. We are
here, ready to help you with your essays any time of the day or
night.
AUDIO AND VIDEO MATERIALS
Terra Nova has an excellent library of audio and video materials,
including an impressive collection of movies (in English, with
English subtitles). The movies and other audio and video
materials can be copied for non-profit educational purposes only.
Our students can copy one or two movies at a time onto their USB
flash drives or DVD disks. We do not charge our students for
copying audio and video materials.
BOOKS AND PERIODICALS
Terra Nova has a small library of books and periodicals. All our
students can check out one or two books at a time. Most books
have a two-week lending (circulation) period and may be renewed
for an additional one week. Reference books (such as
encyclopedias or dictionaries) circulate overnight only. They may
be picked up at the end of the day and returned the next morning
before the classes begin. Magazines circulate for one week. We do
not charge our students for borrowing books and periodicals.
TOEFL-RELATED COMPUTER
PROGRAMS
Terra Nova boasts a comprehensive collection of TOEFL-related
computer programs. The TOEFL-related computer programs can be
copied for non-profit educational purposes only. Our students can
copy only one computer program at a time onto their USB flash
drives or DVD disks. We do not charge our students for copying
TOEFL-related computer programs.
CLASSWORK WITH MODEL TOEFL iBT
TESTS
Practicing model TOEFL iBT tests borrowed from Barron's TOEFL
iBT, Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL iBT, McGraw-Hill's TOEFL
iBT (The Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT), Longman Preparation
Course for the TOEFL iBT, Delta's Key to the TOEFL iBT,
Princeton's Cracking the TOEFL iBT, Kaplan's TOEFL iBT, and other
excellent TOEFL iBT preparation guides is crucial for success on
the actual TOEFL iBT. During each step in your TOEFL iBT
preparation course, our TOEFL instructor will familiarize you
with the TOEFL iBT structure, format, and test content. You will
take realistic practice tests with actual TOEFL iBT questions to
measure your progress. You will explore each question type in
detail and learn critical test taking strategies, which will help
you crack the TOEFL iBT code. Our single goal is to make you an
expert in the TOEFL iBT and to give you the confidence and skills
you need to achieve your target score.
ADMINISTRATION OF TOEFL iBT
SIMULATIONS
At the end of each semester, our TOEFL instructor administers
four TOEFL iBT simulations, which closely resemble the actual
TOEFL iBT, in order to evaluate the overall progress of the
students. By taking our TOEFL iBT simulations, our students can
experience the real TOEFL iBT atmosphere, evaluate their
strengths and weaknesses, and estimate the level of their
preparedness for taking the actual TOEFL iBT. All our students
are encouraged to participate in the TOEFL iBT simulations before
taking the actual TOEFL iBT. Upon passing the TOEFL iBT
simulations successfully (with a total TOEFL score exceeding
100), Terra Nova issues a document certifying the completion of
the TOEFL Preparation course by the student. The certificate is
signed by the director of the center and bears the official
stamp, contact information, and the logo of Terra Nova.
24/7 CONSULTATIONS
All our students have the right to out-of-class consultations
with the TOEFL instructor. The day assigned for counseling
sessions is Saturday). Our students can also set up an
appointment to talk to the TOEFL instructor on weekdays. Our
TOEFL instructor will find time for one-to-one contact with each
of our students.
REASONABLE TUITION FEE
It is one of the policies of Terra Nova to keep our tuition fees
at a reasonable level. Compared to other TOEFL preparation
providers in Chișinău, Terra Nova offers high-quality
instruction. Why spend more on a program that does not
accommodate your busy schedule or take account of your individual
needs? Our TOEFL preparation program provides our students with
effective, high-quality education at a reasonable cost. Moreover,
our students do not need to pay the tuition fees prior to or at
the time of their enrollment. We give our students 2 weeks to
decide if they want to take our TOEFL Preparation course or
not.
EXCELLENT LOCATION
Terra Nova is located in the very heart of Rîșcani
Sector, Chișinău, at the intersection of Moscova
Boulevard and Miron Costin Street. Our close neighbors are the
largest Rîșcani branch of Moldova Agroindbank, the
Rîșcani Sector Civil Registration Office, Max Fitness (a fitness center), Jysk (a shopping
center), Giant (a bicycle retail and service store), branches of FinComBank, Moldindconbank, Victoriabank, and
Mobiasbancă, Nr 1 (a supermarket), La Plăcinte (a fast-food
restaurant), Linella (a convenience store), Foișor (a fast-food restaurant), Twister
Kebap (a fast-food restaurant), Furshet (a supermarket), Local Discounter (a supermarket), Camelia (a retailer of consumer electronics), a
Rîșcani branch of StarNet (an Internet service provider), and Andy's Pizza (a fast-food
restaurant). The Soviet-Afghan War Memorial is located right across Moscova Boulevard. A McDonald's restaurant, a KFC restaurant, a Tucano
Coffee outlet, Soiuz (a shopping center), and a Green Hills supermarket are situated only one block from the center. Shopping... Restaurants... The best of old and new Chișinău is within
walking distance! Trackless trolley, bus, and minibus lines are minutes away. We are near everything!
ASSISTANCE WITH TOEFL iBT
REGISTRATION
Registering for the TOEFL iBT is not really difficult. The
official TOEFL iBT website provides online registration, which is
the easiest way to register, and payment by credit/debit card
(VISA, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, or Discover cards),
which is the easiest method of payment for the test. If you want
to avoid potential registration problems and if you do not have
one of the aforementioned credit/debit cards, Terra Nova can
register you for the TOEFL iBT for a small additional fee of U.S.
$10.
ASSISTANCE WITH ADMISSION TO U.S.
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Every day our students ask us tens of questions about admission
to U.S. colleges and universities: "What is the structure of U.S.
higher education?", "What is the difference between a college and
a university? What is a community college?", "Where can I find a
searchable list of United States institutions of higher
education?", "What is the difference between undergraduate and
graduate degrees?", "How many universities should I apply to?",
"Which colleges and universities are the best? Is there a way to
tell?", "What are the requirements for admission to U.S. colleges
and universities?", "What documents must I submit for
admission?", "Which standardized tests will I be required to
take?", "When are the university application deadlines?", "How
much does it cost to study in the U.S.?", "Is it possible to
study in the U.S. free of charge?", "What type of visa do I need
to become an academic student in the United States?", etc. Our
TOEFL instructor will provide you with information about applying
to U.S. colleges and universities, answer all of your questions
about admission, and give you valuable recommendations on your
application documents, including your CV, transcripts, cover or
motivation letters, essays, recommendation letters, etc.
EXPOSURE TO AMERICAN CULTURE AND
CUSTOMS
While preparing for the TOEFL iBT, which is an American English
test, our students explore American history, geography, politics
and government, health care, education, legal rights and
responsibilities, consumer behavior, social customs and values,
etc. Our course books are full of interesting facts about many
different facets of living in the U.S. Sometimes the TOEFL
instructor invites guest speakers from the U.S. and other
English-speaking countries. Our TOEFL Preparation course helps
our students understand American life and Americans better and
avoid many cultural problems while in the U.S.
TRADITION
Preparing students for taking the TOEFL since 1998, we have
earned the confidence of our students and our community over the
years. Here yesterday and today, we will be here tomorrow as
well. Prepare for the TOEFL iBT and study advanced English with
Terra Nova - a name you can trust!
BEST VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY
We encourage you to compare us with English schools
in Chișinău offering TOEFL preparation classes. With
our small classes, comprehensive TOEFL iBT preparation program,
engaging and experienced TOEFL instructor, convenient location,
and reasonable tuition fees, you will find that choosing Terra
Nova adds up to a superb value!
WE ARE NOT AFRAID OF
COMPETITION!