OUR STRENGTHS

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 PRACTICE TOEFL iBT TESTS
Doing practice 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, Marts 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!