阳光透过窗子洒进教室，跳跃的光影映在桌椅和键盘之间。学生们低头专注，指尖在键盘上飞舞，像在构建一座通向未来的桥梁。这是2012年的ATEd托福课堂。一张旧照片定格了那时的场景，学生们正在完成两道写作任务：综合写作和独立写作。

综合写作要求他们分析文章和讲座的内容，准确描述讲座如何反驳或支持文章的观点。那是一种逻辑的考验——在有限的时间内，清晰地组织语言，忠实地呈现信息，不能添油加醋，也不能遗漏关键点。独立写作则给予了更多的自由——学生需要围绕一个问题表达自己的观点，用严谨的论据和流畅的语言完成一篇独立的文章。这是一种安静的表达，写作的观众似乎是屏幕后无声的评阅系统。但考场之外，ATEd的老师总会走到学生旁边，仔细地点评他们的文章，为他们指出每一句话中的优点与不足，帮助他们在下一次写作中更从容、更精准。

时光流转，托福写作的形式在时代的脉动中悄然转变。综合写作的任务依然如故，但独立写作已在去年被全新的学术讨论写作取代。这不是一场孤立的独白，而是一场虚拟的学术对话。考生不再是一个人的舞台，而是需要融入一个小型的课堂讨论。屏幕上，教授提出问题，比如：“学生是否应该被要求参加强制性的社区服务活动？” Paul和Lena两位“同学”的发言已经展开，考生的任务是阅读这些发言内容（类似“发帖”），在十分钟内写出自己的回应。

Paul的观点很明确：“Mandatory community service teaches students to care for others and builds a sense of responsibility. It also helps them understand the challenges in their own communities.”（“强制性的社区服务可以教会学生关心他人，培养责任感，还能帮助他们理解社区中存在的挑战。”）

Lena则提出不同看法：“While community service has value, forcing students to participate might reduce their enthusiasm and make the activity feel like a chore, rather than a meaningful experience.”（“尽管社区服务有其价值，但强制要求可能会削弱学生的热情，让这项活动变成一种任务，而不是一次有意义的体验。”）

考生需要在十分钟内写出自己的回应。或许他们会这样补充：“Paul's idea about building social responsibility is important, but community service also builds leadership. A student organizing a clean-up learns to manage people and resources. They face challenges: limited time, differing opinions, unexpected obstacles. Yet, they adapt and grow. These experiences teach more than books ever could. They foster confidence, communication, and resilience. Community service is not merely a task; it is a test of character. Beyond that, it reveals potential—a shy student discovers they can inspire others, a hesitant one learns to lead. This journey shapes them into individuals ready to face a world that demands both skill and humanity.”（“Paul关于培养社会责任感的观点很重要，但社区服务同样能够培养领导力。一位组织清洁活动的学生，需要学会如何管理团队和资源。他们会面对挑战：时间有限、意见分歧、突发障碍。然而，他们适应并成长。这些经历教授学生的东西，远超过书本的内容。它培养了自信、沟通能力和韧性。社区服务不仅是一项任务，更是对品格的考验。除此之外，它揭示了潜力——一个害羞的学生发现自己能够激励他人，一个犹豫的学生学会了如何领导。这样的旅程塑造他们，成为能够迎接技能与人性双重挑战的个人。”）

也可能有人选择提出一个完全不同的角度："Both Paul and Lena make good points, but they overlook the quiet power of diversity. Community service isn't just about helping—it's about understanding. A student working with an immigrant hears stories of journeys far and wide, struggles that shaped identities. A teenager assisting the elderly learns of lives steeped in resilience and history. These moments linger, enriching the soul as much as the mind. Diversity teaches what classrooms cannot: empathy, adaptability, and perspective. It builds bridges where walls once stood, fostering connections that prepare students for a globalized world. Community service is not just an act; it's a profound education."（“Paul和Lena的观点都有道理，但他们忽略了多样性的深刻影响。社区服务不仅是帮助，更是理解。一位学生与移民合作时，会听到远涉重洋的故事，那些塑造身份的挣扎；一个青少年帮助老年人时，会了解到充满韧性与历史厚度的生命。这些瞬间留存，既丰富了灵魂，也启迪了思想。多样性教授的是课堂无法传递的内容：同理心、适应能力与视角。它搭建了桥梁，取代了曾经的隔阂，培养了为全球化社会做准备的联系感。社区服务不仅仅是一项行动，它是一种深刻的教育。”）

这是一次与以往完全不同的写作任务。它要求的不仅是逻辑与表达能力，更是与他人沟通与合作的能力。考生不再是孤独的演讲者，而是对话的一部分。在十分钟内，他们必须用清晰的逻辑、精准的语言完成一篇至少100词的post，让自己的声音被听见，同时为讨论注入新的思考。

托福学术讨论写作的革新，不仅是语言能力的一次考验，也是时代对高效表达需求的回应。在这个社交媒体主导沟通的时代，人们习惯用简短有力的语言讲述复杂的想法。托福的这一变化，正是对这一趋势的映射。考生通过学术讨论写作学到的，不仅是考试的技巧，更是面对世界时与他人对话的能力。

2012年的那张旧照片，定格了学生们对托福写作的努力，也记录了ATEd陪伴他们的开始。从综合写作的精准到学术讨论写作的互动，ATEd一直帮助学生找到自己的声音，让他们不仅能够从容应对考试，也能用语言开启更广阔的未来。

语言的故事从未停止，而托福写作的每一次演变，都是语言与时代对话的缩影。从那张旧照片的课堂，到今日的学术讨论，我们见证了语言的流动，也陪伴着每一位学子，用逻辑和文字搭建通向未来的桥梁。

作者：Tak

ATEd教学总监

2024年11月18日

（英文版）

TOEFL Writing in an Old Photograph and the Flow of Time

The Growing Importance of Efficiency and Logic in Academic and Social Contexts

Integrated writing requires students to analyze both a passage and a lecture, accurately describing how the lecture refutes or supports the points made in the passage. It is a test of logic—a challenge to organize language clearly within limited time, presenting information faithfully without embellishment or omission. Independent writing, on the other hand, offers more freedom. Students must address a single question, crafting a response supported by rigorous reasoning and fluent expression. It is a quiet kind of communication, where the audience seems to be the silent scoring system behind the screen. Yet beyond the exam, ATEd's teachers always take the time to walk up to their students, meticulously reviewing their essays, pointing out strengths and weaknesses in every line, and helping them approach their next attempt with greater precision and confidence.

Time flows on, and with it, TOEFL writing has shifted subtly in step with the era. The Integrated Writing task remains unchanged, but last year, the Independent Writing task was replaced by Academic Discussion Writing. The change is more than cosmetic. It reflects the collaborative, fast-paced communication that defines our age.

On their screens, students now encounter a virtual discussion. A professor poses a question: “Should students be required to participate in mandatory community service?” Paul responds first: “Mandatory community service teaches students to care for others and builds a sense of responsibility. It also helps them understand the challenges in their own communities.” Lena disagrees: “While community service has value, forcing students to participate might reduce their enthusiasm and make the activity feel like a chore, rather than a meaningful experience.”

The task is no longer about stating a solitary opinion. Students must engage. They read, reflect, and then contribute their own perspective. Perhaps they might write:
“Paul's idea about building social responsibility is important, but community service also builds leadership. A student organizing a clean-up learns to manage people and resources. They face challenges: limited time, differing opinions, unexpected obstacles. Yet, they adapt and grow. These experiences teach more than books ever could. They foster confidence, communication, and resilience. Community service is not merely a task; it is a test of character. Beyond that,it reveals potential—a shy student discovers they can inspire others, a hesitant one learns to lead. This journey shapes them into individuals ready to face a world that demands both skill and humanity.”

Or they might choose a different angle:
“Both Paul and Lena make good points, but they overlook the quiet power of diversity. Community service isn't just about helping—it's about understanding. A student working with an immigrant hears stories of journeys far and wide, struggles that shaped identities. A teenager assisting the elderly learns of lives steeped in resilience and history. These moments linger, enriching the soul as much as the mind. Diversity teaches what classrooms cannot: empathy, adaptability, and perspective. It builds bridges where walls once stood, fostering connections that prepare students for a globalized world. Community service is not just an act; it's a profound education.”

In ten minutes, with 100 words or more, students must make a meaningful contribution to the conversation. Their words are not just answers but ideas shaped to engage and inspire.

This shift in TOEFL writing mirrors a larger movement—the way communication itself has evolved. The Academic Discussion Writing task is more than a test. It trains students for the dynamic exchanges of real academic settings, where dialogue builds knowledge and perspective. At the same time, it reflects the fast, efficient nature of modern communication, where every post must matter.

The photograph from 2012 remains a reminder of where it all began, capturing the dedication of students striving to master TOEFL writing. From guiding students through the precision of Integrated Writing to preparing them for the interactive challenges of Academic Discussion Writing, ATEd has consistently helped students find their voices—not just for exams, but for the futures they are shaping.

Language is never static; it flows like time. TOEFL writing evolves, and with it, ATEd's mission endures—to prepare every student to navigate this river of change with confidence and skill.

Tak

Director of Academic Excellence, ATEd

November 18, 2024