TEFL Danyang

The Test of english as a Foreign Language or TOEFL evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand english at the university level. It was developed to address the problem of ensuring english language proficiency for non-native speakers wishing to study at American universities. It has become an admission requirement for non-native english speakers at many english speaking colleges and universities. In addition to colleges and universities, the TOEFL test is also used by institutions such as government agencies, licensing bodies, businesses, and scholarship programs. A TOEFL score is valid for two years and then will no longer be officially reported since a candidate’s language proficiency may have changed significantly since the date of the test. In 1962, a national council made up of representatives of thirty government and private organizations was formed to address the problem of ensuring english language proficiency for non-native speakers wishing to study at American universities. The council recommended the development and administration of the TOEFL exam for the 1963-1964 time frame. The TOEFL was first administered in 1964 by the Modern Language Association financed by grants from the Ford Foundation and Danforth Foundation. In 1965 the College Board and ETS jointly assumed Responsibility for the continuation of the TOEFL testing program. In 1973 a cooperative arrangement was made between ETS, The College Board, and the GRE Board of advisors to oversee and run the program. The IBT TOEFL (Internet Based Test) was introduced in September 2005. Since that time the Internet-based Test (IBT) has gradually replaced both the computer based test (CBT) and paper based test (PBT), although paper-based testing is still used in select areas. More than 27 million people from all over the world have taken the TOEFL test to demonstrate their english-language proficiency at the university level. More than 8500 colleges, agencies, and other institutions in 165 countries accept TOEFL scores. The TOEFL test has more testing dates (30-40 per year) and locations (4500 test centers in 165 countries) than any other english-language test in the world. It can be taken as many times as you wish. The cost of the test can range from US $160 to $250 and varies between countries. The four-hour test consists of four sections, each measuring one of the basic language skills (while some tasks require integrating multiple skills) and all tasks focus on language used in an academic, higher-education environment. 1. Reading The Reading section consists of 3–4 passages, each approximately 700 words in length and questions about the passages. The passages are on academic topics; they are the kind of material that might be found in an undergraduate university textbook. 2. Listening The Listening section consists of six passages 3–5 minutes in length and questions about the passages. These passages include two student conversations and four academic lectures or discussions. A conversation involves two speakers, a student and either a professor or a campus service provider. A lecture is a self-contained portion of an academic lecture, which may involve student participation and does not assume specialized background knowledge in the subject area. 3. Speaking The Speaking section consists of six tasks: two independent tasks and four integrated tasks. In the two independent tasks, test-takers answer opinion questions on familiar topics. They are evaluated on their ability to speak spontaneously and convey their ideas clearly and coherently. In two of the integrated tasks, test-takers read a short passage, listen to an academic course lecture or a conversation about campus life and answer a question by combining appropriate information from the text and the talk. In the two remaining integrated tasks, test-takers listen to an academic course lecture or a conversation about campus life and then respond to a question about what they heard. 4. Writing The Writing section measures a test taker's ability to write in an academic setting and consists of two tasks: one integrated task and one independent task. In the integrated task, test-takers read a passage on an academic topic and then listen to a speaker discuss the same topic. The test-taker will then write a summary about the important points in the listening passage and explain how these relate to the key points of the reading passage. In the independent task, the test-taker must write an essay that states, explains, and supports their opinion on an issue. Section Timing questions Reading 60-100 minutes 36-70 Listening 60-90 minutes 34-51 Break 10 minutes Speaking 20 minutes 6 tasks Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks References "Test and Score Summary for TOEFL Internet Based Test: September 2005-December 2006 Test Data", Educational Testing Service, 2007 1. TOEFL iBT™ Test Scores 2. Cf. ETS 2007 document "Test and Score Summary for TOEFL Internet Based Test: September 2005-December 2006 Test Data", p.3, section "History of the TOEFL Program" 3. Stanford University, Memorial Resolution: Charles A. Ferguson (1921–1998), May 1999 4. TOEFL iBT Locations and Dates 5. TOEFL Scores for united states Universities, toeflnow.com Websites 1. tefl Prep Center, www.teflprep.com 2. ETS TOEFL, www.ets.org/toefl 3. Exam english, www.examenglish.com