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A Revolutionary New TOEFL
What are the major changes in TOEFL for September 2005? Dr Frances Boyd explains
Which of the following statements are true of TOEFL iBT?
a) It has four sections -- reading, listening, speaking, and writing. (No structure section.)
b) It has tasks that integrate reading/listening/speaking and reading/listening/writing.
c) It has fewer items, but they are contextualized in longer texts.
d) It has many items that require critical thinking -- in all four sections.
e) All of the above.
If you chose (e), you're ahead of the game. That's correct. The most widely-accepted test of English-language proficiency for academic study - the Test of English as a Foreign Language - has undergone a revolutionary change. It is not simply a tweaking of the standard test, but rather a radical rethinking that reflects years of research. Compared to the older versions (both paper and computer), the September 2005 TOEFL is dramatically different: it has a new section (speaking), a new type of task (integrated skills), a new emphasis on context (especially campus-related situations), and a new focus on critical thinking skills. Also, it has a new attitude toward note taking: it's essential.
In fact, this test is a whole new ballgame. It is much more a measure of your ability to use English, much less a measure of your knowledge about the language. It doesn't ask you about English; instead, it requires you to use English in a variety of campus and academic situations. Can you take notes during a fast-paced lecture on an unfamiliar topic? Talk about how a concept you've just read applies to two examples you've just heard? Orally summarize a student's opinion and reasons for it right after you've heard a conversation? Write a coherent essay about how new research casts doubt on an old theory right after you've read and heard the information? The approach is so distinctive that the test is being called the TOEFL iBT – internet-based TOEFL.
What kind of English program will prepare you for the new TOEFL?
To perform well on the new test with its emphasis on all four skills, integrated skills, and higher-level thinking, you need to study English in a rigorous, forward-looking program. Just learning language rules and definitions won't do.
Specifically, you want an ESL program that:
- Organizes study around challenging topics or themes
- Integrates all four skills
- Practices comprehension of content and structure of texts (spoken and written)
- Familiarizes you with North American campus culture
- Teaches critical thinking skills from the very earliest levels
In rich, content-based lessons, you want to have practice learning about unfamiliar topics, grappling with new information as well as varied points of view. Moreover, you want multiple opportunities to speak and write at length, interact with other students, get feedback from teachers, and improve your pronunciation. At the same time, you need practice in grasping the structure of academic texts and practice in effective note taking.
Furthermore, you will have an advantage if you have already become familiar with U.S. and Canadian campus culture. An ESL program can help you do this through reading, films, and firsthand experience. Language-learning activities should help you understand the relationship between students and professors, the organization of student life, and issues common to campus life.
Above all, you need to learn and practice critical thinking skills, the "mental gymnastics" that are the hallmark of academic thinking in universities in North American and elsewhere. In classes that challenge both your English and your intellect, you want teachers to require you (in both speaking and writing) to describe in detail, explain concepts, summarize arguments, support opinions, link ideas, and make inferences. And, you want to be schooled in these critical thinking skills from the very earliest levels of English proficiency.
What's in each of the four sections? What's new?
Reading: This section has 3 (not 4 or 5) reading passages, with 13 items each. Dense and difficult, the readings cover topics in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. One passage, for example, deals with theories on the origin and meaning of cave paintings. What's new are items asking you to choose the best paraphrase of a complex sentence and items requiring you to identify the purpose of including a certain phrase or sentence. There are plenty of inference questions, too. All of these items test your knowledge of text structure and your critical thinking abilities.
Listening: This section has 2 conversations (10 items) and 4 academic lectures (24 items), with just one chance to listen. The campus-related conversations deal with such topics as requesting handouts from a professor and asking for help from a reference librarian. The longer academic lectures all include unfamiliar information, ranging from bird song development (biology) to decision-making strategies (business).
What's new is a whole new emphasis on listening. You don't just need it for the listening section; it is also key to fulfilling speaking and writing tasks, too. What's also new is the length of the listenings (2-5 minutes), the campus contexts, and the items. Many items concentrate on content, but others focus on the rhetorical structure of the lectures; still others probe the speakers' intent and purpose. Here, too, such critical thinking skills as interpreting, categorizing, giving and defending opinions, and summarizing all come into play.
Speaking: What's new here is absolutely everything. This section has 6 tasks. All are substantial and most rely on listening to set a context. The time for preparation (15-30 seconds) and response (45-60 seconds) varies with the task.
The first two questions are more open and independent than the others. You describe and explain personal opinions on topics related to study or campus life. The next two require integrated skills: you read a text on a campus or academic topic and listen to a related text. Then, you explain the relationship between the two pieces, relying on your notes to help you. For example, you read about a proposed increase in tuition and fees, then listen to two students discuss their views. The task is to summarize their views, give your own opinion, and explain it. In the final two tasks, you listen to a text (conversation or lecture) about a campus or academic topic, then respond with a summary and opinion or an explanation.
Your speaking score reflects the quality of both content (main points, details, examples) and language (fluency, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary). All of the tasks require quick thinking and a high degree of fluency. As the old saying goes, (s)he who hesitates is lost.
Writing: This section has 2 tasks. The second one is like the previous version of the test: a 30-minute essay on a general question that you answer based on your own knowledge and experience (300 words).
What's new is the first task. It requires integrated skills: you read an academic text, listen to a related lecture, then write for 20 minutes on how the lecture casts doubt on the reading (150-225 words). You read, for example, about altruism among African meerkats, then listen to new research on meerkats. The task is to summarize the lecture and explain how it casts doubt on the reading. You can't score well without good notes and strong critical thinking: identifying the main points, explaining them, and comparing and contrasting the two texts are among the essential skills.
In both tasks, your score is based on the quality of content (main points, elaboration) as well as the language (vocabulary, grammar, fluency).
How else can you prepare?
The best way to show that you are ready for academic study in English is to hone all four language skills as well as your analytical thinking skills. Here are a few general tips.
- Familiarize yourself with the new test. Visit the Web site www.TOEFL.org to see examples of the directions, texts, and items. Get a sense of the language level that you need to score well.
- Choose your English-language program carefully. Look for classes and teachers that practice real communication with all skills on topics of interest and importance. University-based programs are more likely to have integrated-skills, content-based curricula, with a focus on critical thinking. To find such programs, useful key words include AAIEP [American Association of Intensive English Programs] and UCIEP [University and College Intensive English Programs]. Web sites to help your search include www.studyusa.com, www.applyesl.com, and www.alc.co.jp (Japan).
- Create opportunities to speak and listen to English outside of class. Go to the movies, watch TV and listen to the radio; cultivate "English-only" friendships.
- Read like crazy. Read books, magazines, newspapers, Internet sites. Read widely (on many topics) and read narrowly (many sources on one topic). Want to improve your vocabulary, comprehension, and organization? Read. It is what you will mainly be doing at college or university, and it is the best preparation for the test.
Clearly, traditional TOEFL preparation will leave you out in left field. Separate-skill practice, discrete-item grammar and vocabulary practice, and rote memorization of language rules and definitions have limited value for the new test.
Consider this: The old test would ask you to correct a grammar error. The new test focuses on whether you can understand what a professor is telling a student about the handouts she has requested. It then requires you to interpret the implied meaning of one of the professor's comments. It goes on to ask what the professor expects the student to do as a result of the conversation.
To answer these items (from the Listening section) correctly, you need practice in listening for main ideas and details; practice in interpreting intonation and word choice; practice in identifying the purpose of a wide variety of conversations; knowledge of idiomatic and other vocabulary; and, some familiarity with student-faculty relations on North American campuses.
Conclusion: What is the real difference in Next Generation TOEFL?
In short, the new test isn't about the rules of the game; it's about how well you can play.
To make a test that can better predict your academic success, the TOEFL people have created a new, more authentic assessment. On this test, you must demonstrate that you are able to do what you will have to do as a student in an English-speaking university.
The Next Generation test requires Next Generation preparation. To make your study-abroad dreams come true, take charge of your learning. Develop your English actively, inside and outside of class. And, take the trouble to choose an up-to-date English program whose curriculum and teaching reflect the new research on language and the new realities of TOEFL.
Email Frances at fab1@columbia.edu