The New TOEFL Test

Next year, the TOEFL test as we know it will be changing. This is a significant change that will affect all of the students that will require a TOEFL test in the near future. Here is some information about the new test.
Why is the test changing?

TOEFL is changing because of a number of different factors. A major impetus for the change is coming from the universities and colleges that use the TOEFL test to evaluate applications from their potential students. A common concern is that students can master the current TOEFL test, but not have the complete language skills necessary to succeed in an English academic environment. The current TOEFL test measures how much students know about the English language, but the new test measures how well students use the English language. The next Generation TOEFL test will focus more on the ability to communicate and less on the understanding of the rules of the English language.

When is the test changing?
The next generation TOEFL test will begin in September, 2005.

How is the new TOEFL test different?
The current TOEFL test has four separate sections to the test: reading, listening, structure/written expression (grammar), and writing. The new test also has four sections, but there is a noticeable difference- listening, reading, speaking and writing. Students will quickly notice that speaking has been added to the new TOEFL and direct structure/written expression (grammar) questions have been removed.

Another significant change is in the style of questions that will be asked. The new TOEFL test will incorporate integrated questioning. For example, one question may start with a reading passage, followed by a listening section and the answer will be spoken. This, again, is a big change for test takers. It will require that students have a better understanding of the language as whole, rather than merely understanding the sentence level structures that make up the foundation upon which the communication is built.

What does this mean for students?
The changes mentioned above will significantly affect the way that students study for the test. For example, the CBT-TOEFL measures student’s understanding of grammar points at essentially a sentence level, so students could study the various rules and skills at the sentence level. The Next Generation TOEFL test will test students’ ability on a much broader, more communicative level. This means that the focus for studying will now need to be on larger blocks of the language- paragraphs, conversations, and orally communicated responses. Students accustomed to rote learning and memorization will no longer have the luxury of studying solely from a book. Students will need to have communication skills that can only be developed by using the English language, not simply knowing the rules of the language.

How can the English School of Canada help?
There is no better and faster way to learn the communicative elements of a language than living and studying in that language. The English School of Canada has always focused on teaching with a communicative approach. Our methods are extremely valuable to students intending to write the Next Generation TOEFL test. As always, ESC is taking a leading role in helping to inform and educate its students on the current developments of English language education. Our TOEFL Exam Preparation Program covers all skills required for the test, and in 2005 our curriculum will incorporate further speaking and writing skills development specifically for the new TOEFL. Please contact the school for more details.