Next Generation TOEFL Test: Integrated Speaking Sample Question*
*Copyright Educational Testing Service 2004
As mentioned in the previous article, the Next Generation TOEFL Test will feature integrated questioning. This means that questions will involve 2 or 3 skills. For example a question may involve reading, listening and then speaking. Another questions may involve, reading listening and then writing. This is clearly a change from the previous TOEFL testing system.
Below, you will find a sample question as provided by Education Testing Service (ETS)
Reading Passage:
For thousands of years, humans have been able to domesticate, or tame, many large mammals that in the wild live together in herds. Once tamed, these mammals are used for agricultural work and transportation. Yet some herd animals are not easily domesticated, a good indicator of an animals suitability for domestication is how protective the animal is of its territory. Non-territorial animals are more easily domesticated than territorial animals because they can live close together with animals from other herds. A second indicator is that animals with a hierarchical social structure, in which members follow a leader, are easy to domesticate since a human can function as leader.
Listening Section- Professors talk:
Test takers will hear: So, weve been discussing the suitability of animals for domestication, particularly animals that live together in herds. Now if we take horses, for example. In the wild, horses live in herds that consist of one male and several females and their young. When a herd moves, the dominant male leads with the dominant female and her young immediately behind it. The dominant female and her young are then followed immediately by the second most important female and her young and so on. This is why domesticated horses can be harnessed one after another in a row. Theyre programmed to follow the lead of another horse. On top of that, you often find different herds of horses in the wild occupying overlapping areas. They dont fight off other herds that enter the same territory. But its exactly the opposite with an animal like the antelope, which well antelopes are herd animals too. But unlike horses, a male antelope will fight fiercely to prevent another male for entering its territory during the breeding season. OK. Very different from the behaviour of horses. Try keeping a couple of male antelopes together in a small space and see what happens. Also, antelopes dont have a social hierarchy, they dont instinctively follow any leader. Its harder for humans to control their behaviour.
Question (with answer to be spoken):
The professor describes the behaviour of horses and antelope in herds. Explain how their behaviour is related to their suitability for domestication.
Prep time: 30 seconds
Response time: 60 seconds
Students will quickly realize that this testing format is dramatically different from anything that they have seen on past TOEFL tests. Students will notice the spoken answer format as well as the integration of first reading, then listening and finally a spoken answer. Students may also notice that the listening section involves more authentic listening materials than it has been in past tests. Listening sections will also incorporate more global accents into the new test.
