Taking TOEFL to the top: Helping college students

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Taking TOEFL to the top Helping college students
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• 1. Development of TOEFL
• PBT ? CBT ? iBT
• Perceived by test takers as more difficult
• Why iBT?
• High TOEFL scores but cannot communicate
• http//www.ets.org/toefl

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• 2. Whats new? Crucial features of TOEFL iBT
• RLSW (receptive and productive skills)
• About 4 hrs in total
• Total scores of 0-120
• Note-taking allowed
• Communicative competence
• Academic communication
• Authentic communication

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• Reading
• 3 reading texts of about 700 words each (39-40
  items)
• Each of about 12-15 questions
• 60 minutes
• Range of scores 0-30
• Sometimes two additional tests, longer format

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• Listening
• Two types of listening tasks
• Academic lectures (4 topics) and
• campus conversation/discussion (2 pieces)
• 25-30 minutes, 34-35 questions
• Range of scores 0-30
• No more short conversations
• Variety of accents heard
• Sometimes two additional tests, longer
  format/long listening

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• Speaking
• 6 S activities
• 2 independent and 4 integrated
• 2 independent activities (15 sec for prep,
  45 sec for speaking of each activity)
• Be watchful for sounds
• 2 integrated tasks of R, L, and S (30 sec
  for prep, 60 sec for S)
• 2 tasks of integrated L and S (20 sec for
  prep, 60 sec for S)
• 20 minutes
• Range of scores 0-30

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• Writing
• Two types of W tasks
• Integrated task and independent task
• Integrated W (R for 3 minutes, L to a lecture, W
  summarizing or expressing personal opinions) for
  20 minutes of 150-220 words
• Independent W (one topic/question provided) for
  30 minutes of 300-350 words
• 55 minutes
• W tasks ? challenging
• Range of scores 0-30

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• Potential obstacles
• The clock ticking
• Uncontrolled interference
• Authenticity of communication tasks
• iBT inherent errors

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• 3. Tips
• Reading tips
• Read frequently
• Read variety of texts and disciplines/subject
  areas/ academic in styles, found in university
  courses
• Scanning skill
• Skimming skill
• Vocabulary in context
• Speed reading
• References (pronouns)
• Inferencing skill
• Variety of text types
• Note-taking

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• Listening tips
• Variety of types and disciplines
• Resources for listening material and websites
• Dont be distracted by styles and delivery
• Pragmatic understanding and awareness purpose
  (apologizing, complaining, suggesting), attitude,
  degree of certainty, gesture, facial expression
• Language register (casual vs formal)
• Tone of voice, calm vs emotional, degree of
  certainty
• Suprasegmental features
• Note-taking

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• Speaking tips
• Note-taking
• See topics listed and 1 minute response practice
• Summarizing skills
• Paraphrasing
• Work on pronunciation,
• Jot down a few key words and ideas,
• Use signal words and phrases to introduce new
  information or ideas, to connect ideas (on one
  hand... but on the other hand..., what that
  means is..., The first reason is..., another
  difference is...)

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• D. Writing Tips
• Outlining skills to write a summary
• Note-taking
• Paraphrasing skills
• Summarizing
• Plagiarism
• State an opinion/a preference then support
• Limited time
• Conventionsspelling/punctuation/layout
• Organization
• Signal words and phrases, such as on one hand
  or in conclusion

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In a nutshell, to succeed in TOEFL

• Computer skills
• Outlining skills
• Paraphrasing skills
• Summarizing skills
• Organization skills
• Suprasegmental/paralinguistic features
• Academic contexts likely to encounter (e.g.,
  library, office hours, registration, late
  homework, absence, missing finals, making
  appointments)