History of TOEFL The Test of English as a Foreign Languagae (TOEFL) is the standardized test by which the English-language skills

of non-native speakers are evaluated. The test is required by most colleges and some employers to make sure students and employees are capable of handling the linguistic challenges of cultural immersion. The test is designed by the Center for Applied Linguistics and administered by the Educational Testing Service. BACKGROUND 1. Based in Washington, D.C., the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is a nonprofit organization committed to researching the relationship between language and culture. Founded in 1959, its first director was Charles A. Ferguson (1921-1998), who had administered similar programs in the Middle East and taught as a professor at Harvard University. Ferguson guided the center to develop practical solutions for the applied language and literacy concerns of international and national governments. ORIGIN 2. One of Fergusons earliest projects was to develop a test that would quantify the command of the language that ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) students and government employees had. Ferguson and fellow applied linguistics researchers developed the TOEFL test for the first five years of the CAL. In 1964, the first official TOEFL test was taken at the center. DEVELOPMENT 3. Since the late 1960s, the TOEFL test has been administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), an international standardized-testing organization. According to ETS, between 1964 and 2008, 24 million people, largely international students, have taken the test. Introduced in 2005, the Internet-based test has replaced the computer-based and paper-based formats, with the computer-based results ruled no longer valid as of 2006. ORGANIZATION 4. Since the early 1970s, the 15-member TOEFL board has dealt with specific problems regarding the organization. This board is comprised of educators and government and industry representatives who are involved in international education. A board of 12 language specialists form the TOEFL Committee of Examiners, which addresses any concerns with the tests content and methodology, keeping the test valid. COMPOSITION of TEST 5. Since 1998, the paper test has been made up of 30 listening-based questions, 40 written-expression questions, 50 reading-comprehension questions, and a 300-word essay. The Internet-based test includes four sections: answering questions on a 700-word passage and questions on 30 minutes of an audio sample, as well as six speaking and written-composition tasks. The Internet-based test has also implemented tables and other formats into the test When applying to schools and for jobs, international students and businesspeople must often take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to prove their proficiency. The test has been around for nearly half a century, taking several different forms before arriving at the version test-takers see today. Knowing the history of TOEFL can help students understand the nature of the test, how it is scored, and how their score compares to those of past test-takers. 1. Paper-Based Test From 1964 until 1998, test-takers took the TOEFL paper-based test, which was given like a traditional exam. This test was originally based on discrete-point testing, which tests one particular area of language knowledge per question and extrapolates a score that gives an overall view of the students level. The paper-based test was scored

from 310 to 677. However, as linguistic models changed, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers the TOEFL, decided to change the test format as well. Computer-Based Test Started in 1998, the computer-based TOEFL test kept some discrete-point questions, but also tested vocabulary and other skills directly. The computer-based test worked on an adaptive model: the questions a student saw depended on his answers to the first question in a given section. If he got the first few questions wrong, he would receive easier questions and thus a lower score. The computer-based test was scored on a scale of 0 to 300 points. Internet-Based Test In 2005, ETS began to phase out the computer-based test in favor of the current Internet-based test. This test contains no discrete-point questions and is not adaptive: all students see the same questions, regardless of whether or not they answer the first questions correctly. The TOEFL Internet-based test appeared first in the United States, Canada, France, Germany and Italy in 2005, before gradually spreading to other parts of the world in 2006. It is scored on a scale of 0 to 120. TOEFL Today Today, the TOEFL is broken down into four sections, designed to measure the test-takers skills in reading, listening, writing and speaking. Each section is scored on a scale of 0 to 30, for a maximum total of 120 points. The paperbased test is still available in some parts of the world; however, the Internet-based test is much more common and more widely accepted. The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL (pronounced /tofl/ TOH-fl), evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting. It sometimes is an admission requirement for nonnative English speakers at many English-speaking colleges and universities. Additionally, institutions such as government agencies, licensing bodies, businesses, or scholarship programs may require this test. A TOEFL score is valid for two years and then will no longer be officially reported[1] since a candidates language proficiency could have significantly changed since the date of the test.[citation needed] Colleges and universities usually consider only the most recent TOEFL score. The TOEFL test is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS) and is administered worldwide. The test was first administered in 1964 and has since been taken by more than 23 million students. The test was originally developed at the Center for Applied Linguistics under the direction of Stanford University applied linguistics professor Dr. Charles A. Ferguson.[2] Policies governing the TOEFL program are formulated with advice from a 16-member board. Board members are affiliated with undergraduate and graduate schools, 2-year institutions and public or private agencies with an interest in international education. Other members are specialists in the field of English as a foreign or second language. The TOEFL Committee of Examiners is composed of 12 specialists in linguistics, language testing, teaching or research. Its main responsibility is to advise on TOEFL test content. The committee helps ensure the test is a valid measure of English language proficiency reflecting current trends and methodologies. TOEFL stands for Test Of English as a Foreign Language. The TOEFL was introduced in the 1960ies by ETS Educational Testing Services. Now, almost 800,000 people take the TOEFL exam every year worldwide. You probably know that a growing number of universities and colleges offer courses and academic study programs in English so if you want to enrol in one of them you must have a good command of the English language. This is where the TOEFLcomes into play. It is the most widely used academic English proficiency test in the world. Thousands of colleges and universities use the TOEFL to test and evaluate the English language competency of their students and academic personnel. In addition, many government agencies, sponsoring institutions and other authorities require TOEFL scores. The TOEFL test measures English language proficiency in these three disciplines: reading, listening and writing. In most regions of the world you can take the TOEFL on a computer. About the TOEFL iBT Test The TOEFL iBT test, administered in an internet-based format, is an important part of your journey to study in an English-speaking country. In addition to the test, the ETS TOEFL Program provides tools and guides to help you prepare for the test and improve your English-language skills.

What Is the TOEFL iBT Test? The TOEFL iBT test measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. And it evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks. There are two formats for the TOEFL test. The format you take depends on the location of your test center. Most test takers take the Internet-based Test (iBT). Test centers that do not have Internet access offer the Paper-based Test (PBT). Who Takes the TOEFL iBT Test? Each year, nearly a million individuals of all ages take the TOEFL test to demonstrate their English-language proficiency. More than 25 million people from all over the world have taken the TOEFL test since it was first offered. The average English skill level ranges between Intermediate and Advanced.

Students planning to study at a higher education institution English language learning program admissions and exit Scholarship and certification candidates English-language learners who want to track their progress Students and workers applying for visas

Who Accepts TOEFL iBT Test Scores? More than 8,000 colleges, agencies and other institutions in over 130 countries accept TOEFL scores. Other organizations rely on TOEFL scores as well:

Immigration departments use them to issue residential and work visas Medical and licensing agencies use them for professional certification purposes Individuals use them to measure their progress in learning English

See the TOEFL Destination Directory (PDF) (PDF). To learn more about how the TOEFL test can be your passport to study anywhere English is spoken, watch our new video, The TOEFL Test: Your Passport to the World (Flash). Where and When Can I Take the TOEFL iBT Test? The TOEFL test has more test dates (30 40) and locations (4,500 test centers in 165 countries) than any other English-language test in the world. You can retake the test as many times as you wish. Watch a short video (Flash) to see what happens at one of our TOEFL iBT test centers on test day. What Resources Can Help Me Prepare for the TOEFL iBT Test? ETS offers a variety of paid and free preparation materials to help you get ready for the TOEFL test. What Does the TOEFL iBT Test Cost?

The cost of the test can range from US$150 to US$225 and varies between countries. For information on registration, fees, test dates, and locations and formats, select your test location Since its introduction in late 2005, the Internet-based Test (iBT) has progressively replaced both the computerbased tests (CBT) and paper-based tests (PBT), although paper-based testing is still used in select areas. The iBT has been introduced in phases, with the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy in 2005 and the rest of the world in 2006, with test centers added regularly. The CBT was discontinued in September 2006 and these scores are no longer valid. Although initially, the demand for test seats was higher than availability, and candidates had to wait for months, it is now possible to take the test within one to four weeks in most countries.[3] 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. Note-taking is allowed during the iBT. The test cannot be taken more than once a week. 1. Reading The Reading section consists of 35 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. Passages require understanding of rhetorical functions such as cause-effect, compare-contrast and argumentation. Students answer questions about main ideas, details, inferences, essential information, sentence insertion, vocabulary, rhetorical purpose and overall ideas. New types of questions in the iBT require filling out tables or completing summaries. Prior knowledge of the subject under discussion is not necessary to come to the correct answer. 2. Listening The Listening section consists of six passages 35 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 selfcontained portion of an academic lecture, which may involve student participation and does not assume specialized background knowledge in the subject area. Each conversation and lecture stimulus is heard only once. Test-takers may take notes while they listen and they may refer to their notes when they answer the questions. Each conversation is associated with five questions and each lecture with six. The questions are meant to measure the ability to understand main ideas, important details, implications, relationships between ideas, organization of information, speaker purpose and speaker attitude. 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. In the integrated tasks, test-takers are evaluated on their ability to appropriately synthesize and effectively convey information from the reading

and listening material. Test-takers may take notes as they read and listen and may use their notes to help prepare their responses. Test-takers are given a short preparation time before they have to begin speaking. The responses are digitally recorded, sent to ETSs Online Scoring Network (OSN) and evaluated by three to six raters. 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, test-takers must write an essay that states, explains, and supports their opinion on an issue, supporting their opinions or choices, rather than simply listing personal preferences or choices. Responses are sent to the ETS OSN and evaluated by four raters. Description Approx. time

Task

READING 35 passages, each containing 1214 questions 60100 minutes LISTENING 69 passages, each containing 56 questions 6090 minutes BREAK

10 minutes 20 minutes 55 minutes

SPEAKING 6 tasks and 6 questions WRITING

2 tasks and 2 questions

One of the sections of the test will include extra, uncounted material. Educational Testing Service includes extra material in order to pilot test questions for future test forms. When test-takers are given a longer section, they should give equal effort to all of the questions because they do not know which question will count and which will be considered extra. For example, if there are four reading passages instead of three, then three of those passages will count and one of the passages will not be counted. Any of the four passages could be the uncounted one. Internet-based Test

The iBT version of the TOEFL test is scored on a scale of 0 to 120 points. Each of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing) receives a scaled score from 0 to 30. The scaled scores from the four sections are added together to determine the total score. Each speaking question is initially given a score of 0 to 4, and each writing question is initially given a score of 0 to 5. These scores are converted to scaled scores of 0 to 30.

TOEFL Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) The TOEFL Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) evaluates all four language skills that are essential for effective communication: reading, listening, speaking (new!), and writing: Reading - measures the ability to understand academic reading matter. Consists of 3 to 5 academic reading passages followed by comprehension questions.

 Listening - measures the ability to understand English as it is used in colleges and universities. Consists of 4 to 6 lectures, which include classroom dialogue, and 2 to 3 conversations that include two or more speakers in each. Speaking - measures the ability to speak English. Consists of 6 open-ended speaking questions, which require test takers to speak into a microphone. Responses are recorded and scored by human graders. Writing - measures the ability to write in a way that is appropriate for college and university course work. The TOEFL iBT contains an added 20-minute essay along with the current 30-minute essay. TOEFL iBT is scored differently form the computer-based test: Section Time Limit 60100 min 60-90 min No. of Questions Score

Reading

36-70 - > 3-5 passages, 0-30 12-14 questions each 34-51 - > 4-6 lectures, 6 questions each, 0-30 2-3 conversations, 5 questions each 6 tasks - > independent and integrated 2 4 0-30

Listening

Break 10 minutes Speaking 20 min

Writing

50 min

2 tasks one integrated task 0-30 one independent essay

Total Score (The total score is the sum of the 0four skill scores.) 120 Notes about TOEFL iBT:

TOEFL iBT is approximately 4 hours long. Each section of the test has a time limit.

The Reading section has new questions that ask test takers to categorize information and fill in a chart or complete a summary.

There is no longer a Structure section. Grammar is tested on questions and tasks in each section.

Lectures and conversations in the Listening section are longer, but note-taking is allowed. In fact, notetaking is allowed throughout the entire test to help test takers answer the questions. The TOEFL iBT integrated approach requires that the students be proficient in note taking.

The speech in the listening material sounds more natural, and one lecture per test is spoken with a British or Australian accent. There are also new multiple-choice questions that measure understanding of a speaker's attitude, degree of certainty, and purpose.

The Speaking section is new, and includes both integrated and independent tasks.

Integrated task are questions that require use of more than one skill at a time: read, listen, then speak in response to a question listen, then speak in response to a question read, listen, then write in response to a question

The new Speaking section evaluates a person's ability to use spoken English, and the new integrated Writing and Speaking tasks measure the ability to combine information from more than one source and communicate about it.

TOEFL iBT scores are reported online. You can view your score 15 business days after the test. You will also receive a copy of your score report by mail. The test scores are valid for two years, i.e., most universities accept scores up to two years old.

After more than a decade of research and development, the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) was first launched in the United States on September 24, 2005. Since then, it has gradually rolled out worldwide and has replaced the TOEFL computer-based test (TOEFL CBT). Like with any other large-scale assessment, it is not uncommon throughout the history of TOEFL that some candidates for a variety of reasons choose to take the test more than once. It is also not uncommon that these candidates who repeat the test (called repeaters in this report) may get different scores when they repeat the test. This is simply because no test scores can be free of measurement error even if the time interval between the two tests is too short for any learning to occur. Under normal circumstances, however, scores of repeaters are expected to vary to a small extent if a test is valid and reliable and the tests are

repeated within a short period of time (i.e., no more than a month or so) and no intensive training occurs during this period of time. Large observed score differences should be investigated as it is important to examine such large variations in the scores of repeaters to evaluate test score validity. In addition, it is helpful to learn about the characteristics of repeaters.