Intensive TEFL Lessons

The Tests of Tefl students may choose to study English for a variety of reasons. They may be forced to by their school?s requirements, they may aspire to be English teachers in their home country, they may be new immigrants to an English-speaking country, or they may work with English-speaking clients in their workplace. Many esl students will want to (or be required to) take diagnostic tests that assess their English level to prove their capabilities to employers or educational institutions. This short essay will focus on the two most popular English examinations? the TOEFL and TOIEC tests. TOEFL The TOEFL exam is used to measure the English language ability of non-native english speakers in an academic context. Most American universities, as well as some Australian and UK institutions, require international applicants to pass the TOEFL exam with a certain score, which is determined by each university. Other institutions, such as businesses, scholarship programs, and government agencies, also require a TOEFL exam. Each institution sets its own score requirements, but they usually range from 133-300 for the online test, and 450-677 for the paper-based test. Test scores are only valid for two years, after which students must retake the test. The TOEFL test measures reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension and can be taken in two formats ? the TOEFL iBT, a computer-based test, and the TOEFL PBT, a paper-based test. The TOEFL iBT is the most common format because it is administered 30-40 times a year, while TOEFL PBT is only administered 6 times a year. Whether a student takes the iBT or the PBT depends on their location. Costs also differ depending on location, but range from $160-$250. Although both formats are equal in the eyes of universities and institutions, the content in each differs greatly. The iBT contains 36-56 Reading questions based on academic texts, 34-51 Listening questions based on audio of classroom discussions or lectures, 2 Writing tasks in response to readings, and 6 Speaking tasks where they must express an opinion or speak about previous tasks. The PBT has 50 Listening Comprehension questions, 40 Structure and Writing questions, 50 Reading Comprehension questions, and a Test of Written English. Many critics of the TOEFL test question its applicability to university classrooms and think that it needs to better prepare students for academic contexts. Regardless of the criticism, the TOEFL remains the predominant exam used for admission to American universities. TOIEC The TOIEC test is the most widely-accepted exam worldwide and is used by employers in Asia, latin america, the US, and Europe to assess employees? ability in business English. Many schools include the TOIEC test as part of their curriculum as proof of the students? competence in English. Companies, in turn, look at a prospective employee?s TOIEC scores as part of the recruitment process. A person?s score can determine if they are hired, if they can serve in certain positions, if they can work abroad for the company, or if they need additional training. The TOIEC test measures students? proficiency in workplace English from the intermediate to advanced levels. It tests reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension skills, with speaking and writing being the newest addition to the exam. Much like the TOEFL test, one can?t pass or fail the TOIEC test ? it only measures current ability, and each company or institution has their own expectations of the minimum score in each portion of the test. The Listening and Reading portion of the test is paper-based and consists of 200 questions that total 990 points. students are given two hours to complete the Listening and Reading tests. The Speaking and Writing tests are internet-based, and students can choose to take only the Listening and Reading portion, only the Speaking and Writing portion, or both, depending on the employer?s requirements. The Speaking portion is 20 minutes long and the highest score one can receive is 200, and the Writing portion is 60 minutes long, with the highest possible score being 200. TOEIC scores have lifetime validity, but many employers prefer recent TOIEC scores because they more accurately reflect potential employees? English level. Like many standardized exams, the TOIEC has been criticized because of its low correlation to real-world situations. Many people who score high in the TOIEC still struggle to communicate in an English-speaking work environment. Others claim that the TOIEC test includes too much business jargon, which makes it difficult even for a native-speaker. Despite its drawbacks, the TOIEC is the most-used exam to test employees? English capabilities.