The new TOEFL

The test, to be introduced in the UAE next year, will now have a speaking section

The new Next Generation Test of English as a Foreign Language (NG TOEFL) will be launched next year in the UAE.

Notes caught up with Mary Corrado from the AMIDEAST centre in Abu Dhabi, who talked about the new TOEFL, its sections and score description. Corrado was at the American Education Expo held in Dubai recently.

“The new exam focuses on testing real communication skills and usage of language through several integrated tasks. It measures what colleges and universities need to know,” she said.

The new exam will not be computer adaptive or include tutorials, yet note-taking throughout the exam will be allowed.

The NG TOEFL will include listening, reading, writing, and a new speaking section. The speaking section will measure a student’s ability to use spoken English, said Corrado.

What will each section consist of?
The listening section will feature two segments in the form of a conversation and four lectures including classroom dialogues in a variety of accents. “The listening section aims at measuring the student’s attitude and purpose,” she said.

The reading section will include the familiar reading passages, but will also comprise new features such as filling tables, paraphrasing and a student glossary.

The speaking section will include four integrated and two independent tasks about familiar topics. Responses will be based on the student’s personal experience, said Corrado.

Students will be provided with microphones during this section. Evaluators will look at a student’s ability in topic development, delivery and language use.

The writing section will include tasks that comprise reading, listening and writing. An independent task will require students to provide answers based on personal experience.

Evaluators will look at the overall quality of the writing, i.e. development, organisation, appropriateness, the use of grammar and vocabulary and accuracy of content.

“The new exam will be graded on a 0-120 scale, with 30 points allocated for each section. Students will also be able to know the amount each exam question carries,” she said.

The Education Commission of the States and Learning Point Associates (ETS), which administers the TOEFL test, said that it would continue to manage the computer-based and paper-based versions of the test until the new internet-based test (iBT) is implemented.

“Institutional TOEFL tests will still be valid as some universities and education institutes prefer to conduct their own exams,” said Corrado.

ETS will continue to report previous scores for two years after the original test date. The new test will be valid for two years.

For more information on the NG TOEFL and practice tests visit: www.ets.org/toefl.

UAE Student Personnel Exchange Agreement
The first United Arab Emirates Student Personnel Exchange Agreement will be introduced tomorrow at the American University in Dubai.

The agreement brings together SAPA (Student Affairs Professional Association) and NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) in the US with the UAE University, the Higher Colleges of Technology Dubai Women’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology Dubai Men’s College, Zayed University, Dubai, the University of Sharjah and AUD.

Under the agreement participants will be able to organise exchange visits to the US and the UAE with the aim of studying Student Affairs delivery
systems and student issues.

It will also encourage them to learn and share educational, socio-economic, political, religious and cultural differences.

Some other issues that are likely to be discussed are understanding funding policies, mechanisms behind student services and activities, and gauging the level of interest expressed by students in participating in study programmes abroad.

Why use internet-based testing?
According to ETS, there was a need to introduce the speaking section to the test in a way that meets the standards of quality.

Internet-based testing or iBT makes it possible to capture and score a test-taker’s speeches in an efficient, standardised and objective manner. It also helps in increasing the number of test centres.

When will the new test be available?
ETS will introduce the new TOEFL test to countries worldwide in phases rather than all at once. It will be launched in the United States on September 24. It will be offered in Canada, Germany, Italy and France on October 22.

The rest of the world will follow in 2006. TOEFL computer-based testing (CBT) and paper-based testing (PBT) will continue to be available until the launch of iBT in other parts of the world.