What is TOEFL
The TOEFL, or Test of English as a Foreign Language, is designed to test the abilities of any non-native speaker to use American English at a college level. It’s required that any non-native applicants pass it at many American colleges and universities before admittance, and many government agencies, businesses, and other organizations require a successful TOEFL score before they hire any non-native speakers. The TOEFL score is good for two years and then it’s stricken from the record books. This seems a bit harsh at first, but their reasoning is that language acquisition is a degrading skill. It’s not like riding a bike – something you never forget – but rather it’s a skill that needs to be continually practiced to avoid diminishing.
The first section of the TOEFL is reading based, consisting of three to five academic, undergraduate-level passages to be read and analyzed. Questions are asked which force the tester to approach the reading material with an analytic eye, ranging from grammar analysis to inferences to vocabulary to thematic scope. Basically, TOEFL testers need to be able to read and comprehend the English passages enough to be able to answer some fairly in-depth questions. Questions and answers are all self-contained; no prior knowledge is required to pass this section.
The second section of the TOEFL is listening. Testers listen to passages similar to those from the reading section, and then analyze the same type of criteria: theme, vocabulary, sentence structure, main idea. Listening to spoken American English is a major part of acquiring the language, and this section tests for that.
Third, students must listen, read, and speak on a number of subjects. The focus is on speaking English and conveying your thoughts and arguments accurately and effectively. This section acts as an important synthesis of everything you’ve learned thus far. Much like they’d be expected to do in the business or educational world, TOEFL takers must be able to relay ideas and form arguments in a cogent, clear manner.
The final section of the TOEFL focuses on writing. Test takers must take two approaches. First, after listening to a passage and reading a passage, they must write a short sample relating the two passages to each other. Here, it’s important to both show reading and listening comprehension, and the ability to write your thoughts down. The second section is a personal, independent essay, on any number of topics. Again, the essay portion is crucial, because it displays the TOEFL student’s ability to convey independent, clear thoughts in the English language.