TOEFL IBT

The new TOEFL exam

Resource & Research Center Coordination

Language Learning Center
Centro Venezolano Americano del Zulia – CEVAZ
Calle 63 #3E-60, Sector Las Mercedes
Telf: 0261-7180842-45, ext. 35 – email: [email protected]
 In the past, learning was confined largely to classroom and academic
study and often included:

There was a heavy focus on learning about and

analyzing the language itself with little emphasis on
 Rote memorization of authentic communication.
vocabulary
 Analysis of sentence
structure
 Grammar translation
Results: students could
 Reading aloud score highly on tests and
 Translation of texts yet not be able to
communicate in real life.
WHAT IS TOEFL IBT?
• Test of English as a Foreign Language  TOEFL
• Internet-Based Test  iBT
• Kinds of TOEFL Test
• Paper Based  677 points
• Computer Based  300 points
• Internet Based  120 points
STRUCTURE OF TESTS
TOEFL

Paper-Based Computer-Based Internet-Based

Listening
Listening Reading
Comprehension

Structure / Written
Structure / Writing Listening
Expression

Reading
Reading Speaking
Comprehension

Writing
 WHY TOEFL IBT?
 The new test better measures what colleges and universities need to know; a
prospective student’s ability to use English in an academic setting.
 The new speaking section evaluates the ability to use spoken English, and the new
integrated writing and speaking tasks measure the ability to combine and communicate about
information from more than one source.
 To reflect how language is really used. The new integrated tasks that combine more than
one skill are designed to reflect how people really use language.
 To keep up with the best practices in language learning students are provided with activities
that focus on communication and integrating, or combining, skills are very popular in many
English-language programs.
 THE NEW TEST FORMAT

Reading Listening

TOEFL iBT

Speaking Writing
 THE NEW TEST FORMAT

Test Section Number of Questions Timing

Reading 3-5 Passages, 12-14 Questions each 60-100 min

Listening 4-6 Lectures, 14 Questions each 60-90 min

2-3 Conversations, 5 Questions each

Break 10 min

Speaking 6 Tasks: 2 Independent and 4 Integrated 20 min

Writing 1 Integrated task 20 min

1 Independent task 30 min
 READING
 3 to 5 reading passages. 700 words each (approx.)
 12 to 14 questions per passage.
 60 to 100 minutes to answer all the questions in the section.
 Passages taken from college-level textbooks and books or journals of general
academic interest.
 Test takers do not need to be familiar with the material.
 All passages represent these categories:
 Narration.
 Exposition.
 Argumentation.
 READING
 Single-focus passages.
 Description
 Narration
 Analysis
 Multiple-focus passages.
 Classification
 Compare and contrast
 Cause and effect
 Problem and solution
 READING QUESTION TYPES
READING QUESTION TYPES DESCRIPTION OF QUESTION TYPE
Basic comprehension questions include Basic comprehension questions assess
five types of question. knowledge of
 Vocabulary
 Sentence structure
 Semantic abilities (understanding of
meanings, or differences between meanings, of
words)
 Ability to identify and understand important
information presented in a sentence or
paragraph.
 READING QUESTION TYPES
1.- Each of the following types of There are five question types within the basic
questions can be used to test basic type.
comprehension of a reading passage:
 Vocabulary

 Reference

 Sentence simplification

 Factual information

 Negative fact
 READING QUESTION TYPES

A) Vocabulary questions Measure ability to:

- Understand meaning of words and phrases
in the context of a text
B) Reference questions Measure ability to:
- Identify relationship between pronouns and
other grammatical references to words or
phrases used earlier in the text, antecedents
(the earlier word or phrase that is referred to)
and postcedents ( the word or phrase that
comes after the reference ) within a passage
 READING QUESTION TYPES

C) Sentence simplification Measure ability to:

questions - Identify essential information in
complex sentences in longer texts without
getting confused or distracted by less
important details and alternative wording

D) Factual information questions Measure ability to:

- Identify correct responses to questions
about important factual information that is
clearly stated in a text
 READING QUESTION TYPES
E) Negative fact questions Measure ability to:
- Determine whether information is true, not
true or not included in a text.
2.- Reading to learn questions include Measure ability to:
two types of questions
- Understand more than separate points of
information and the general idea
Recognize organization and purpose of text
- Conceptualize and organize textual
information into a mental framework
- Distinguish major from minor points and
essential from nonessential information
- Understand both cause-and-effect and
compare- contrast relationships in the text
 READING QUESTION TYPES

Each of the following types of questions There are two types of reading to learn
can be used to test reading to learn questions :
information:
1. Prose summary
2. Questions that assess a test taker’s
ability to classify, categorize, and organize
information.
A) Prose summary questions Measure ability to:
- Understand major points and relative
importance of informacion in a text.
- Test takers will select the major points by
distinguishing them from minor points or ideas
that are not in a text.
 READING QUESTION TYPES
B) Classify, categorize, organize Measure ability to:
information questions
- Conceptualize (picture, imagine, perceive)
and organize major points other important
information taken across a text.
3.- Reading inference questions. Inferencing questions share some
Each of the following types of questions can characteristics with both basic comprehension
be used to test inferencing: tasks and reading to learn tasks. They can test
the following:
- Sentence-level information as do basic
information questions.
- Understanding of information across multiple
parts of a text.
- Ability to connect information and recognize
organization and purpose of a text.
 READING QUESTION TYPES

A) Inference questions Measure ability to:

- Comprehend an argument or idea
that is strongly suggested but not
explicitly stated in the text. For
example:
A) If an effect is described in the
passage, an inference question
might ask about its cause.
B) If a comparison is made, an
inference question might ask for
the basis of the comparison.
 READING QUESTION TYPES
B) Rhetorical purpose questions Measure ability to:
- Determine why the author uses particular
features or examples.
- Determine why the author uses a certain
order, sequence or style of writing.
C) Insert text questions Measure ability to:
- Understand the lexical, grammatical, and
logical links between successive sentences.
 WHY READING?
• Nearlly all English-speaking academic situations require students to do a lot of reading.

• Students will need to read and understand information in order to discuss it and write
about it.

• They will be expected to read and understand articles and information from other
resources and reference material (newspapers, the internet, technical manuals, etc.)

• Students will need to be able to read efficiently and accurately in English.

 LISTENING
 4 to 6 lectures and 2 – 3 conversations.
 Lectures:
 500 – 800 words long.
 60 to 90 minutes.
 Consist’s of a professor’s monologue or an interactive lecture.
 Use pictures to indicate the setting and the role of the speaker.
 6 multiple-choice questions.
 LISTENING
 Conversations:

 3 minutes.

 12 to 25 interchanges.

 Involve two speakers.

 Use pictures to indicate the setting and the role of the speakers.

 5 multiple-choice questions.
 LISTENING QUESTION TYPES
• Basic Comprehension I. Main idea/gist content questions.
II. Gist/purpose questions
III. Supporting detail questions.
IV. Function questions
• Pragmatic Understanding
V. Attitude (Stance) questions
VI. Organization questions
• Connecting Information
VII. Connecting content questions
VIII. Making inferences questions
 CHALLENGES IN LISTENING
• Listeners need to recognize the following:
• Digressions
• Asides
• Reduced Speech
• False Starts
• Misspeaks
 WHY LISTENING?

• Listening takes place not only in traditional classrooms and lecture halls, but also in
offices, libraries, cafeterias, dorms, sports fields, recreation centers, etc.
• In any environment, a student listens for:
• Basic understanding to comprehend the main ideas.
• Pragmatic understanding to grasp the reason for a communication.
• Connecting and synthesizing information to understand the relationship between
pieces of information.
 SPEAKING
• Designed to evaluate the test taker’s ability to speak in an academic environment.

• Answer 6 questions while speaking into a microphone.

• Tasks 1 & 2: Independent speaking tasks about topics that are familiar to the
speaker.

• Tasks 3 & 4: Speaking with listening and reading.

• Tasks 5 & 6: Speaking with listening.

 SPEAKING
• 20 minutes long approx.

• Response times from 45 to 60 seconds.

• Does not require knowledge of academic content.

• Test taker can take notes to use when responding.

• Test taker will have a short time to prepare a response for each question.
 SPEAKING: SCORING OVERVIEW

• At least 3 different human raters are involved in the scoring of the six tasks.

• Some of the tasks are scored by 2 raters to ensure the reliability of the ratings.

• The scores are based in the description of the Speaking Rubrics.

• IMPORTANT: Raters will evaluate the overall comprehensibility of the responses; high
scoring responses may contain occasional errors or minor lapses.
 SPEAKING: ABILITIES EVALUATED
• Topic development: The test taker…
• Completely answers the question.
• Presents ideas coherently.
• Presents ideas and relationships between ideas in a way that is clear and easy to follow.
• Delivery of the response: Whether…
• Speech is clear, pronunciation is good, pacing and intonational patterns sound natural.
• The response is easy and natural.
• Language use: How well…
• The test taker demonstrates control of basic and complex grammatical structures and
vocabulary.
 WRITING

• 60 minutes long.
• Two tasks:
• Integrated Writing Task
• Read
• Listen
• Respond (150 – 225 words)
• Independent Writing Task
• Requires writing an essay (300 words)
• Evaluated from 0 to 5.
 WHY WRITING?
• Students are expected to communicate their written ideas clearly, accurately, and in a
well-organized manner.

• They are required to write essays that express opinions based on personal knowledge
and experience.
ETS WEBSITE

The ETS (Educational Testing Service) website is

where students can find more information about
TOEFL (among other tests) and it is there where
they register for the test. The test has a cost of
$175, it can be paid with Credit Card or via
transfer from an American bank.
TOEFL iBT TOUR