This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
We continue our reports about how foreign students can attend
an American college or university. This information also can
be found on the Special English Web site, w-w-w dot voaspecialenglish
dot com.
TOEFL (TOE-full) is an important test for foreign students
who want to study in the United States. TOEFL stands for Test
of English as a Foreign Language. More than four-thousand American
universities and other educational centers require students
seeking admission to take the test. It measures a student¡¯s
ability to understand, read and write English.
The Educational Testing Service now produces two kinds of TOEFL
tests. In most areas of the world, people take the test on a
computer in special testing centers. TOEFL also offers a version
of the test taken with paper and pencil.
Both TOEFL tests require listening, reading and writing in
English. Some questions list a few possible answers. You must
choose the correct one. The test also contains new kinds of
questions. For example, you may be asked to respond to questions
with more than one answer. Or you may be asked to connect a
question with the correct answer from a list of possibilities.
A writing test measures your ability to write in English. All
together, the TOEFL takes between three-and-one-half and four
hours to finish.
You can take the TOEFL as many times as you wish. You must
pay each time. Experts say it is a good idea to take it one
or two times to experience it. They also say the best way to
prepare for the TOEFL is to use English as much as you can.
For example, listen to English radio broadcasts. You already
are doing this by listening to our Special English programs.
Listen to V-O-A¡¯s normal English broadcasts, too.
Tape one of these broadcasts. Then tell what the broadcast was
about.
You can also watch American movies. Read American publications.
Speak English as much as you can.
You can learn more about the TOEFL test on the Internet¡¯s
World Wide Web. The address is w-w-w dot t-o-e-f-l dot o-r-g.
Or you can write for more information. The address is TOEFL
Services, Educational Testing Services, Post Office Box six-one-five-one,
Princeton, New Jersey, zero-eight-five-four-one, U-S-A.
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This V-O-A Special English Education Report
was written by Nancy Steinbach, courtesy of VOAnews.com
