Since 1964, non-native English speakers have taken the Test of English as a Foreign LanguageTM (TOEFL®). Its purpose is to assess a student’s English proficiency in order to determine whether or not they will be able to succeed in college. Many educational institutions in English-speaking countries require TOEFL® scores from international students who have not met other requirements, such as studying for at least two years at the college level in an English-speaking country. The results of the TOEFL® are kept on file for two years before being discarded.
In a college classroom, English as a Second Language (ESL) students are sometimes at a severe disadvantage. The TOEFL® is designed to address this problem ensuring that all students have a minimum level of English language proficiency. Some educators have criticized the TOEFL®, as have other standardized tests, for a variety of reasons, and the TOEFL® alone should probably not be used as a measure of English ability.
Educational Testing Service (ETS), a standardized testing company that administers exams like the SAT® for incoming college students and the PRAXISTM for prospective teachers, owns the TOEFL® trademark. ETS offers three TOEFL® versions, though two of them were phased out in 2006 and were expected to be phased out completely. The first is a paper-based test, which lasts four hours and involves students receiving examination papers. The second type is a computer-based test, which is administered using an interactive computer format. The Internet-based test is the preferred method.
The TOEFL® is a four-hour online test that assesses four aspects of English communication. The test taker must successfully defend a written argument, demonstrating written English communication ability. Furthermore, the test taker will read passages and respond to questions to demonstrate reading comprehension. The test taker will also listen to and respond to recorded English sentences, as well as record spoken English. The score is based on the student’s performance on all four aspects of the exam and is thought to be an accurate reflection of their abilities.
Test takers have criticized the TOEFL® speaking section, claiming that it creates a chaotic environment during the exam. Test takers typically wear headphones during the listening phase to avoid distracting other test takers. Because the TOEFL® is administered in standardized test centers that would be difficult to reconfigure just for the TOEFL®, the Educational Testing Service has had difficulty addressing this issue. Seating has been made more limited, which is beneficial but also frustrates test takers because registering for a TOEFL® seat can be difficult.