TOEFL Gets Wired For the Future
TOEFL is just at the beginning of the long-term improvement plan called TOEFL 2000. TOEFL 2000 reflects ETS's commitment to create an improved English-language proficiency test that, compared to the current test, is more reflective of models of communicative competence, includes more performance-based tasks, and provides more information about international students' ability to use English in an academic setting.
Computerized TOEFL is not just the paper-based test reformatted for computer. Although the test will retain much of the three section format and many of the same question types as the current paper-based TOEFL, new computer-unique question types will be added. The Listening Comprehension section will continue to measure the ability to understand spoken North American English, including frequently used vocabulary, expressions, and grammatical constructions. With computerized TOEFL, however, test takers will be able to listen to dialogues, talks, and group discussions through their own sets of headphones as they see context-setting visuals on the computer screen.
The Structure and Written Expression section will continue to measure recognition of selected grammatical points in standard written English. The multiple-choice questions included in this section will be the same types as those on the paper-based test. However, this section will now include an essay, which will measure a candidate's ability to generate and organize ideas and support those ideas using the conventions of standard written English. Test takers will have the choice of handwriting or typing the essay.
The Reading Comprehension section will continue to measure the ability to read and understand short passages that are similar to those used in North American colleges and universities. This section will retain the many of the current multiple-choice questions, but it will also feature tasks that require the test taker to become more closely involved with the text.
Certain parts of the new TOEFL will be computer-adaptive, meaning that, for some sections, the computer selects a range of questions appropriate for the test taker's ability level. These sections will start out with a question of medium difficulty. The subsequent questions are those that best fit the design of the test and test taker's performance. If a question is answered correctly, the next question will be of the same or higher difficulty. On the other hand, if a question is answered incorrectly, the next question will be of the same or lower difficulty. Consequently, test takers will not respond to numerous questions that are beyond their ability. The test scores that result are as reliable and valid as those achieved on the paper-based test.
Because the test is changing with the addition of the new computer-unique question types and the addition of an essay, ETS will conduct a study to determine whether a new scale is necessary. If a new scale is needed, a concordance table, relating scores on the computerized test with those on the paper test, will be available in early 1998 to assist scores users in setting new score standards. If students inquire about score requirements on the new test, they should be advised to contact their institutions in the spring of 1998 to inquire what score standards they have set for computerized TOEFL.
A TOEFL computerized tutorial, designed especially for nonnative speakers of English, has been developed to teach the skills needed to take the TOEFL on computer. The tutorial will also introduce test takers to sample test questions. Although the United States and other regions will be making the transition to computerized TOEFL in 1998, the current paper-based test will continue to be administered in other regions, primarily Asia. Once computerized TOEFL becomes operational in a country, the paper-based test will no longer be available. The TOEFL program hopes to complete the transition from the paper-based test to the computerized test by 2000 or 2001.