With the coming of the new TOEFL, called the iBT (internet-based test), many people are wondering: when will it come to SIUC? How should we study? What should we do?
SIUC has been identified as a place where the new iBT will be given, but this will not happen until the Spring (or maybe later), and it will be given by the SIUC testing center, not CESL. In general we at CESL see the iBT as probably good; testing speaking is good for CESL students, because CESL students speak more than their friends back home, or even friends in other programs. About the rest of the test, we're not sure; it's pretty new. We understand that Sylvan, where students have been taking international TOEFLs, is now giving the iBT instead of the CBT. But we don't know how the iBT and CBT are different, aside from the speaking section.
The test CESL students will take in October (Oct. 12, 3:00, Parkinson 124), however, will be the paper-based test that CESL students have been taking for many years.
What materials should you use to study?
Materials that are specifically for the paper-based test have largely been out of print for a while. We have been using old materials. You may be able to buy used copies of such books as Cliff's, Longman, or Barron's from friends or on the web.
Materials that are for the CBT may be closer to the format of the iBT, but may not be exactly the same, and these will soon be outdated. Most of what you can buy today at the bookstore is for the CBT. There is no speaking section on the CBT.
Materials for the iBT are just coming out, and one of them is a book by Michigan that we are now using in the TOEFL class. It is still difficult to judge these materials as many of us have not seen an iBT. However we have picked our favorite providers and are getting more materials as soon as possible. ETS (the company that makes the TOEFL) says that you can get a practice test here. Notice that you have to "join"...we don't know if that means that they will fill up your e-mail box with advertisements for years or what. We would like to hear about it if someone has taken one of these tests: is it good? What's it like?
Everyone wants to know. Thanks for your input.
-Tom L., CESL teacher
Monday, October 03, 2005
New TOEFL
Posted by CESL at 2:18 PM
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4 comments:
Actually, one of the texts that we used this term in the TOEFL preparation class is designed to help students prepare for the iBT TOEFL, including longer reading texts and a speaking section. The book is called "The Michigan Guide for Academic Success and Better TOEFL Test Scores" (University of Michigan Press, 2004). I think it costs about $35, including two CDs.
Thanks for your comment. I wrote this post before I knew about these materials, and have now changed it so that your response is integrated into it. We have ordered books by Cambridge and Longman also.
-Tom
what about CESL? will we take a IBT test next term or still take a PBT test? in my case CBT is better thatn PBT to me. ^0^
as far as we know, you will take the PBT in December. You can take the new iBT if you want at Sylvan but you have to pay for that. I don't think you can take the CBT anywhere!
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