TOEFL AND IELTS

TOEFL or IELTS - Which is Better?

Executive summary about TOEFL and IELTS by Walton Burns

One of the most frequent questions I hear is which test is easier or which test is better. The IELTS test administrated by the British Councils, the University of Cambridge, and IELTS Australia or the TOEFL? Pick the test you think will be easier for you to complete.

Structure of the TOEFL

As of last year, official TOEFL is almost universally given in the iBT (Internet Based Testing) format.

Reading

The TOEFL Reading section asks you to read 4-6 passages of university level and to answer multiple-choice questions about them (multiple-choice means you choose the answer from provided options). Questions test you on comprehension of the text, main ideas, important details, vocabulary, inferring, rhetorical devices and style.

Listening

The Listening Section presents long 2-3 conversations and 4-6 lectures. Speaking

The Speaking section is recorded. Two questions will ask you to summarize information from a text and a conversation--and may ask your opinion as well. Two questions will ask you to summarize information from a short conversation. Again, the topics of the conversations are always university-related.

Writing

Finally, there are two short essays on the TOEFL.

IELTS Structure

The IELTS contains the same 4 sections, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, but the format is very different.

Reading

The variety of questions on the IELTS is quite broad, and not every text will have every question type. One question type asks you to match headings to paragraphs in the text. There may be multiple-choice questions that ask you about key details. Finally, some questions are short-answer but the answers will be taken directly from the text itself.

Some questions come before the text and may not require careful reading to answer.

Listening

The IELTS has four listening sections. There are two writing tasks on the academic IELTS.

Speaking

The first part of the test will be a brief introductory conversation followed by some short questions about familiar topics.

Writing

There are two writing tasks on the academic IELTS. The first asks you to summarize a table or chart in about 300 words. The second task asks you to present your opinion on a statement about a fairly open topic.

British versus American English

While both the UK and the US accept both tests, and while British English and American English are not as different as some think, the fact of the matter is the IELTS tends to use British English and the TOEFL uses exclusively American English. If you are more comfortable with US English, the TOEFL is a good bet but if you are used to British English and accents, you'll do better on the IELTS.

Multiple choice versus Copying Down

For the reading and listening sections, TOEFL gives you multiple-choice questions, whereas IELTS generally expects you to copy down words from the text or the conversation word-for-word. Multiple-choice questions will tend to be require slightly better abstract thinking, but the IELTS favors people who have good memories and think more concretely. Of course, the TOEFL is also more predictable than the IELTS. If you like talking to people, the IELTS is a better bet. Finally, the speaking and writing sections of the TOEFL are graded holistically. The IELTS by contrast is marked by individual criteria and you are scored individually for grammar, word choice, fluency, logic, cohesion, and a dozen other criteria. The IELTS will not overlook bad grammar.

WHAT IS IELTS TEST?

Know Why IELTS Test is Essential For Applicants Seeking Immigration Or to Study Abroad?

Executive summary by Ajay Sharma

In immigration to certain destinations and under some specific programs, like Australia General skilled migration program, the immigration programs require that both the principal applicant and their spouse appear for the IELTS test as well. While this makes the Immigration process more expensive and tougher, what applicants do not realize is the fact that IELTS test is only for their benefit.

Importance of IELTS test

So why has the IELTS test become such an integral part of the immigration applications for almost all Immigration destinations and programs? And why are the applicants made to undergo the strenuous IELTS preparation process and spend huge amount of funds in undergoing these tests? 

Earlier system of assessing English language skills

In the past the Immigration officers used to take one-to-one interview to judge the English language skills of the applicant and decide how many points they would like to credit to the applicant.

But this kind of system created animosities and unfair situations, for both Visa processing office and immigration applicants. There are several reasons why this system of evaluation of language skills of the applicants is replaced by the IELTS test.

Introduction of IELTS

IELTS test is thereby based on evaluating applicant's skills in all four components of the language, including speaking, listening, understanding and reading.

Language is clearly one key area that can and does create difficult situations, especially when applicants do not have English as their primary language and have never had exposure to international language accents.

The IELTS test thereby gives an opportunity to all such immigrants to avert any such difficult situation and check on their language skill levels, before they select the course and university for studying abroad. Most of the international educational institutions offer Language development courses for international students, who are not very fluent with the language. It has therefore become an essential part of the Immigration visa process and for study overseas applicants. Hence, an applicant is advised to prepare well, if they wish to earn some points by scoring well in various test modules. Seeking advice from an immigration expert is a wise decision to give a direction to your IELTS preparation as well as your immigration process, in general.

IELTS - 10 Tips For Passing the IELTS Exam

Executive summary by Mike Wattie

To improve your score in the IELTS exams, you should focus on the following ten areas:

1. Improve your overall English ability

The IELTS exam has been designed to test your ability to communicate in English, so ultimately you cannot score well without a high level of English. Learning any language is a slow process that requires hard work and perseverance. The best way to improve your English is to immerse yourself in English...take every opportunity you can to read, write, speak, and listen to English. In addition, try to develop regular habits for doing things in English, such as, reading the daily news in English or starting a blog in English. Research shows that it is important to interact in English frequently as opposed to big chunks of infrequent study.

You can improve your listening skills by listening to the BBC news or watching movies. Reading can be improved by regularly reading English newspapers and novels. Speaking can be a tricky one if you are in a non-English speaking country.

2. Understanding the Exam

The exam always follows the same format, so you should learn about the different question types, and how to answer them. Reading: You should know about the different text types that are used in the reading exam, and also the different question types. This will help you develop reading skills and strategies to answer each type of question, and also let you develop time management skills for each question type. Note: many students have trouble completing the reading section and as a result their grade is often lower than their actual level of English.

Writing: All candidates will write a 250 word essay, so everyone should practice writing a complete 250 word essay within 40 minutes. Many students practice essay writing, but they fail to practice with the time requirement - as a result they are unable to complete their essay during the actual exam. You need to make sure you are preparing for the correct type of exam because general candidates will write a letter whereas academic candidates will write a report based on a graph/diagram.

3. Understand how the exam is graded.

Although your exam grade is a single number for each of the four section of the exam, this is not how all sections are assessed. In the speaking and writing sections there are four criteria for assigning a grade. Understanding how each of the criteria is evaluated is essential to maximising your score. 

How the writing test is graded

Vocabulary: To score highly you must use higher level words, pay attention to collocation, and also control your word endings (correctly use singular/plural and use the correct verb ending for the correct tense).

Special Note: In some instances errors can count in two categories; for example, many grammatical errors also result in a lower score for coherence. On the positive, it is useful to learn lots of connective devices because they can count for Coherence & Cohesion as well as vocabulary. Part of your self-study should be aimed at efficiently using your time to maximize your grade.

How the reading test is graded

Your speaking test is graded and marked from 1-9 in accordance with four key criteria, as follows:

Coherence refers to your speaking being easy to understand.

Vocabulary: To score highly you must use higher level words, pay attention to collocation, and also control your word endings (correctly use singular/plural and use the correct verb ending for the correct tense). 

Grammar: To score highly you need to use a variety of sentence types (simple, compound, complex) and also avoid grammatical errors, such as with articles and prepositions and sentence order especially when they make your speaking difficult to understand.

Special Note: In some instances errors can count in two categories; for example, many grammatical errors also result in a lower score for coherence. On the positive, it is useful to learn lots of connective devices because they can count for Coherence & Cohesion as well as vocabulary. Part of your self-study should be aimed at efficiently using your time to maximize your grade.

4. Do lots of practice exams and receive feedback

Doing lots of practice exams is the best way to familiarize yourself with the specific style, requirements, and necessary success factors of the IELTS exam. Practice tests also give you insights about the types of questions you will be asked and the answers they require. For instance, many of the answers in the reading exam are synonyms (word with similar meanings) of words in the text. This avoids you wasting time looking for words that are not there!

Doing practice exams is not enough. The next step is to learn to overcome these errors. If they are grammatical errors you should do some grammar quizzes focused on that area, an excellent site is at grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar.

Of course if you are doing practice writing exams you will need a professional to give you feedback on your mistakes and how to avoid them.

5. Developing skills

In addition to improving your general level of English and doing practice exams, you also need to work on many skills that will help you to perform better on the test. Reading skills such as skimming (which parts you should strategically read) and scanning (best choices for searching for information) are essential to deal with the time pressure of the reading exam.

Writing skills such as how to structure an essay and how to highlight your key points are necessary to score 7 and above. For the speaking exam you need to learn how to structure answers to questions and to quickly paraphrase words you don't know (part of the criteria for level 7 and above) and you will need to develop skills in note making and speech making for the part 2 long answer.

To score well in the listening exam, you should develop excellent pre-listening skills, so that you can predict answers and establish listening objectives.

6. Work on your time management

In the IELTS test, time management is a vital element and so part of your preparation should focus on how you will manage your time in the exam. In order to improve upon your time management, you should improve your general English ability, do lots of practice exams under time restrictions, and work on skills that assist your ability to deal with the time pressures of the exam (such as skimming and scanning in the reading exam).

7. Get a tutor or join a class

8. Find a study partner

9. Set realistic goals

Part of knowing the exam and understanding the grading criteria is about knowing where you personally are and what you must do to get to the next level. It takes about 10 weeks of full-time study for most students to rise to the next IELTS level. It is best to be working on raising one level. To illustrate this if you are a level 5 student you should be focusing on things like correctly using complex sentences, learning to paraphrase unknown words, and the overall structure of an essay.

10. Establish a timetable and reward system

As mentioned above it takes about 10 weeks of full-time study to raise one level - so if you really do want to jump two levels within 10 weeks, you will need to work twice as hard as a full time student - and study about 10-12 hours per day! Watch TV and films, listen to the radio, visit English websites and have as many conversations with native English speakers as you can.

WHAT IS TOEFL?

Independent English Course in Bogor also provides preparatory courses on TOEFL. What is TOEFL? Here we post an article about what TOEFL is. Happy reading.

 

Everything You Need To Know About TOEFL

Written by Manjusha Nambiar  

The author is an English language instructor based in Mumbai.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) tests the English language skills of non-native students who want to study or work in countries where English is the language of communication. It is an exam developed by ETS (Educational Testing Service). More than 6,000 institutions and agencies in 110 countries rely on TOEFL scores to select students with the English skills needed to succeed.

TOEFL tests all four language skills that are important for effective communication: speaking, listening, reading and writing. There are three versions of the TOEFL: paper-based, computer-based (CBT) and internet-based (iBT). The majority of test centers now use the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT).

Paper-Based & Computer-Based TOEFL
The computer-based TOEFL (CBT) was introduced in 1998. Its format is very similar to that of the original paper-based test. In areas where the computer-based test is not available, the paper-based test is used. Remember that you cannot change your answers in the first two sections of the CBT after you have confirmed them on the computer. There are more "types" of questions in the CBT, such as clicking on a phrase and looking at a diagram. Before you start the CBT you will take a tutorial which shows you how to answer the questions properly. The total time you will spend taking the paper-based test is 2.5 hours. The CBT takes approximately 4 hours (including tutorials).

TOEFL format (paper based)

Listening comprehension (30 minutes)

Part A: short dialogues

Part b: Long conversations

Part c: mini-lectures

Structure and written expression (25 minutes)

Sentence completion (15 questions)

Error recognition (25 questions)

Reading comprehension (55 minutes)

50 questions - approximately 5 passages

Computer based

Adaptive listening (60 minutes)
Part A: short dialogues

Part B: conversations, academic discussions, mini-lectures

Adaptive structure (15-20 minutes)

Sentence completion (approximately 10 questions)

Error recognition (approximately 15 questions)

Reading comprehension (70-90 minutes)

Over 60 questions - approximately 6 passages

Writing (30 minutes)

1 essay topic

Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT)

The TOEFL (iBT) was launched in 2005. It is intended to replace the other two versions of the test and is gradually becoming available worldwide. The new TOEFL iBT is a linear and not a computer adaptive test. This means that every candidate answers questions from the same range of difficulty, rather than receiving questions based on their ability levels.

The TOEFL iBT consists of four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. All four sections are taken on the same day, and the entire test is about four hours long. What is most unique about the test is that it asks you to combine, or integrate, more than one language skill, just like you do every day. For example, sometimes you read a passage, listen to a short lecture about a topic, and then speak or write a response. And you can take notes throughout the entire test just like you would in a real academic class. Language heard on the TOEFL iBT is designed to sound like real-life conversations. The reading passages are taken from real textbooks and course materials.

TOEFL iBT format

Reading (60-100 minutes)

3-5 passages (12-14 questions each)

Listening (60-90 minutes)

4-6 lectures and academic discussions (6 questions each)

2-3 conversations (five questions each)

BREAK 10 minutes

Speaking (20 minutes)

6 tasks (2 independent, 4 integrated)

Writing (50 minutes)

I integrated task, 1 independent task

Test registration

Go online to register for a test. You can also register by phone or mail. When you register for the test, you can designate which universities you want to receive your scores. Or, you can wait until you receive your scores before sending them to your selected universities. Your scores will be available online 15 business days after you take the test. ETS will also send you a paper score report for your records.

TOEFL requirements

TOEFL is a source of anxiety for most international students who are not educated in English. But remember that it is almost unavoidable. Required TOEFL scores vary by institution, usually, the more prestigious the university, the higher the TOEFL score. So contact your selected university or college to determine their score requirements. On the TOEFL Web site at http://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/codelists.html you'll find a list of 6,000 institutions that accept TOEFL scores. You can also view a list of score requirements for some representative universities.

TOEFL waivers

Some universities have what is called a TOEFL waiver option. You can opt for this option if you are willing to study at the university's Intensive English Program (or another affiliated English program) until acquiring the required level of proficiency in English.

BRITISH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH

Independent English Course Bogor has so far encouraged students to speak, write, listen to and read English more often. Students usually ask questions over several things they find such as why there is "color" and "colour", "holiday" and "vacation", "have got" and "has got", and so on. Here we provide some information about some differences that you may find when you practise your English. 

(Admin)

British and American English - The Same But Very Differrent 

Executive summary by Paul Kennard 

The basic difference lies vocabulary level. Whereas the British have petrol , the Americans call it gasoline; while the British drive lorries, the Americans drive trucks; the Americans pay checks, whereas the British pay bills; the British eat chips, but the Americans eat French fries and so on. Furthermore both groups of people will often use the same words , however these words denote totally different things. This problem creates much cause of misunderstandings, especially to people who learn English as a second language.

Another important factor which separates British and American English is the pronunciation. Unlike the British , the Americans pronounce -r in last syllables, the example of which can be words like weather, sweater, soldier etc. The word princess has a different stress in American English as to British English. The British stress the second syllable, whereas in American English the first syllable of this word is stressed. Other examples are advertisement, laboratory, ballet (though this word can be stressed in two ways in the American variety of English.

Let us now compare both languages by taking a closer look at how grammar is approached. The most outstanding dissimilarity in the use of grammar is how Americans apply the simple past tense to situations where the British tend to use the present perfect tense. In addition the Americans are thought even to ignore the present perfect tense all together.

In contrast to British English, American spelling is rather simplified. Whereas the British have colour, harbour or honour, the Americans shorten it to color, harbor and honor, omitting u in ou clusters. Another difference is not doubling of -l- in words whereas the British do so, for example traveler/traveller, leveling/levelling. Some words in American English end in -og, but the British spell them -ogue, e.g. dialogue/dialog, catalogue/catalog and so on. Others may claim that, on the other hand, these two varieties of the English language are different, and in addition, people should be aware of these aspects in which American English and British English differ.

Differences Between American And British English In Article Marketing

Executive summary by Una Page

As an author who is concerned how to achieve best marketing results with their articles, you may not be aware of the importance to distinguish differences between American and British English in your writing. Nuances in spelling and pronouncing between the dialects typical for different English speaking territories may seem small and insignificant, but they may play a crucial role in what effect will your article have for its target audience. 

Typical examples of the words that are written differently in American and British English are: centre vs. center, color vs. colour, fulfill vs. fulfil and the list goes on. Typical differences in usage of tenses and morphology would be learnt versus learned. Your ability to abide to different English language rules depending on the territory of your target audience will determine success or failure of your article marketing efforts. This especially applies if you are writing about subjects that imply heavy usage of 'duality' words. For example, if you are writing about design or painting and your target audience are Americans, they would be heavily distracted by consistent and persistent usage of word 'colour' instead of 'color'.

HOW TO MASTER ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Executive summary by Seema Kumar

 

For many people, English is a Big challenge. English seems to be a very difficult language to master with all its irregularities, exceptions and rules. English in reality is a very peculiar language. Not only does it have so many grammatical rules, but, irritatingly enough, there are also hundreds of exceptions to those rules, which one can master only through persistence, dedication, and indefatigable energy. To reach flawlessness in the use of English is an seemingly impossible task. At times it may become frustrating and embarrassing to make mistakes but eventually one learns to accept them. By focusing more on understanding the mistakes rather than judging yourself one can become fluent in English. Moreover when we make it our hobby and not just a chore and above all have fun while we learn is the righteous path to effective English Mastery.

Problems with English

* Not Original Language - The spelling of a word may not show what the pronunciation of the word is. This is because English words came from many different sources. It is not a 'pure' language because English came from two main sources - old French, and old Anglo-Saxon, there is a very large vocabulary of words. Words with similar meanings may have come from both sources. For example, START (from Anglo-Saxon) and COMMENCE (from old French). The meaning is similar, but not precisely the same.

* Abundance of Common Words - To become even just a moderately competent speller of English one has to memorise at least 3695 common words with exceptional spellings

* Spelling Patterns - English has 88 main basic spelling patterns, but they all have some exceptions. 88 spelling patterns have so many exceptions that they are not really patterns at all.

* Idioms - Native English speakers use a lot of idioms, that is - words used in a way which is not their obvious meaning. An English speaker may say, "I do not think much of bananas." This does not mean he doesn't often think about bananas. It means that he does not like bananas very much! "I think nothing of going for a swim before breakfast." What this really means is that he actually likes doing this, and that it is no problem to him! Communicating is much more easier than actually understanding proper usage of English.

How to Improve your English? / How to Master English?

1. Motivation - On needs to have a lot of Motivation to be able to master English. Often we give up out of Frustration because we are not motivated to learn English. To Motivate on needs to question himself -

Why do you need to learn/improve English?
Where will you need to use English?
What skills do you need to learn/improve? (Reading/Writing/Listening/Speaking)
How soon do you need to see results?
How much time can you afford to devote to learning English.
Do you have a plan or learning strategy?

2. Regular English Study - It's important to study English every day. But don't Overdo! Instead of studying for hours once a week, one should devote like Thirty minutes every day be it Speaking or Writing. Short, steady practices are much impactful for learning than long periods on an irregular basis. This habit of studying keeps English fresh in our brain.

3. Communicate in English - Communication in English has many forms like - Speaking, Writing Letters, Text Messaging, Placing an Order, E-mail etc. There is nothing like communicating in English, especially when there are so many Forms to Communicate. The More you use it the more you know it and the more successful you will be.

4. Use a dictionary - Using a Dictionary while Reading or even while watching English programme is helpful in improving Vocabulary.

5. Listening English music - One of the effortless and easiest way is listening to music anytime or while doing daily chores etc. It can help in getting used to the natural rhythm and tone of English speech. The more time and attention you give to a song, the more you will learn from listening to it again in the future.

6. Read the Lyrics - If the lyrics are not given in the CD booklet, one can find them on the internet to understand the language. When you have read and understood the lyrics, listen the song and read at the same time, this can be a good way of understanding how sounds change in fast, natural, informal speech.

7. Listen to news in English - Listening to English spoken by newsreader either on Radio, T.V. or Internet makes it easier to get the grab of English

8. English Speaking Native/Foreigner Friend - An interesting way to not only learn English but new cultures as well if one finds a foreign boyfriend or girlfriend. It can be Online or Conventional friend and it can be a great motivator to improve your language skills.

9. English Courses - Those who are really serious about getting it right all the time can join various intensive and extensive courses

10. English Subtitled Movies - Another resourceful methods is to watch English movies with subtitles.

11. English Karaoke - If you have a music system which features Karaoke then one can, after understanding and memorising a song, use it in remembering which words rhyme at the end of each line. This can also be a good way of starting to learn English pronunciation.

12. Similar Words - Learning as many words as one can of one category, e.g. animal words can both expand overall vocabulary and make them easier to learn by forming links between the words in the brain.

13. Record your voice - Many people don't have much or any correction of pronunciation from a teacher so recording yourself and listening it makes it easier to hear whether you are really making the right pronunciation required.

14. Learn English From Internet - Many websites provide free and paid online Tutorials for improving English. On can look for them on any Search Engine and use it according to one's preference.

15. Take English language exams - It looks tough but taking up such exams reflects your mistakes. Even if you don't need to and don't want to or can't take a special course to study for it, paying to take an exam like TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS or FCE can really motivate one to take English studies seriously.

16. English Language Blog - Another Creative way of getting along with English is to describe your life and interests etc. on the net. People who might read will point out your mistakes and give you free suggestions.

17. Visit an English Speaking Country - Most preferably England or any one which is easily accessible, is the best option. Certain Holiday Packages are available and one can take an English speaking tour or activity holiday.