Rethinking the TOEFL

Every year I talk to dozens of students who need to take the TOEFL. And when I do, I almost always come to the conclusion that there needs to be some fresh thinking about the TOEFL and how to prepare for it.

What is the TOEFL, really?

The TOEFL is an opportunity for you to demonstrate that your academic English is good enough for you to succeed at a university where English is used in the classroom.  It’s your chance to provide evidence that your skills – reading, listening, speaking, writing – will be an asset, and not a liability, to your academic career.

The TOEFL reminds me of something I see at Disneyland. At the entrance to many of the rides, there are signs that say “Minimum height: 40 inches” – or something similar. If you are shorter than that, you can’t go on the ride because Disneyland has determined that those rides are not safe for shorter people. We could say that the TOEFL is a measurement to make sure your English is “tall” enough for you to safely study in a classroom where English is used.

Universities want their students to succeed. To try to be sure they do, universities ask students to provide evidence that they have at least the minimum level of English ability they’ll need for success in the university’s classes. The TOEFL is the tool they use to make this important measurement.

What’s the key to success on the TOEFL?

The key to success on the TOEFL – and in an English-based classroom – is good academic English.

More specifically, success on the TOEFL depends on three things:

• Good English, including academic vocabulary
• Good academic language skills
• Good test-taking skills

Each of these is contingent on, or builds on, the one before it. Working on test-taking skills does not help much if your academic English or academic language skills are not strong.

Academic vocabulary is made up of the “working” or “toolbox” words that appear in almost all textbooks – words like estimate, derived, analysis, hypothesis, infer, etc. These words are more important for academic performance than the “500 Most Common TOEFL Vocabulary” lists that appear on many web sites. If you want to look at the academic word list to see how many words you know, look here or here.

Academic language skills are the language-related activities you need to do on the TOEFL, and in the classroom, to succeed. They are described in detail in TOEFL Tips, from the official TOEFL web site. Look at the information for each section – reading, listening, speaking, writing – and look for the list and description of academic skills covered in that part of the test.

Test-taking skills include things like knowing how the test is organized and what to expect, how to manage your time during the test, what to focus on and do to earn as many points as possible during timed questions.

There are no secrets or shortcuts to success on the TOEFL or in the classroom. Good academic English is not difficult to develop if you do the right thing and allow enough time to develop the skills you need. You can’t expect success by taking language steroids at the last minute!

One of my students recently took the TOEFL practice test and scored 107 without any special preparation. Why did she score so high? I think the answer is fairly simple: during the last couple of years she has been exposed to large amounts of good academic English. Her academic English is good, so she did well on the TOEFL practice test.

What’s the best way to make sure I’m ready for the TOEFL?

The best way to be sure you’re ready for the TOEFL is to take the TOEFL practice test offered on the TOEFL web site. If you’re not ready, it will help you identify what you need to work on to get ready to take the test. I have begun to require this for all of my tutoring students.

What’s the best way to prepare for the TOEFL?

The most important thing you can do is to acquire as much English, including academic English, as possible. And the most effective and efficient way to do this is by consuming – reading and listening – as much English as possible. Build your English ability the natural way, as described in The power of reading and listening, even if it requires more time.

I recently wrote two articles – first, second – about Adrian, a Brazilian professor who went from being a frustrated English-class dropout to a high level of success in two-and-a-half years, simply by making a commitment to daily reading and listening. Our first conversation, a few months ago, was the first time he used his newly acquired English for an extended conversation. It was very good!

Beyond a commitment to daily reading and listening, there are good resources, like the Official Guide to the TOEFL Test, that will help you develop your academic skills. Many students would benefit from working with a tutor who has taught in the college/university classroom and who understands how to help students develop the skills they need.

For more ideas about how to prepare for the TOEFL, look at the other TOEFL-related articles here on Successful English.

Final thoughts

Success on the TOEFL and in the English-based classroom depends on acquiring good academic English. It’s not difficult to do, but it may take time. That time may be the best investment you make for success on the TOEFL and for your future education.

Warren Ediger

photo by HeyThereSpaceman used by permission