Get to know the latest changes to the TOEFL

by Joe Yu

You've probably heard that the Educational Testing Service (ETS) has recently made some changes to the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) which are supposed to improve your experience as a test taker and increase your chances of meeting university admission requirements. This new version of the test took effect on August 1, 2019, and is now only three hours long, which is 30 minutes less than the old test. It has fewer questions in the Reading and Speaking sections, and fewer lectures in the Listening section. One benefit according to ETS is a reduction in test-taking fatigue which is likely to lead to better test performance. ETS maintains that while the new version has less testing material it retains its quality and its ability to assess how prepared you are for academic coursework. Here is a breakdown of the changes.

CHANGES TO THE FOUR SECTIONS:

The READING SECTION now only has 10 questions per passage, while keeping the same number of passages for both short and long versions of the test. Plan to spend 18 minutes per passage and pace yourself appropriately. Because the question types are the same, you may continue using old study materials to practice for the test. 

The LISTENING SECTION now has one less lecture while keeping the same number of conversations and number of questions for each listening. The short version will only have 3 lectures, instead of the 4 in the old test; the long version will have 4 lectures, instead of the 6 in the old test. As in the reading section, you may continue to use old study materials as question types on the listening section remain the same.

The SPEAKING SECTION now only has 4 tasks. Questions 1 and 5 from the old version were the ones eliminated, leaving the new test with 1 independent question and 3 integrated questions. Preparation and speaking times stay the same.

Another change in the SPEAKING SECTION is in how ETS scores your recorded answers. Now your answers will be assessed by both human evaluators and a SpeechRater scoring engine. ETS had been using their scoring engine for their practice tests online since 2006 and have been analyzing its capabilities. You can find more information about the SpeechRater engine at the ETS website here: https://www.ets.org/research/topics/as_nlp/speech/

There were no changes made to the WRITING SECTION, so you will continue responding to the integrated task for 20 minutes and to the independent task for 30 minutes.

CHANGES TO SCORE REPORTING: 

In addition to the reduction in test material and test length, ETS is also now reporting your "superscores," which they are calling "MyBest Scores." This new feature shows both your scores for the test you just took as well as the best scores that you’ve received in each section in the last two years. ETS reports that 70% of universities wanted this feature, and this gives you better chances of meeting program admission requirements as your superscores for each section will also add up to a higher total score. However, as not all universities accept MyBest Scores, ETS recommends checking your school’s website to check their policy on accepting superscores.

CHANGES TO PREPARATION, REGISTRATION, & TESTING:

In addition, ETS says they are adding more testing slots at participating testing centers and for those of you who are not morning people, afternoon testing schedules are also now available. If you have taken the test before, you are supposed to notice a better registration experience online with easy access to test prep and testing resources. Last, the TOEFL Official App will be available in a number of countries starting September 2019 and in the U.S. in October 2019. The app is said to provide even greater convenience with everything that you need to register and prepare for the TOEFL in the palm of your hand.

For more information on the new version of the TOEFL, visit ETS at https://www.ets.org/toefl/better_test_experience

A TOEFL student's success in math and languages

by Mia Della Pietra

After classes have finished at NYLC's Upper West Side location, it is usually very quiet.  The students have left and the staff are quietly typing at their desks.  But two of the students in the TOEFL class sometimes stay behind.  Their table is covered with notecards and textbooks.  Their TOEFL books, however, are in their bags. 

Felipe loves working with numbers, but he also has a huge
interest in learning languages.

Satomi and Felipe stay after their TOEFL class to teach each other Japanese and Spanish.  Satomi is thinking about going on vacation to South America this year, and Felipe just loves languages!  Felipe’s enthusiasm for languages has definitely paid off.  He recently scored a 103 on the TOEFL, which is incredibly impressive!

Felipe is from Chile.  He studied structural engineering at university and has a Master’s degree in engineering, as well.  While he does love languages, he picked engineering because of the mathematics involved in it.  

“Numbers!  Numbers were so easy for me,” he says. Also, engineering had the perfect balance of math and variety.

“I love that you can work in so many places,” he adds. Indeed, engineering school prepared him to learn anything that he wanted. 

In Chile, he worked as an associate director of infrastructure at the engineering school of a university.  He was responsible for new projects, including everything from their budget to their architecture. The most difficult part of his job was managing the construction of the buildings.  

“Construction is so tricky, the needs [of the project] can change while you are constructing something.”  Now he wants to get a Ph.D. in the U.S. in public policy to be able to work in infrastructure and civil engineering. 

Student Spotlight: Ivana Minoska, TOEFL Star

We are very proud of New York Language Center student, Ivana, for her excellent score of 106 on the TOEFL exam!

Ivana is visiting from her home country of Macedonia and has studied with NYLC since October of 2015. She is currently pursuing a Master in International Relations and Law. She is almost finished with her degree and is waiting to submit her Master’s thesis upon her return home.

After a cultural exchange program in Minnesota, Ivana decided that she wanted to allocate some of her time to improve her English further.  She loved her Mid-Western summer and decided then that she wanted to study in an American university—but first needed a great TOEFL score! Her goal is to complete her next educational endeavor at an American university. She is looking at law and masters programs at a few universities throughout the tri-state area. Her TOEFL score has given her more opportunities to the types of programs she will apply to, as well as her eligibility for scholarships. Ivana advises other TOEFL students to read newspapers (she reads both national and local papers) and to resist the temptation to use subtitles when watching TV. 

  

Two outstanding students with two excellent essays

 

Aisse Sow and Jesus De Luna were two of our top students in the TOEFL Preparation Course recently at New York Language Center. Both have accomplished their goals in class; they've learned how to take the test and are ready to move on to the next step in the college application process.

For Aisse, who is from the Netherlands and who is spending her gap year traveling, college may be back in Amsterdam, where she will then finish her undergraduate studies before applying to graduate school in the U.S., or she may decide to apply to an undergraduate program in the States, in which case she will seriously consider applying to Harvard or Stanford. Being challenged is important to Aisse, who is considering a double major in psychology and social work.

An essay on urban sprawl

This is an essay by Iris Lin for a writing task in the NorthStar Building Skills for the TOEFL iBT Advanced

            Urban sprawl is the growth of cities in an unplanned manner. U.S. cities and towns are experiencing urban sprawl, leading to the rise of anti-sprawl movements such as New Urbanism. Urban sprawl has some negative and positive effects. In the passage, we learn about how New Urbanism principles can help solve the problems of urban sprawl.

            Urban sprawl problems include four parts. First, suburban cities grow outward and use land that should be left to nature. Second, single-family homes cause sprawl. Third, there are traffic jams between suburbs and cities. Fourth, there is lack of social interaction. For instance, in the 1990s, L.A., Atlanta, and Houston experienced urban sprawl. It is very harmful, and environmental groups such as the Sierra Club call sprawl “irresponsible,” a “cancer,” a “virus,” and misuse of the land.

            On the other hand, the principles of New Urbanism can solve the problems and cities are built that don’t harm the environment, don’t cut down trees, don’t pollute the water, while protecting animal habitats. Second, New Urbanism builds single- and multi-family residences. Third, New Urbanism develops transportation systems by region. It provides housing and jobs, creates neighborhoods where people can walk to stores, public transportation and parks. Fourth, New Urbanism increases social interaction.

HAVE, DO, & BE, but in what order?

David's board-work during his presentation. Read about it below & tell us if
you agree with the concept he presented about how to reach your goals.

David Sanchez in the TOEFL class shared some ideas and techniques he's learned from two experts: Ramon Campayo, who studies the mind and shares ways of improving memory, and Mario Alonso Puig, a Harvard doctor who lectures on motivation, leadership, and creativity, among others. Have you heard of either of them? 

One concept that David pointed out was the idea of HAVING, DOING, and BEING in terms of reaching your goals. Most people think of their goals in this order. You need to HAVE something first, so you can DO what you want to do; then you can BE who you want to be. What David learned is that it is in fact the reverse. We need to simply BE who we are first, then DO what we enjoy doing, and the things that we want to HAVE will come. 

What do you think? Do you agree? Have you heard of the same concept, perhaps said differently? Share it with us here, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter @NYLangCenter.