International Exams for English Learners - Research Paper Example

One of the merits of globalization is a free mobility of people from one place to another. Modern technological innovations have made it possible for people to mingle together irrespective of their countries of origin. As it was earlier, many people still relocate to foreign nations to seek for educational and employment opportunities. This justifies why USA still has a large number of immigrants from across the globe. Since English is the common language used as a medium of instruction both in the elementary, high school and higher institutions of learning, in various countries including the USA, every student should be at least possess some degree of proficiency in the English language. However, this has been so challenging especially to the ‘foreign non-English speaking students who come to search for higher education in the country’ (Sharpe 55). For such students to be fully prepared for their respective degree courses, they need to undergo the mandatory Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) right before their official enrollment into the US universities. This paper analyzes the efficiency of the TOEFL test in the preparation of international students to complete degree courses in English in the country. Basically, TOEFL is an English language proficiency test exclusively designed for the non-native speakers of the English language who are interested in enrolling for a degree course in the US universities. The test whose origin can be traced to the recommendations of the National Council was established in the year 1963. Since that time, the test has become the standard test accepted by a large number of universities and professional bodies both within and out of USA. It is designed and administered by a non-profit making organization known as Educational Testing Service (ETS) and can be done both on paper and through the internet (Sharpe 47). Nevertheless, these tests have been criticized for been ineffective in adequately preparing non-native speakers for higher education. It is a one time test that is not repeated once completed. Besides, it is not accepted by all the universities and institutions of higher learning in all parts of the world. Of all the countries in the world, the test is only accepted by 130 nations. This is a clear indication that it is a totally universal test that can guarantee one an entrance to any university of their choice. If it were efficient, it would be accepted by all the countries in which students need to be prepared for higher education. Despite the numerous changes it has undergone, today, the test is accepted, along side popular tests like International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), and Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and Oral Proficiency Interview - computer (OPI-c) (Harper 91). However, it is currently not supposed to be taken by the foreign students who are nationals of the Commonwealth of the Nations. They are exempted because of being Anglophones-having English as their official language. First, the test covers listening skills. Since listening is one of the core skills in English language, students taking the test have to answer questions about it. To test the learners’ listening abilities, the test is designed with six passages in which the students have to listen to a series of conversations between an instructor and students. After keenly listening to these conversations, the students are given a chance to respond to questions. Surely, this is one of the ways through which the test effectively prepares students for higher education within the country. As English students, they need to have a sound knowledge of listening. Through it, they can be well ‘equipped with important skills like interpretation and understanding of main ideas, arguments, speaker’s attitudes, relationship between opinions and organization of information’ (Sharpe 73). In fact, these are just basic skills that a university graduate should possess. They are very necessary for establishing a good and healthy interpersonal communication and relationships with others both within and out of the institution of learning. However, this has not been approved by everyone because the testis still criticized for being inefficient. Even if it emphasizes the role of listening skills, it fails to acknowledge that not all courses at the university heavily rely on listening skills. So, it is not appropriate to concentrate on listening skills because some courses at the college do not necessarily require learners to have exceptional listening skills. Nonetheless, listening still remains a core skill that all graduates need to possess. It can help one to be an effective communicator who can persuade others. Therefore, if it is captured in the test, it is much commendable. Besides, TOEFL does an excellent job in sufficiently preparing international students to purse degree courses in the US universities because it tests on writing skills. This is done in two ways. First, the students are given a passage to read then listen to a discussion by a tutor about the same passage. After that is done, ‘they are given a test in which they are asked to write the main ideas in the passage then give it a good summary’ (Bailey 2. The other way through which the test is conducted is by asking the students to write an essay to respond to the set of given queries as well as give their opinion on certain issues of concern. By doing this, the test is fulfilling its objective of adequately preparing students for higher education. Ability to write creative essays, summarize articles shows that such students can be creative, organized, coherent and rational in their thoughts. Writing is a very important skill that all college and university students need to possess. Without it, they can not respond to their examinations, write a report, do a research or make any official communication with the administration. This is a good thing because it equips learners with theses skills which are necessary for them while studying at the University of working upon their graduation. An English graduate must have excellent reading skills whether they are native or non-native English speakers (MacKechnie and Airey 29). Nevertheless, many people still ask a lot of queries regarding students who find it challenging to demonstrate their writing skills. Despite such criticisms, the test still stands out as an effective one because of the emphasis it has put on writing skills. As a matter of fact, without writing skills, no one can boast of being a scholar. Thus, the test is effective. The other reason why the test is considered to be efficient in preparing students for higher education is because it tests on speaking skills. Speaking, as everyone knows, is a very important skill that everyone should have. Without it, it might not be easier to communicate with others since one would lack a platform to express oneself. So, while taking the test, students are given a number of conversations and lectures to listen to and read comprehensions. After adequately preparing, ‘they are then told to respond to questions about whatever they heard or read’ (Sharpe 29). The evaluation of this kind of test is based on the learners’ ability to speak coherently, clearly and spontaneously. Once the learners are prepared for these skills, they would not find it challenging to cope up with the standards at the university. Speaking is a paramount skill which is required in all professions. It is the only skill that people can know even without going to school. Therefore, by being good speakers, the students would be in the right path for success as they would always let others know their opinions. To the critics, the claim that some university and college students can not speak well raises a lot of questions concerning the depth of the test in imparting speaking skills to the learners. Even if the test has been faulted for such drawbacks, it is undoubtedly an effective one. If learners know speaking skills, they can not find it challenging to engage in formal and informal interactions in which they need to use verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Last, but by no means the least, TOEFL is much efficient because of its emphasis on reading skills. The test-takers are required to read passages on various academic topics then prepare to answer several questions about whatever information they grasped from them. Since the test-takers do not necessarily need to have a prior knowledge, they are only expected to demonstrate their understanding of rhetorical skills such as comparison, contrasting, vocabularies, summaries, cause-effect, sentence insertions, argumentations, details and the filling of tables (Educational Testing Service 116). Reading is necessary for a student because it is the most effective way of acquiring knowledge from written materials. So, by learning such skills, the students would become serious to ensure that they comply with the accepted standards. However, the efforts in the acquisition of reading skills can not be uniformly attained because of the diverse dialects and pronunciations which can not be adequately addressed by the test. Thus, more still need to be done to deal with this challenge (MacKechnie and Airey 29). The test does not promote uniformity because it has different categories of learners whose English proficiency should be tested. It would be much better if everyone were subjected to the same test regardless of their linguistic background. Indeed, no body is justified to fault the test as inefficient because of the weight it has put on reading skills. In other words, the test is efficient in preparing learners to acquire reading skills which they need to use while in college or after graduation. For the candidates to excel in the test, they need to have a sound mastery of all the above testable skills. However, to accomplish this, the candidate needs to take a lot of time to prepare for the test. Meaning, the test consumes a lot of time that might not be available to everyone planning to undertake it. Before the actual date of the test, the candidates need to take time and read to cover all the areas to be tested. In other words, they need to have a well designed study plan in which they list all study and be tutored on the core areas to be tested. At the same time, they should take enough time to undertake pre-trial practice tests (Traynor 44). Therefore, anyone who is willing to undertake the test need to reschedule their plan and allocate at least 30 days for a dedicated self-study or seek assistance from experienced professionals to train them on all the skills that will be tested. This is the only way through which they can be adequately prepared to be ready for grammar, vocabulary, writing, reading, speaking and listening skills that are covered in the test. In conclusion, the administration of TOEFL is a clear indication that the federal government, through the Department of Education, that the standard of university education should be maintained so as to ensure that the native and non-native English speakers benefit from it no matter their linguistic abilities. Actually, the Educational Testing Service administered test is well-designed and appropriate for preparing international students for degree courses in English in the country. Although its efficiency has been faulted because of its drawbacks such as time consuming, selective nature, concentration on linguistic abilities, lack of universal acceptance and uniformity, it undoubtedly adequately helps to equip the learners with reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. It does not require learners to have a prior knowledge on any topic because it is purely centered on these skills. Once students are made to know that such skills are important, they would work hard to acquire the same and eventually use them both at the university and in the workplace. Works Cited Bailey, Kathleen, "Washback in Language Testing", TOEFL Monograph Series, Educational Testing Service, June 1999. Print. Educational Testing Service. Official Guide to the TOEFL Test with CD-ROM, 4th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print. Harper, Collins. Complete Skills for IELTS (with-2 CDs) (DIC). New Delhi: Pustak Mahal, 2012. Print. MacKechnie, Murtha and Airey, O'Connor. English the American Way: A Fun ESL Guide to Language & Culture in the U.S. w/Audio CD & MP3. New York: Research & Education Association; Pap, 201. Print. Sharpe, Pamela. Barron's TOEFL iBT Test of English as a Foreign Language with Audio CDs. New York: Barron's Educational Series, 2006. Print. Traynor, Raymond. ‘The TOEFL: an appraisal.’ELT Journal. 39 (1): ,2006, 43-47. Read More