Korean Job Discussion Forums

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

I heard the TOEFL test will have a SPEAKING portion next year. Students will be recorded and their pronunciation will be graded.

It's either TOEFL or TOEIC ( I still mix them up.)

Anyone else here this? It is from a reliable source, so I know it is true, but the general public may not know it yet.

Who will be the judges? Obviously only native speakers are qualified.

Manner of Speaking · Joined: 09 Jan 2003

You can find out more information about it from the ETS Ltd. website. Do a search for 'Educational Testing Services'. Unfortunately their website doesn't give any information about how the people who score the speaking sections are trained, or how they evaluate the tapes. As I understand it, in the future it will be possible to take the test by phone as well.

Ryst Helmut · Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2004 8:09 pm Post subject:

It's the TOEFL, as practice exams are now being given (I assume nation-wide) in the U.S.A. They (ETS) are now finding out what its weaknesses are, and altering accordingly.

I will be taking the test (yes, me....I'm curious), with about 100 LEP students at my univ. First they'll give the traditional test, then a few days later the new version. I am quite familiar with the new format, but too tired to explain. I will later.

Cheers,

Ryst

Butterfly · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait

Basically it is online, with a set time to answer questions and a spoken section where questions are asked and examinees answer them into the mike, and it is sent via cable through to Princeton and graded.

It's pretty cheatproof as far as I can see, so much better.