Students preparing to take the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) will be able to take the exam online from
next year, it was announced yesterday.
The Internet-based test will help overseas institutions make informed
decisions on prospective students.
A woman fills in an
application form to take TOEFL test in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu
Province in this December 20, 2001 file photo.
[newsphoto] |
It is also seen as a way to boost interest in TOEFL which has lost student
numbers due to increased competition from other language training companies.
"[The new test] will help assess the readiness of students applying for
foreign course work. It will also impact the teaching and learning of English
worldwide," said officials from the US-based Educational Test Service (ETS).
The next-generation of TOEFL, aside from the present paper-based exam, will
test students in reading, listening, speaking and writing.
ETS has co-operated with the Ministry of Education's National Examinations
Authority throughout the 20 years of introduction of TOEFL into China.
The new TOEFL will be launched in the United States in September and then in
Canada, France, Germany and Italy. The rollout schedule will be posted on the
ETS website on November 1.
The charge of the new TOEFL has not yet been decided. Four online preparatory
courses have been set up on the official ETS website.
TOEFL measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and
understand North American English as it is used in US college and university
settings.
The tests are required by more than 4,300 two and four-year colleges and
universities, professional schools, and sponsoring institutions in the United
States.
The number of TOEFL partici-pants in China has seen a sharp reduction in
recent years due to competition from other English tests such as IELTS
(International English Language Testing System) and GRE (Graduate Record
Examination).
It is estimated that 10,000 people sat TOEFL tests in Beijing annually in the
last two years, while the number had been as high as more than 100,000
previously.
Chinese are keen on various foreign tests which they believe will greatly
help their future career and studies. The trend has attracted the attention of
foreign testers and also created huge potential for the training sector.