Sunday 11:15 - 1:05 
Lily
Preparing for Computer-based TOEFL

The introduction of computer-based TOEFL (CBT) in most areas of Asia in the year 2000 will be a major change for students, parents, and teachers alike.  The test includes many enhancements:  a required essay, context-wetting and content-related visuals in the Listening section, headphones for improved audio quality and computer-adaptive questions tailored to the ability level of each test taker.  Additionally, new interactive types of questions in the Listening and Reading sections mirror language experiences in the academic classroom and on campus. The computer-based TOEFL will be administered in special computer testing centers and the registration and payment procedures will be different.  With these changes comes a need to help students prepare for the new exam. 

During this session, TOEFL staff will demonstrate the new test and discuss some helpful test-taking strategies for each section, as well as provide a description of the grading criteria for the essay.  The changes to the test, especially the addition of the required essay, will have implications for the English language classroom.  TOEFL staff will discuss these implications as well as review the results of TOEFL’s computer-familiarity research.  The changes in test administration will also have impact on students.  A TOEFL representative from the Korean-American Educational Commission will discuss these issues within the Asian context, using Korea as a specific example.   There will be time at the end of the presentation for questions and discussion.