TOEFL test experience !

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M.A.S
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by M.A.S »

Good day ladies and gentle men. I hope you are doing OK :o

you, as English speakers, do you think that TOEFL reflects someone's English? two months a go I got my TOEFL result and it was not as i expected. It was 491 points out of (I don't know). I'm thinking about going to a country with English speakers to get involved.

I'm sure you have experience with languages, so please write recommendation or any thing to help me out choosing a country.

thank you :guitarist
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Ahso!
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by Ahso! »

I realize I can Google your acronym TOEFL but it would be nice to share its meaning with those of us who wouldn't think to search.
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M.A.S
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by M.A.S »

Ahso!;1339509 wrote: I realize I can Google your acronym TOEFL but it would be nice to share its meaning with those of us who wouldn't think to search.


oh sorry, I thought you guys know the meaning of TOEFL, However, here is an explanation:

TOEFL= Test of English as a Foreign Language.

It evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting. It sometimes is an admission requirement for non-native English speakers at many English-speaking colleges and universities.
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Ahso!
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by Ahso! »

Thanks.
“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities,”

Voltaire



I have only one thing to do and that's

Be the wave that I am and then

Sink back into the ocean

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LarsMac
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by LarsMac »

I work with a lot of folks for whom English is a second language.

Several multi-national companies, such as IBM, require fluency in English for employment.

What I find is that a lot of people can pass TOEFL and be declared fluent in English, but their fluency is primarily for written language.

And to be fair, it can be a good indicator of one's linguistic abilities and grasp of the language.

However, I could qualify as fluent in Spanish, French, German and Italian if I only have to take a written test, but my speaking and listening in these languages are sub-par.

It is my opinion that to truly be fluent in a language, one must be able to easily communicate, verbally, as well as in writing.

You are correct that immersing yourself in an English-speaking country will help you develop your skills.

London, is a good choice, or somewhere in the Midwest or western US, where the accents are not so heavy as to influence your developing speech patterns.
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M.A.S
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by M.A.S »

Thank you " LarsMac",

you are right ! I usually write a lot off academic stuff especially report and some research in English. However, as you said, communication part is a little bit weak, that's why I got my self Involved in TOAST-Masters club.



TOAST-Masters: an International (TI) is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills.

Though, I am planning to go to: London, Australia or USA. Next summer will travel.:driving:
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Bryn Mawr
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by Bryn Mawr »

For the paper based test the scores range from 300 to 677 and most institutions require a minimum of between 500 and 600 for a pass.

You written English appears to be excellent so I can only presume that it's your oral that lets you down. If this is the case then you are correct, spending some time in an English speaking country would help enormously.

As to where? It would need to be somewhere with as little accent as possible so that lets Birmingham, Glasgow and Liverpool out (along with the whole of Australia and America :p). Personally I'd go for Cambridge (England rather than Mass.) - beautiful city, good use of English given the student population and relatively accent free and close enough to London if you want a touch of the high life as a contrast.
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M.A.S
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by M.A.S »

Thank you "Bryn Mawr",

Well, unfortunately I did not succeed the minimum score which is 500 BUT I'm working on it. I'm going to hit at least 600 next time. :guitarist. My oral English is not really bad, I can give a presentation In front more than 30 students and 2 Instructors. However, every academic semester, students have to give presentation about some courses that they studied at the university "KFUPM". I just need to learn how to construct my sentences In my oral English because my first language "Arabic" is affecting on my English performance. you know all grammar in English is just the opposite in Arabic which a little bit confusing for me.

thanks again for all of you, your comments were supported :)
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M.A.S
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TOEFL test experience !

Post by M.A.S »

The way I talk in English is sort of tough. It's like how Russian people speak English. I've been trying to make it fillet and I still on it.:thinking:
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