1. Femia Scarfone TESL 560 Dr. Carr November 2, 2010
TOEFL iBT Speaking
Femia Scarfone
TESL 560
Dr. Carr
November 2, 2010

2. TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based Test)
Created in 1963 and evolved from paper-based test to Internet-based test in 2005
National council on the testing of English as a foreign language was formed in 1962; its members were representatives of more than 30 private organizations and government agencies concerned with the English-language proficiency of nonnative speakers of English who wished to study at colleges and universities in the United States.
Council supported the development of the TOEFL test for use starting in 1963–64 and in 1965, the College Board® and Educational Testing Service® (ETS®) assumed joint responsibility for the program.
ETS is now responsible for administering the TOEFL program with guidance from the TOEFL Board.
The TOEFL Board is comprised of 16 members. Some are affiliated with such institutions and agencies as undergraduate and graduate schools, community colleges, nonprofit educational exchange organizations, and other public and private agencies with an interest in international education.

3. Intended test purpose and use
Measures one’s ability to use and understand English at the university level and evaluates how well one combines their listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks.
The TOEFL test measures how well students use English, not just their knowledge of the language and confirms that a student has the English language skills necessary to succeed in an academic setting.
Most popular and accessible English-language test in the world, administered more than 20 million times since 1964, and is available in more than 180 countries; also most accepted test in the world. More than 6,000 colleges, universities, and agencies in 110 countries accept TOEFL scores. Students have flexibility to use their TOEFL test scores worldwide.
In classrooms, students must: respond to questions, participate in academic discussions with other students, synthesize and summarize what they have read in their textbooks and heard in class, express their views on topics under discussion
Outside of the classroom, students must: participate in casual conversations, express their opinions, communicate with people in such places as the bookstore, the library, and the housing office

4. Target population
Each year, nearly a million individuals of all ages take the TOEFL test to demonstrate their English-language proficiency. More than 24 million people from all over the world have taken the TOEFL test since it was first offered. The average English skill level ranges between Intermediate and Advanced.
Reasons for test-taking include: ● Students planning to study at a higher education institution ● English language learning program admissions and exit ● Scholarship and certification candidates ● English-language learners who want to track their progress ● Students and workers applying for visas

5. Aspects of language ability & General Test Content
The TOEFL iBT tests all four language skills that effective communication requires: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. It emphasizes and measures English usage and communication ability in academic settings.
The Speaking section is approximately 20 minutes long and includes six tasks.
The first two tasks are independent speaking tasks on topics familiar to test takers. They ask test takers to draw upon their own ideas, opinions, and experiences when responding. (However, test takers can respond with any idea, opinion, or experience relevant to completing the task.)
The remaining four tasks are integrated tasks where test takers must use more than one skill when responding. Test takers first read and listen, and then speak in response. They can take notes and use those notes when responding to the speaking tasks. At least one requires test takers to relate the information from the reading and the listening material.1. Personal Preference, 2. Choice, 3. Campus Situation Topic: Fit and Explain, 4. Academic Course Topic: General/ Specific, 5. Campus Situation Topic: Problem/ Solution, 6. Academic Course Topic: Summary

6. Administration & Scoring
Like all sections of TOEFL iBT, the Speaking section is delivered via computer. For all speaking tasks, test takers use headsets with a microphone. Test takers speak into the microphone to record their responses. Responses are digitally recorded and sent to ETS’s Online Scoring Network where they are scored by certified raters. The responses from each test taker are scored by 3 to 6 different certified raters. The response for each task is rated on a scale of 0 to 4 according to Rubrics. The average of all six ratings is converted to a scaled score of 0 to 30.

7. Raters listen for the following features in test taker responses:
Delivery: How clear was the speech? Good responses are fluid and clear, with good pronunciation, natural pacing, and natural-sounding intonation patterns.
Language use: How effectively does the test taker use grammar and vocabulary to convey their ideas? Raters determine the test taker’s ability to control both basic and more complex language structures, and use appropriate vocabulary.
Topic development: How fully do test takers answer the question and how coherently do they present their ideas? How well did the test taker synthesize and summarize the information in the integrated tasks? Good responses generally use all or most of the time allotted, and the relationship between ideas and the progression from one idea to the next is clear and easy to follow.
It is important to note that raters do not expect test takers’ responses to be perfect. Even high-scoring responses may contain occasional errors and minor problems in any of the three areas described above.
The TOEFL iBT provides scores in four skill areas: Listening 0–30, Reading 0–30, Speaking 0–30, Writing 0–30 Total Score: 0–120 (The total score is the sum of the four skill scores)

8. Parallel forms & Norming
There was not any publicly disclosed information on how many forms of the iBT Speaking test there are, but the Reliability and Comparability of TOEFL® iBT Scores website alluded to the fact that there were multiple forms of the test in a discussion about maintaining score comparability and meaningful interpretation of test scores using a score scale and equating plan.
Norming samples are not available, nor could I find any information that discussed norming.

9. Reliability
Evidence of score reliability and comparability is important because it suggests that test scores will have the same meaning across test forms. ETS strives to ensure that the test scores of the TOEFL Internet- based test (iBT) are reliable and comparable by:
implementing and adhering to standardized administration and test security procedures
using detailed test specifications to guide test development
monitoring score reliability and generalizability: For the Speaking and Writing sections that contain constructed response tasks, generalizability theory (G- theory) is used (Brennan, 1983); A ‘person by task’ generalizability model is used for the Speaking scores the average section and total score reliability estimates and standard errors of measurement based on operational data from 2007 for speaking the scale is 0-30, the reliability estimate is 0.88, the SEM is 1.62; this estimate is relatively high
employing an appropriate scale for reporting scores
using equating and other means to maintain comparable scores across test forms

10. Construct Validity
Although the TOEFL iBT test has only been in use since 2005, a strong case for the validity of proposed score interpretation and uses has been constructed. Concerns about test validation were an integral part of the test design process. The evidence gathered during that process has been documented and synthesized (Chapelle, Enright, & Jamieson, 2008). Even so, test validation is an ongoing process that continues to be actively supported by ETS and the TOEFL Board through the Committee of Examiners (COE) Research Program. The COE, composed of distinguished ESL experts from the academic community in North America and around the world, publishes an annual announcement of a research program and invites language teaching and testing experts to submit proposals. In this way, the case for valid score interpretation continues to grow and be refined. (Validity Evidence Supporting the Interpretation and Use of TOEFL® iBT Scores)

11. Authenticity of test
In the development of the iBT Speaking test a large study called the TOEFL 2000 Spoken and Written Academic Language (T2K-SWAL) Corpus was constructed to investigate spoken academic registers in order to ensure that listening and reading exams accurately represent the linguistic characteristics of spoken and written academic registers. First, linguistic analyses of the text categories in the T2K-SWAL Corpus were completed to identify the salient patterns of language use in each academic register (across registers, disciplines, and levels). Then, based on those findings, diagnostic tools were developed to indicate whether the language used in T2K Listening and Reading Comprehension tasks is representative of real-life language use.

12. Impact (washback effects)
ETS has been proactive in encouraging positive washback from the TOEFL iBT test on English teaching and learning. A manual, Helping Your Students Communicate with Confidence (ETS, 2004d), was prepared for curriculum coordinators, academic directors, and teachers. The manual describes the relationship between communicative approaches to teaching English and the design of the TOEFL iBT test. It also provides sample tasks and suggestions for classroom activities. Information about the concepts underlying the test and sample materials have been shared with textbook publishers with the intent of positively affecting the materials they produce for English-language learners.

13. Cost & Accessibility
The cost of the test can range from $150 to $225 and varies between countries.
The TOEFL test has more test dates (30 – 40) and locations (4,500 test centers in 165 countries) than any other English-language test in the world.
You can retake the test as many times as you wish.

14. Strengths
More than 7,500 colleges, agencies and other institutions in over 130 countries accept TOEFL scores. Other organizations rely on TOEFL scores as well (Immigration departments use them to issue residential and work visas, medical and licensing agencies use them for professional certification purposes, individuals use them to measure their progress in learning English). The TOEFL is a long-standing test, validated by more than 40 years of research. All 4 sections of the TOEFL IBT contain 100% academic content. Test takers are required to speak about course work, campus life and familiar topics. This method addresses all aspects of the academic experience and is not limited to only one conversation in an interview setting. Thus, the TOEFL contains a wide breadth of testing material and provides a more adequate picture of the test-takers' language ability. The TOEFL is also widely recognized because of its longevity of use as well as its presence in many countries. This makes it highly transferable. The test's standardization means that a TOEFL score received in India will be understood and accepted when the student comes to Canada.

15. Weaknesses
The TOEFL is very expensive. Students can re-take the test (no more than once a week) but the costs add up quickly for that student. In addition, the score received is only valid for 2 years and then it is deleted from the database. Tests may include extra material for testing purposes but students are not aware of which material is counted for their score and which material is for testing purposes. This means that students have to work hard during the time-frame given but not all of their work will be counted towards their score. This can be frustrating for students. Another of the weaknesses of the TOEFL is that there is no live interactive speaking test. Test takers speak on a given topic. Their speech is recorded but they do not interact with anyone. This makes it less reliable for assessing speaking.

16. Contact Info.
Visit the TOEFL Website at
Test Taker Contact
● ● Phone: (toll free in the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada) or (all other locations)
If you are an advisor, ESL teacher, or score-receiving institution or agency:
● Phone:

17. References
ETS TOEFL General Website. Accessed September 1, 2010 from
Reliability and Comparability of TOEFL® iBT Scores. Accessed September 1, fromhttp:// pdf>
TOEFL iBT Research Report: Investigating the Criterion-Related Validity of the TOEFL Speaking Scores for ITA Screening and Setting Standards for ITAs. Accessed September 1, 2010 from
TOEFL iBT Sample Questions. Accessed September 1, 2010 from questions-2006.pdf>
TOEFL, IELTS, CLBA/CLBPT Comparison. Accessed October 30, from