Toefl Performance and Success in a Masters Program in Engineering

In this analysis of the performance of 233 international graduate assistants during a 2-year period, we attempted, via Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores submitted at the time of application, to predict which of these students would eventually receive positive or negative recommendations to be assigned teaching duties. Students who received negative recommendations were found, on average, to have significantly lower TOEFL and GRE Verbal scores than those who received positive recommendations. The percentage of each recommendation group scoring at or above a series of TOEFL cutoff scores was established and used to calculate the ratio of risk (funding students who will receive a negative recommendation) to reward (funding students who will receive a positive recommendation). The relationship of recommendation type to subsequent grade point average (GPA) showed a significant difference in favor of the positive group during the first year of graduate study, but not thereafter. Implications are explored for decision making and the advising of other academic departments regarding the awarding of teaching assistantships to international students. The increasing number of nonnative-speaking international teaching assistants (ITAs) in U.S. universities has resulted in an unprecedented demand for training/preparation programs from ESL educators. Their advice actively sought by university vicechancellors and deans, their programs mandated by state legislatures, and their opinions reported in the national press (cf. contributions in Bailey, Pialorsi, & Zukowski/Faust, 1984, and Chism, 1987), the ESL professionals involved in such programs have found themselves in a political spotlight unusual for the field. One effect of this attention has been a tendency to talk of solutions

ABSTRACTThe primary aim of this cooperative study was to assess the role of selected English‐proficiency related test and background variables as moderators of the relationship between scores on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and first year average grade (FYA) in samples of foreign MBA students. The study was guided by working hypotheses specifying that GMAT/FYA correlations would be systematically higher for students with higher levels of English proficiency than for those with lower levels of English proficiency. Levels of proficiency were defined operationally (a) by native‐English speaking vs non‐native English speaking status, (b) score levels on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and (c) score levels on a Relative Verbal Performance Index (RVPI)—a derived test variable reflecting level of GMAT verbal score relative to that expected for U.S. examinees with given quantitative scores. It was also hypothesized that GMAT/FYA correlations would be higher (a) for students from countries whose U.S.‐bound nationals typically earn higher average scores on TOEFL than for students from countries with typically lower‐scoring student contingents, and (b) for samples that were completely homogeneous with respect to country of citizenship than in more general samples.Data were supplied by 59 U.S. schools of management for 1,762 foreign non‐native speakers of English (English second language or ESL) and 157 foreign native speakers (English primary language or EPL). Continuous variables (e.g., GMAT verbal and quantitative score, TOEFL Total score, FYA, and so on) were standardized by school—that is, expressed as deviations from school means in school standard deviation units—and then pooled for analysis.GMAT quantitative scores were found to be more valid than GMAT verbal scores for essentially all subgroups of foreign students. For the EPL foreign sample, GMAT V/FYA and Q/FYA correlations were similar to medians reported by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) validity study service (VSS) for 85 samples of U.S. MBA students; this was true as well for ESL students scoring 600 or higher on TOEFL and for those in the upper two‐thirds with respect to the RVPI index. GMAT/FYA correlations were higher for students from European countries, and from Asian countries with an established English‐speaking tradition (e.g., India, Malaysia, the Philippines), than for students from other Asian countries (e.g., Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Korea) and the Middle East. TOEFL/FYA and GMAT V/FYA correlations were similar.It was found that the mean relative standing of various country‐contingents in terms of first year grades tended to correspond more closely with relative standing on the less valid verbal measure than with standing on the more valid quantitative measure. One conclusion was that for these samples of non‐native speakers of English, differences in English‐language background affected (artifactually depressed) both performance on the GMAT verbal measure and first‐year performance in the MBA programs.Findings suggested that a set of subgroup prediction systems would likely be better than any general system for foreign MBA students.

Several analyses are presented on the relationships among the Test of Spoken English (TSE), the Test of Written English (TWE), and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The multivariate prediction of each of these tests from the scores on the others is very accurate. Factor analysis reveals two prominent factors. One accounts mainly for oral proficiencies measured by the TSE, and the other accounts for the abilities measured by the TOEFL and the TWE. Scores on the TOEFL listening comprehension, TSE Grammar, TSE overall comprehensibility and the TWE share considerable variance with both factors. The factors may be related to different cognitive skills required to answer different types of questions.

The purpose of this research was to describe the correlation between speaking ability and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of cadets in Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Pelayaran (STIP) Jakarta. The research was conducted in STIP because STIP has declared to produce internationally qualified seafarers. In line with its declaration, STIP always evaluates the cadets' English proficiency by Speaking test and TOEFL (Paper-Based TOEFL) every semester Population of this research was the first year cadets, batch 50. The respondents consisted of 20 cadets every major, so there were 60 cadets altogether. The instruments used in this research were interview form and TOEFL question set. This research showed that there was low positive correlation between speaking ability and TOEFL score. The correlation coefficient was 0.276. Therefore, it can be concluded that there are other factors influence TOEFL score. They are readiness, experience, and strategy.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) was administered to a group of 71 native speakers of English enrolled as freshmen at a western state university. Although as a group they scored low on ACT English, their scores on TOEFL were considerably above the mean of 34,774 foreign applicants to U.S. colleges. Moreover, their distributions were extremely narrow and highly skewed negatively, indicating that the test was much too easy for them and, consistent with its design, inadequate for differentiating among native Americans. Further support to this conclusion was found in the relatively low correlation (.64) between TOEFL and ACT English. Finally, plots of item difficulties for the American and foreign groups revealed a clear item x group interaction, which was interpreted to signify that the items had different meaning for the two groups. The plots also showed that most of the items in TOEFL were considerably easier for the American group than for the foreign group. These data all appear to support the hypothesis that TOEFL avoids the kinds of discriminations that are not intended for it, and are taken as clear evidence of the construct validity of the test.

Background: In academic contexts, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is one of the key requirements for career advancement, further study, scholarship opportunities, and entering the workforce. For senior high school students, the TOEFL poses a significant challenge when pursuing higher education or scholarship opportunities at domestic and international universities. Objective: This activity aimed to provide insights into the importance of the TOEFL, offer practical tips and strategies for taking the test, and facilitate a TOEFL prediction test. Method: A total of eighty students from MAN 1 Gresik participated in the TOEFL workshop, which consisted of three stages: planning, implementation, and evaluation. The evaluation was conducted through student interviews, incorporating three Likert-scale questions and two open-ended questions to assess the effectiveness of the workshop and participants’ satisfaction. Results: The results of the workshop indicated that students need to practice TOEFL tasks intensively to achieve optimal scores. The challenges faced by participants drew the attention of both the school and the community service team to improve support, particularly in addressing technical difficulties encountered during online test practice. Conclusion: This community service initiative contributes to the school’s efforts to enhance students’ English proficiency, particularly in assisting twelfth-grade students in preparing for admission to their desired universities.

The importance of English proficiency for non-English MGMP teachers cannot be overstated. In order to receive an appropriate score for further studies or other reasons, they must be able to answer the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) questions correctly and properly. One of the challenges for Non-English MGMP teachers in answering TOEFL questions is that they do not know the format of the questions in the exam, as well as the time constraints to learn about TOEFL because most of them are already busy with their daily work, namely teaching. Based on current issues, the use of suitable Learning Media is a solution for learning TOEFL with the assistance of teachers who can direct them to learn effectively and efficiently. To address these issues, the Blended Learning TOEFL implementation is the best approach for learning TOEFL for Non-English MGMP Teachers. This is accomplished by integrating face-to-face and online learning methods.

This paper examines, in a US context, the relationship between performance in the initial required graduate financial accounting class and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores for a sample of international MBA students. Other variables that have been shown in the past to be associated with superior performance in that class for other samples are also considered for this international sample. These relationships have not been analysed by any previous studies. The results show that TOEFL scores are not associated with superior performance in graduate accounting for the international students. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score is the factor most associated with superior performance in graduate-level accounting for international students. This result is consistent with the result reported in Krausz et al. (Advances in Accounting Education, 3(3), 169–177, 2000) for a sample of domestic US students.

The study focused on the comparative correlative study Test Rubrics Used as Benchmarks in Assessing International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Speaking Skills. To carry out this project, the researcher searched for IELTS and TOEFL candidates and recruited and finally selected 37 male and female candidates who took both standard tests for various reasons. The statistical results obtained (mainly Pearson's correlation coefficient of correlation moments) showed significant joint variability between IELTS Speaking scores derived from IELTS test bars and frequency band description factors, TOEFL Speaking scores derived from TOEFL test bars, and assessment scores. criteria. The results show that there is a high correlation index (0.862**) between the two tests scoring systems for speaking. The results also reflect a high correlation index (.903**) between the two tests scoring systems, assessing general English proficiency and speaking ability using both tests rubrics.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) was taken by 159 non‐native speakers of English in Tehran, Iran. They also took a cloze test and two dictations. The former was scored for both exact and contextually acceptable responses. A correlation of.94 between the two methods recommends the exact method for non‐native teachers of ESL and concurs with the result of a study by Stubbs and Tucker (1974). Cloze scores correlated with the combined dictations at.75. Cloze scored by either method was more highly correlated with the TOEFL total score (.79, acceptable word method;.78, exact word method) than was the combined dictation (.69). Confirming earlier research by Darnell (1968) and Oller and Conrad (1971), both cloze and dictation correlated better with the Listening Comprehension than with any other sub‐section of the TOEFL. This tends to confirm the suspicion tha the Listening Comprehension section, which is a highly integrative and pragmatic task, is more valid than other sections of the TOEFL. On the whole, Listening Comprehension, cloze, and dictation were more highly correlated with each other, and with the remaining part scores on the TOEFL than the latter were with each other. This last fact provides strong support for integrative testing procedures.

The focus of this paper is to explore the students’ problems in answering the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). TOEFL is a type of language testing to reveal the students’ English proficiency. This is a descriptive study based on in-depth semi-structured interview and classroom observation. The subject of this research was the students of Graduate Program at one state university in Makassar, Indonesia. This study took three classes as sample, namely one from English education department, one from Social Science, and one from Natural Science. To gain data, the three classes were observed and twelve (12) representatives of the three classes were interviewed. Findings showed that the main problems of the students in answering the TOEFL test were due to several conflicting reasons, such as fewer basic skills, less practice, less motivation, and students’ individual differences such as age and social status.

Objective: This study aims to address the challenges faced by Communication Science students at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo (Umsida) in mastering the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) by implementing an innovative learning medium, the interactive folktale video. Method: The program employed a structured approach consisting of initial observation, needs assessment, instructional design, implementation of training sessions, and post-intervention evaluation. Results: The findings indicate a significant improvement in students' TOEFL performance, particularly in the areas of listening comprehension, structure and written expression, and reading comprehension, following the integration of interactive folktale videos into their learning process. Novelty: The originality of this study lies in its unique combination of cultural narratives with interactive multimedia technology to enhance English language proficiency, providing a culturally relevant and engaging approach to TOEFL preparation rarely explored in existing literature.

<p>In recent years, the Educational Testing System organisation has developed two models of the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). However, the computerization of the test has shown a number of problems according to the testees' origin. This paper suggests some of these problems after conducting short interviews with four TOEFL teachers; i.e. problems in delivery, interface design and test taking contextual validity (Weir, 2005). These aspects and those presented in other educational systems need to be addressed in further research. The fact that TOEFL is only a compulsory test for those who wish to pursue further education in the USA cannot prevent ETS from ignoring the potential problems of the current model in different parts of the world. Thus, further research on this topic needs to be carried out in Europe and elsewhere. This paper also serves as a starting point for countries and institutions that may be considering the implementation of computer or Internet-based applications for high-stakes testing such as university entrance examinations.</p>

The test misgrading is treated in this paper as a stochastic process. Three characteristic values, the expected number of misgradings, the expected inter-occurrence time of misgradings, and the expected waiting time for the nth misgrading, are discussed based on a simple Poisson model and a hierarchical Beta-Poisson model. Regular tests for classroom teaching and the Test of Written English (TWE) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are illustrated as examples in the model construction.

The number of Arabic learners studying abroad has increased significantly over the last decade, and continues to increase. To test such students’ proficiency with English in an academic setting, most universities use standardised exams, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Test System (IELTS). Although these tools are considered valid entry tests (Taylor and Falvey, 2007) they don’t appear to be useful predictors of academic success (e.g. Cotton and Conrow, 1998). We have therefore tried to find alternative measures to help refine our ability to predict academic performance. These include vocabulary knowledge using the XK_Lex test (Milton & Al- Masrai, 2009); intelligence test (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, WASI) and a foreign language aptitude test (Modern Language Aptitude Test, MLAT; Carroll & Sapon, 1959).36 Arabic undergraduate students in Swansea University participated in this study. The results of the measures were correlated with participants’ Grade Point Average (GPA) as a measure of academic achievement. The findings suggest that a vocabulary knowledge threshold of 5000 and above is necessary for L2 learners to undertake international education; below this volume of vocabulary, they risk failure or academic hardship during their studies. No correlation was found between intelligence or aptitude test scores and learners’ academic achievement, but a significant relationship was noted between intelligence and vocabulary knowledge, confirming the trend that learners with high intelligence scores are more likely to possess an extensive vocabulary than learners with low intelligence scores.