Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests

Links to TOEFL TEST Practice and Study Tips

2009-09-16T13:04:00.004-04:00

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an English proficiency test.
www.ets.org/toefl/

TOEFL Practice Online
From test prep, to online English courses
toeflpractice.ets.org/

Free TOEFL Study Practice Guide
A step by step tour of free TOEFL resources on the web.
esl.about.com/cs/toefl/a/a_toefl.htm

Toefl Vocabulary - Learn English using toefl vocabulary
www.englishdaily626.com/tfvocab.php

New TOEFL Test iBT test Tips
also TOEFL sample essays
www.newtoefl.net/

free TOEFL exercises from Exam English
www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_structure_1.htm

TOEFL Practice a web portal
CBT TOEFL practice tests, language skills and essay improvement programs.
www.gettoefl.com/

Free English Tests for TOEFL, TOEIC, SAT, GRE, GMAT
www.english-test.net/

TOEFL PBT, CBT, and iBT test preparation.
Practice for the computer-based TOEFL test.
www.testden.com/

TOEFL Test Samples, TOEFL essay topics
www.testmagic.com/toefl/

TOEFL (EnglishClub.com)
www.englishclub.com/esl-exams/ets-toefl.htm

TOEFL Test Practice Questions
www.testprepreview.com/toefl_practice.htm

120 TOEFL Vocabulary Tests Online
www.english-test.net/toefl/

Free TOEFL Test Preparation Exercises & Examples
www.learn4good.com/languages/spec_english_toefl.htm

Free, Practice TOEFL Test
The computer-based TOEFL test has four sections.
www.4tests.com/exams/examdetail.asp?eid=57

TOEFL - from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOEFL

Free TOEFL Practice
www.stuff.co.uk/toefl.htm

We have not reviewed or approved any of the listed TOEFL sites - please provide comments - good and bad about what you find here.

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Blog URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

Cambridge English Test Preparation Twitter Tips

2009-06-15T08:17:00.005-04:00

Twitter is a free micro-blogging service.
You can set up a free Twitter profile and follow others.
You can ask questions and get answers.
You can follow several different Twitter updates on the same topic.

Twitter Update Examples from Cambridge English Test Preparation

Welcome to the Cambridge First Certificate CFC Cambridge Advanced Certificate CAE and Cambridge Proficiency Certificate CPC prep updates.

University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations is a not-for-profit org and part of Cambridge Assessment, Europe’s largest assessment agency #ESL

Cambridge Assessment is the trading name of University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). UCLES was established in 1858 #ESL

Cambridge ESOL was a founding member of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) ALTE now has 31 members and tests 26 languages

Cambridge ESOL worked with the Council of Europe in the developing of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). #ESL

The CEFR standard has become an international benchmark for language ability and will be expanded to include the new "English Profile". #ESL

Here is the Twitter address you can follow for Cambridge English Test Preparation Twitter Tips: http://twitter.com/CFCCAECPCprep

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TOEFL TOEIC IELTS Cambridge English Test Preparation Blog URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/
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IELTS Test Information for ESL Candidates

2009-01-18T15:39:00.009-05:00

The English Language Testing Service (ELTS) replaced the English Proficiency Test Battery (EPTB) used by the British Council since the mid 1960s for the purpose of screening international applicants to universities and colleges in the UK.

In 1987 The International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges (IDP), now IDP Education Australia, joined the British Council and UCLES to form an international partnership, new test design and new name for the test: The International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Since 1989, IELTS has a test which measures the true to life ability to communicate in English. Over 1,000,000 people a year across 120 countries are now using IELTS test results to open doors throughout the English-speaking world.

More than 6,000 education institutions, faculties, government agencies and professional organisations around the world recognise IELTS scores as a valid indicator of the ability to communicate in English. Over 1,700 USA universities, USA colleges and professional bodies accept IELTS scores as proof of English language skills.

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System which measures the ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking.

IELTS Test Data is published on the internet

Test performance 2007
http://www.ielts.org/teachers_and_researchers
/analysis_of_test_data/test_performance_2006.aspx

Each year, multiple versions of each of the six IELTS modules (Listening, Academic Reading, General Training Reading, Academic Writing, General Training Writing, and Speaking) are released for use by centres testing IELTS candidates. Reliability estimates for the objectively and subjectively scored modules used in 2007 are reported here.

Test-taker performance 2007
http://www.ielts.org/teachers_and_researchers
/analysis_of_test_data/test-taker_performance_2006.aspx

IELTS is assessed on a nine-band scale and reports scores both overall and by individual skill. Overall Band Scores for Academic and General Training candidates in 2007 are reported here together with scores for the individual skills.

Percentile ranks 2007
http://www.ielts.org/teachers_and_researchers
/analysis_of_test_data/percentile_ranks_2007.aspx

In addition overall band percentile data is reported for candidates grouped in terms of their purpose for taking IELTS and by their first language and country of region of origin.

The IELTS is an excellent test for students who wish to study, work or immigrate into the English speaking community.

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TOEFL TOEIC IELTS Cambridge Test Blog URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/
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How to Score HIGH on TOEFL TOEIC IELTS

2008-11-13T10:54:00.006-05:00

The ESL English tests that students are preparing for include: TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, Cambridge CFA CPC CAE FCA, GMAT, GRE, SAT, LSAT, DSAT, CAEL, Cantest, college board, IH, AP, TSE, YLE, BULATS, ILEC, and Michigan exams.

Why international students score low on English tests

Students score low because they do not understand the test requirements.
Students underestimate the large volume of work necessary to pass.
Students score low because they have limited English vocabulary.
Students score low because some English skills are not practiced.
Students score low because they rely on "secret tips" rather than real skill.
Students score low because they cram for tests and become confused.
Students score low because they become upset and cannot perform.

How international students can SCORE HIGH on NEW English tests.

First step in your plan to score high on a specific English test is to understand the English test requirements. Is the test a written test only? Do you have to read a text? Do you have to listen to a conversation on tape? How much speaking is required? What type of questions will be asked? What type of answers are required? Students must understand how the English information is presented, what English skills are being tested, and how answers must be submitted.

Second step is to understand the volume of advanced English skills and vocabulary required to score high on these tests. Students must have studied and practiced English for 2500 to 5000 hours counting school classes and self study.

Students require an integrated English vocabulary of between 8,000 and 15,000 words to score high on the new TOEFL, TOEIC, AP, IELTS and Cambridge tests.

To score high students require all four English skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening), technical language structure knowledge (grammar) and the application of the grammar knowledge in the active productions of speaking and writing.

The "secret tips" of using specific words that have a higher percentage of occurrence in the correct answers may give you the opportunity to raise your score from 0 to 1 %. If your vocabulary is less than 8000 words or your listening skills or writing less than advanced then you will still score low despite using all the "secret tips" or "secret vocabulary indicating correct answers".

Everyone knows that cramming helps memorizing facts for a short time but does very little for the practice of the application skills. All new English tests are a combination of facts and the application of English skills including technical grammar knowledge. Students who only cram for tests will fail most of the new tests as answers require the application of English grammar skills. The students who cram can only help some of their factual knowledge if they can remember it perfectly. I have never met a student who can remember crammed English language facts correctly.

Students become upset when they read questions they cannot answer, questions they cannot understand, words they do not know the meaning of, or "secret words" that occur in two or more answers.

Remember students that are prepared have less chance of becoming upset. Students that are rested, relaxed and arrive on time at the test site will score higher on the tests.

What English Should I study to PASS English Tests?

Diagram showing the overlap between the English Classes

There is only one English language.
There are a variety of programs and courses that overlap each other. Many business English courses cover 90% of what students require to pass the TOEIC exam. Many advanced English courses cover 90 % of what is required to pass TOEFL, TOEIC, AP, IELTS and other English tests.

Many Toeic, toefl, IELTS courses only provide practice tests without teaching any vocabulary the four English skills and applied grammar practice. Students must create a plan to increase all applied English skills, vocabulary and become comfortable with the test requirements and answer formats.

Students can take combinations of programs and still pass tests.

For example: Advanced students could take 100 hours of business English, 200 hours of academic preparation and 10 hours of toefl and score high on the new Toefl test . The only secret is to have a balance of applied English skills and factual knowledge. The following is an example of a balanced study program.

EXAMPLE PLAN TO PASS ENGLISH TESTS
20% vocabulary
15% grammar comprehension
15% reading comprehension
15% listening comprehension
15% writing skills, short answer and essay
15% speaking skills
5% practicing test formats

To have a test preparation program designed for you contact ESL in Canada for a consultation with an educational consultant.

Additional Links to Study English as a Second Language

ESL English as a Second Language descriptions, definitions, explanations

English Conversation Lessons and Classes Explanations Definitions Examples

English Language Conversation Skills - pronunciation - social - cultural - non-verbal

How to Study English Plan to Learn English as a Second language

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TOEFL TOEIC IELTS Cambridge Test Blog URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/
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Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

2008-10-20T10:06:00.008-04:00

This diagram illustrates for anyone involved in English language teaching and testing how to compare the English language tests, language levels and English language qualifications.

Employers and educational institutions can compare test results and see how they relate to exams they already use.

Cambridge ESOL is a not-for-profit department of the University of Cambridge. It is part of the Cambridge Assessment group, Europe’s largest assessment agency. Cambridge Assessment was established in 1858 as the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).

The Cambridge ESOL mission is: "To provide language learners and teachers in a wide variety of situations with access to a range of high quality international exams, tests and teaching awards, which will help them to achieve their life goals and have a positive impact on their learning and professional development experience."

For additional info go to:
http://www.cambridgeesol.org/what-we-do/index.html

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TOEFL TOEIC IELTS Cambridge Test Blog URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

ESL in Canada Directory
Directory of ESL English schools teachers tutors classes lessons university colleges high schools, Canadian ESL English as a second language study programs, education coaching, consulting services, resources, homestay, visas, study information and advice across Canada, North America

The Travel Language Culture Network organizes special member group prices, special events and activities to help provide visitors with both fun and educational programs. TLC recommendations assists club members with travel, language, culture, immigration, employment, shopping, homestay and professional services.

Sentence Master Games provide a fun practical hands-on learning experience that will help students write English sentences, practice their English grammar and improve their English writing.

Everything About the FCE CAE English Exams

2008-07-05T15:54:00.002-04:00

Flo-Joe's new guide to 'Everything a Teacher Needs to Know About the New FCE/CAE exam'.

We wanted to let you know about the launch of our fully updated website at:
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk

You'll see we've got a brand new look but with all the old favourites kept - the free newsletters, Word of the Day, Writing Class, etc. We've just added extra information and new sample practice tests so you're fully up-to-date with the specifications for the new FCE and CAE exams.

Our best-selling subscription series, Exam Success Plus for FCE, CAE and CPE, has also been revised to fit in with the December changes.

Please stop by the website if you haven't already done so and let us know what you think.

With best wishes - as always - for your exam success!
Fiona Joseph and Peter Travis
Founding Managers of Flo-Joe
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk

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TOEFL TOEIC IELTS Cambridge Test Blog URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

Link to more blogs - English Education - Canada - USA - University - Jobs - Schools - personal Blogs - free stuff and more

Internet Based Toefl Test Info

2008-05-13T13:55:00.003-04:00

Internet-Based Toefl Test

Since its introduction in late 2005, the Internet-Based test (iBT) has progressively replaced both the computer-based (CBT) TOEFL and paper-based (PBT) TOEFL tests.

The iBT has been introduced in phases, with the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy in 2005 and the rest of the world in 2006, with test centers added regularly.

Initially candidates had to wait for months, although it is now possible to take the test within one to four weeks in most countries.

The four-hour iBT test consists of four sections, each section measuring mainly one of the basic language skills and focusing on the English language used in an academic, higher-education environment.

Reading
The reading section consists of 3–5 long passages and questions about the passages. The passages are on academic topics; they represent text found in an undergraduate university textbook. Students answer questions about main ideas, details, inferences, sentence restatements, sentence insertion, vocabulary, function and overall ideas. New types of questions in the iBT require paraphrasing, filling out tables, or completing summaries. Generally prior knowledge of the subject under discussion is not necessary to come to the correct answer.

Listening
The listening consists of six longer passages and questions about the passages. The passages consist of two student conversations and four academic lectures or discussions. The questions ask the students to determine main ideas, details, function, stance, inferences, and overall organization.

Speaking
The speaking section consists of six tasks, two independent tasks and four integrated tasks. In the two independent tasks, students must answer opinion questions about some aspect of academic life. In two integrated reading, listening, and speaking tasks, students must read a passage, listen to a passage, and speak about how the ideas in the two passages are related. In two integrated listening and speaking tasks, students must listen to long passages and then summarize and offer opinions on the information in the passages. Test takers are expected to convey information, explain ideas, and defend opinions clearly, coherently, and accurately.

Writing
The Writing Section consists of two tasks, one integrated task and one independent task. In the integrated task, students must read an academic passage, listen to an academic passage, and write about how the ideas in the two passages are related. In the independent task, students must write a personal essay.

Task iBT Approx. time
READING 3 passages and 39 questions 60 minutes
LISTENING 6 passages and 34 questions 50 minutes
SPEAKING 6 tasks and 6 questions 20 minutes
WRITING 2 tasks and 2 questions 55 minutes

Educational Testing Service includes extra material to try out material for future tests and at least one of the sections of the test will include extra, uncounted material. You will not know which material counts and which material is extra. For example, if there are four reading passages instead of three, three of the passages will count and one of the passages will not be counted. It is possible that the uncounted passage could be any of the four passages.

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TOEFL TOEIC IELTS Cambridge Test Blog URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

Link to more blogs - English Education - Canada - USA - University - Jobs - Schools - personal Blogs - free stuff and more

Free Online TOEFL Practice Test Questions

2008-05-13T13:46:00.002-04:00

Free Online TOEFL Practice Test Questions

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written and heard in North American college and university undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Students who take the TOEFL test are planning to study at colleges and universities where the language of instruction is English.

Many education agencies, scholarship programs, licensing and certification agencies also use TOEFL scores to evaluate English language proficiency.

For your free online TOEFL practice Test Questions Go to:
http://www.stuff.co.uk/toefl.htm

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TOEFL TOEIC IELTS Cambridge Test Blog URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

Link to more blogs - English Education - Canada - USA - University - Jobs - Schools - personal Blogs - free stuff and more

Paper-Based TOEFL Test

2008-04-20T00:22:00.003-04:00

In areas where the iBT and CBT TOEFL are not available, a paper-based test (PBT) is given.

Toefl test takers cannot register at the testing center on the test date, they must register in advance using the registration form provided in the Suplemental Paper TOEFL Bulletin.

Students should register in advance of the given deadlines to ensure a place because the test centers have limited seating and may fill up early. Paper-based test (PBT)Toefl Tests are administered only a few times each year.

The PBT tests the same English skills as the CBT with some differences. The number of questions is higher in the PBT and the score scales.

The PBT Toefl test lasts 4 hours. Students can take the test as many times as they wish. However, colleges and universities usually consider only the most recent score.

Listening (30-40 minutes) It consists of three parts.

The first one contains 30 questions about short conversations.

The second part has 8 questions about longer conversations.

The last part asks 12 questions about lectures or talks.

Structure and Written Expression (25 minutes)

This part has 15 exercises of completing sentences correctly and 25 exercises of identifying errors.

Reading Comprehension (55 minutes)

It has 50 questions about reading passages.

Writing (30 minutes)

One essay with 250-300 words in average.

The final PBT score ranges between 310 and 677 and is based on three subscores:

Listening (31–68), Structure (31–68), and Reading (31–67).

Unlike the CBT, the score of the Writing section (referred to as the Test of Written English, TWE) is not part of the final score; instead, it is reported separately on a scale of 0–6.

The score test takers receive on the Listening, Structure and Reading parts of the TOEFL test is not the percentage of correct answers.

The score is converted to take into account the fact that some tests are more difficult than others. The converted scores correct these differences. Therefore, the converted score is a more accurate reflection of the ability than the correct answer score is.

To Compare the IBT, CBT and PBT Toefl scores go to the official ETS comparison chart:
http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/TOEFL_iBT_Score_Comparison_Tables.pdf

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Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests BLOG URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

ESL in USA Blog of US universities, colleges, schools, ESL English as a second language schools, private institutes, charter schools, private academies, university programs, college classes, private English classes, English teachers, ESL tutors, instructors, professors, ESL English lessons, ESL education resources, homestay, educational coaching, education consulting services, student resources, information and advice across the continental United States, North America and Hawaii.

Looking for TOEFL Test Taking TIPS

2008-04-08T10:16:00.002-04:00

Looking for TOEFL Test Taking TIPS

It is always interesting to look for test taking tips because everyone's perspective is different. The test tips are different depending on the age, training and experience of the test taker.

What is common sense to experienced test takers is a new concept to novice test takers.

I looked at this headline and had to see what was there

"Crack TOEFL In 3 days"
How I scored 115 out of 120 in the Internet TOEFL - with just 3 days of preparation

The standard TOEFL TEST description and a few hints:

What is different about the TOEFL iBT test?

It tests all four language skills:

speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Advantage iTOEFL: Two or three days before the test, just review the reading and get some pointers on the writing section. Speaking and Listening require no fuss and some quick tips can be of great help.

Some tasks require test takers to combine more than one skill. The new integrated tasks will ask test takers to:

• read, listen, then speak in response to a question
• listen, then speak in response to a question
• read, listen, then write in response to a question

The new TOEFL test includes a Speaking section:

This section includes six tasks, and test takers wear headphones and speak into a microphone when they respond. The responses are digitally recorded and transmitted to ETS’s Online Scoring Network, where human raters evaluate them. The raters are carefully monitored for accuracy, so test takers and score recipients can be assured of the reliability of the Speaking scores.

The new test requires test takers to write a response to material they have heard and read, and to compose an essay in support of an opinion. Human raters also evaluate the responses to the Writing tasks via ETS’s Online Scoring Network.

The new test is approximately 4 hours long.
All test sections will be completed in one day.

Note taking is allowed.

Test takers can take notes on any section of the test and they can use those notes when answering the questions. After testing, notes are collected and shredded before the test takers leave the test center.

Important:

Make full use of this feature. This comes in useful in approx. all the sections, so be ready to use the pens and the pencils.

TOEFL iBT is not computer adaptive.

Each test taker receives the same range of questions.This means that all questions carry equal weightage. First 10 questions are as important as the next 10 and so on. Neither does the difficulty level increase. Which means that few quick fixes can just add a few points to the overall score.

The time limit for each section varies according to the number of questions.

a) Reading:
3–5 passages, 12–14 questions each 60–100 minutes

b) Listening:
4–6 lectures, 6 questions each ( 2–3 conversations, 5 questions each )
Time Spent : 60–90 minutes

BREAK 10 minutes

c) Speaking:
6 tasks: 2 independent and 4 integrated 20 minutes

d) Writing:
1 integrated task + 1 independent task 20 minutes Time Spent: 30 minutes

Note:
Once test takers click Next, they can confirm their answers by clicking OK. In the Listening section, test takers cannot see a question again once they click OK.

The tool bar for the Reading section has some different features.

Test takers can view the entire passage when answering questions. For some questions, they need to click View Text to see the entire reading passage.

They can view all their answers by clicking Review. This allows them to return to any other question and change their answers. They can also see which questions they have skipped and still need to answer.

In the Reading section test takers can also click Back at any time to return to the previous question.

To read more about this test takers advice:
http://cracktoeflin3days.blogspot.com/2007/02/next-in-update.html

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Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests BLOG URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

ESL in USA Blog of US universities, colleges, schools, ESL English as a second language schools, private institutes, charter schools, private academies, university programs, college classes, private English classes, English teachers, ESL tutors, instructors, professors, ESL English lessons, ESL education resources, homestay, educational coaching, education consulting services, student resources, information and advice across the continental United States, North America and Hawaii.

TOEFL TPO available Online

2008-03-29T19:07:00.003-04:00

Educational Testing Service (ETS) entered into an agreement with English, baby! to join ETS's Preferred Vendor Network as the first purely online vendor in the U.S. and will sell TOEFL® Practice Online (TPO) through its web site.

ABOUT ETS AND ETS GLOBAL

ETS is a nonprofit organization with the mission to advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services for all people worldwide. Founded in 1947, ETS designs, develops, delivers and scores more than 50 million tests annually in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide.

In serving individuals, businesses, educational institutions, government agencies and membership organizations worldwide, ETS offers valid and reliable assessments, research and related services such as customized solutions workforce products and services, and research-based teaching and learning tools.

For more information, visit the ETS Global website at www.ets.org/etsglobal.

English, baby! (Ebaby! for short) is an American-English cultural magazine and social networking site for students worldwide who are learning English as a second language (ESL).

English, baby! immerses English language students in American culture using videos, original lessons based on pop culture, and user-generated content. By connecting English-language learners from around the world through an MTV-like format, the site provides a venue for students to share experiences and discuss topics of interest, while practicing English.

Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests BLOG URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

There over 6000 universities in the USA. There is a mixture of private universities, public universities, corporate sponsored and church sponsored universities. We will present information for prospective university students interested in USA universities.

looking for TOEFL TOEIC IELTS Test Information

2008-03-14T17:40:00.006-04:00

I wrote an article many years ago titled

"How To Score High On Toefl, Toeic, Ielts, Cael"

This is the link:
http://searchwarp.com/swa22014.htm

This is the author About link:
http://searchwarp.com/About31633.htm

What interested me was the words (including mis-spellings)used to search for English Test information.

Correct spelling is necessary to find the required information.

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HOW TO PASS IELTS DONT HAVE TIME

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Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests BLOG URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

ESL in USA Blog of US universities, colleges, schools, ESL English as a second language schools, private institutes, charter schools, private academies, university programs, college classes, private English classes, English teachers, ESL tutors, instructors, professors, ESL English lessons, ESL education resources, homestay, educational coaching, education consulting services, student resources, information and advice across the continental United States, North America and Hawaii.

TOEIC Score-Killer - Not finishing the test

2008-02-23T20:44:00.007-05:00

TOEIC Score-Killer: Not finishing the test

Finish the Test! Time - “time is of the essence”

Time management is fundamental to achieving a high TOEIC score. Among the students I polled one thing that stands out is the inability to complete the test.

Our mantra is “I will finish the test”

Since all questions are of equal value on the TOEIC, you cannot allow yourself to waste too much time on questions that you cannot solve within a reasonable amount of time. The question that is very difficult and time consuming for you is also the one your most likely to get wrong, so if you have to move on don't sweat it. Remembering our second mantra “I will finish the test”.

Let's do some simple math.

Listening Comprehension

time = 45 minutes – questions = 100
time per/question? - 27 seconds

Reading

time = 75 minutes – questions = 100
time per/question? - 45 seconds

27 seconds! 45 seconds!! Are you getting the picture!!!

Any question in which you use more than what is alloted for that segment you are borrowing time from the next question. The answer to your problem is simple do not go into time debt! If you allow a time debt to accumulate than you end up in two possible scenarios:

you don't finish and all remaining question are worth 0!
you make random selections and take your chances.

Neither of these are the way to a high score.

The order of the questions do not necessarily indicate the level of difficulty, put another way, the first questions are not necessarily simpler to answer than the last. This assumption can tempt you to want to read over everything first and answer the ones you know or feel are the easiest. This is completely natural, but you must not do this. Why? Because it can lead to a lower score as you will be using up your most precious commodity...time! This is an excellent strategy for testing that is not time sensitive, however you do not have the luxury of time on the TOEIC.

Well then, if I can't use too much time on difficult questions and I can't read ahead looking for easier ones to fill in then...what do I do? Good question, I'm glad you asked.

You need to implement two time management techniques:
What are they? check back tomorrow and I'll cover them in detail. So for now be sure to use your mantra.

Your mantra is “I will finish the test”

TOEIC Secrets, The Top Ten Score Killers - Part 1 by DAVID DALTON
http://www.amazines.com/view_author.cfm?authorid=35078&Author=David&20Dalton

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BLOG URL
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ESL in USA Blog of US universities, colleges, schools, ESL English as a second language schools, private institutes, charter schools, private academies, university programs, college classes, private English classes, English teachers, ESL tutors, instructors, professors, ESL English lessons, ESL education resources, homestay, educational coaching, education consulting services, student resources, information and advice across the continental United States, North America and Hawaii.

Study Prepositions for GRE TOEFL and GMAT Exams

2008-02-06T12:37:00.003-05:00

The English, Part of Speech, Preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence. A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.

The most common prepositions: "about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, but, by, despite, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, out, outside, over, past, since, through, throughout, till, to, toward, under, underneath, until, up, upon, with, within and without."

Complex prepositions consist of more than one word: along with, out of, up to.

Here is a list of most common prepostions for standardized exams like the GRE, TOEFL, TOEIC and GMAT.

1. Aboard 2. About 3. Above 4. Absent 5. According To 6. Across 7. After 8. Against
9. Ahead Of 10. All Over 11. Along 12. Alongside 13. Amid Or Amidst 14. Among 15. Around 16. As 17. As Of 18. As To 19. As + ADVERB OF TIME + As 20. As Early As 21. As Late As 22. As Often As 23. As Much As 24. As Many As, 25. Aside 26. Astride 27. At 28. Away From 29. Bar 30. Barring 31. Because Of 32. Before 33. Behind 34. Below
35. Beneath 36. Beside 37. Besides 38. Between 39. Beyond 40. But 41. By 42. By The Time Of 43. Circa 44. Close By 45. Close To 46. Concerning 47. Considering 48. Despite 49. Down 50. Due To 51. During 52. Except 53. Except For 54. Excepting 55. Excluding 56. Failing 57. For 58. For All (Means Despite) 59. From 60. Given 61. In 62. In Between 63. In Front Of 64. In Keeping With 65. In Place Of 66. In Spite Of 67. In View Of 68. Including 69. Inside 70. Instead Of 71. Into 72. Less 73. Like 74. Minus 75. Near 76. Near To 77. Next To 78. Notwithstanding 79. Of 80. Off 81. On 82. On Top Of 83. Onto 84. Opposite 85. Other Than 86. Out 87. Out Of 88. Outside 89. Over 90. Past 91. Pending 92. Per 93. Plus 94. Regarding 95. Respecting 96. Round 97. Save 98. Saving 99. Similar To 100. Since 101.Save 102. Than 103. Thanks To (Means Because Of) 104. Through 105. Throughout 106. Till 107. To 108. Toward 109. Under 110. Underneath 111. Unlike 112. Until 113. Unto 114. Up 115. Upon 116. Up To 117. Versus 118. Via 119. Wanting 120. With 121. Within 122. Without

Introducing the Eight Parts of Speech

English grammar uses words based on eight parts of speech: the verb, the noun, the pronoun, the adjective, the adverb, the preposition, the conjunction,and the interjection. Each part of speech explains not what the word is, but how the word is used. The same word can be a noun in one sentence and a verb or adjective in the next.

The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verb or compound verb states something about the subject of the sentence. The verb depicts actions, events, or states of being.

A noun is a word used to name a person, animal, place, thing, or abstract concepts. A noun can function in a sentence as a subject, a direct object, an indirect object, a subject complement, an object complement, an appositive, an adjective or an adverb.

Pronouns as a part of speech can replace a noun, another pronoun, noun phrases and perform most of the functions of a noun.

An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. Many consider articles: "the, a, an" to be adjectives.

An adverb can modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a phrase, or a complete clause by indicating manner, time, place, cause, or degree.

A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence.

Conjunctions link words, phrases, and clauses.

An interjection is a part of speech used to show or express emotion or illustrate an exclamation.

For additional parts of speech explanations go to original post: http://www.eslincanada.com/englishlesson1.html

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Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests BLOG URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

USA ESL English schools throughout the USA teach English as a second language to new immigrants, visitors, students and international students. ESL includes conversation, writing, pronunciation, reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary, academic and business English.

There over 6000 universities in the USA. There is a mixture of private universities, public universities, corporate sponsored and church sponsored universities. We will present information for prospective university students interested in USA universities.

English Interjections for GRE TOEFL and GMAT Tests

2008-02-05T13:21:00.003-05:00

Interjection is a big "Part of Speech English Grammar Name" for a single letter or letters that indicate a sound or small word.

Interjections are usually short exclamations like Oh!, Um or Ah! They have no real grammatical value but English speakers use them quite often when speaking.

Actually interjections like "er and um" are used when people are hesitating before they speak. People use "er and um" when they don't know what to say, or to indicate that they are thinking about what to say. They have no real meaning.

When interjections are inserted into a sentence, they usually have no grammatical connection to the sentence.

The sentence completion and reading comprehension questions in the standardized GRE or GMAT or TOEFL exams require both a good knowledge and wide variety of English interjections. There are a huge number of English interjections in use but only a few will be tested. The following are a few examples:

Ouch, that hurt! - Oh no! - Stop that - Yahoo - Whoa! - Bravo! - Hey! - Put that down! - What a shame! - Well, I never! - How nice! - Oh, my! - oh! - Nonsense! - What! - Good! - Too bad! - Fancy! Well!- alas! - Godspeed! - Aww - yoo-hoo - Yuk - oh dear - Oh! - Gee! - Good grief - okey dokey - Ouch - ugh - wow - Gosh - Darn - eureka - Uh - ouch - scat - Good Lord! - Rah - Yay - Yikes - Ugh - come on - Ow - oops - Wow - Hurrah - Yippee - Shh - Mmm - ay - Tut-tut - aye man - Ha ha! - my foot! - Aha - aye - Look here!

Formal English Interjections use instructions:

1. No interjections in professional, formal, academic texts.(OK for reporting speech)

2. Interjections are often used alone as a full sentence.

3. Interjections are used to express sudden action, reaction, emotion or surprise. Interjections are used to exclaim or protest or command. Interjections are used to indicate when events happen unexpectedly, painfully, surprisingly or suddenly.

4. If the emotion is powerful it is to be followed with an exclamation mark. It is not always correct to use an exclamatory sign for all interjections.

5. Some introductory words (before a following sentence) such as "Yes! No! Well! Indeed! " can act as interjections when used to exclaim.

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Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests BLOG URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

USA ESL English schools throughout the USA teach English as a second language to new immigrants, visitors, students and international students. ESL includes conversation, writing, pronunciation, reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary, academic and business English.

300 SAT Words in new picture book Learning Formats

2008-01-31T14:33:00.005-05:00

Tokyopop and Kaplan Publishing have announced the July publication of Vocabulary-Building editions of three popular manga volumes, Psy-Comm Vol. 1, Warcraft Vol.1, and Van Von Hunter Vol.1.

The manga will each retail for $9.99 and each volume will include more than 300 vocabulary words frequently tested on the SAT highlighted throughout the text and defined on the same page on which they are used.

The words and definitions are supplied by Kaplan Publishing, a unit of Kaplan Inc., a leading publisher in the world of test preparation and the number one provider of test prep material for key career-molding exams such as the SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, and TOEFL.

Kaplan pioneered this technique of mixing learning with reading for pleasure in Kaplan's Frankenstein and Other Score-Raising Classics, and its collaboration with Tokyopop allows the test preparation gurus to take this method to the next level by using pictures as well as words to provide the right context and definition for new words.

Tokyopop and Kaplan Publishing are planning to introduce additional volumes of vocabulary-building manga that will expand the number of exam-favorite words defined and allow teens to build their vocabularies in a much more pleasurable (and easy-to-remember) fashion than pouring over dry vocabulary lists.

For more info:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/10674.html

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Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests BLOG URL
http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

USA ESL English schools throughout the USA teach English as a second language to new immigrants, visitors, students and international students. ESL includes conversation, writing, pronunciation, reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary, academic and business English.

Score HIGH on NEW English Tests

2008-01-31T14:24:00.002-05:00

Score HIGH on NEW English Tests

Why international students score low on English tests

Students score low because they do not understand the test requirements.
Students score low because they underestimate the large volume of work necessary to pass.
Students score low because they have limited English vocabulary.
Students score low because some English skills are not practiced.
Students score low because they rely on "secret tips" rather than real skill.
Students score low because they cram for tests and become confused.
Students score low because they become upset and cannot perform.

How international students can SCORE HIGH on NEW English tests.

First step in your plan to score high on a specific English test is to understand the test requirements. Is the test a written test only? Do you have to read a text? Do you have to listen to a conversation on tape? How much speaking is required? What type of questions will be asked? What type of answers are required? Students must understand how the English information is presented, what English skills are being tested, and how answers must be submitted.

Second step is to understand the volume of advanced English skills and vocabulary required to score high on these tests. Students must have studied and practiced English for 2500 to 5000 hours counting school classes and self study.

Students require a vocabulary of between 8,000 and 15,000 words to score high on the new TOEFL, TOEIC, AP, IELTS and Cambridge tests.

To score high students require all four English skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening), technical language structure knowledge (grammar) and the application of the grammar knowledge in the active productions of speaking and writing.

The "secret tips" of using specific words that have a higher percentage of occurrence in the correct answers may give you the opportunity to raise your score from 0 to 1 %. If your vocabulary is less than 8000 words or your listening skills or writing less than advanced then you will still fail despite using all the "secret tips" or "secret vocabulary indicating correct answers".

Everyone knows that cramming helps memorizing facts for a short time but does very little for the practice of the application skills. All new English tests are a combination of facts and the application of English skills including technical grammar knowledge. Students who only cram for tests will fail most of the new tests as answers require the application of English grammar skills. The students who cram can only help some of their factual knowledge if they can remember it perfectly. I have never met a student who can remember crammed English facts correctly.

Students become upset when they read questions they cannot answer, questions they cannot understand, words they do not know the meaning of, or "secret words" that occur in two or more answers.

Remember students that are prepared have less chance of becoming upset. Students that are rested, relaxed and arrive on time at the test site will score higher on the tests.

What English Should I study to PASS English Tests?

Diagram showing the overlap between the English concentrations

EXAMPLE PLAN TO PASS ENGLISH TESTS
20% vocabulary
15% grammar comprehension
15% reading comprehension
15% listening comprehension
15% writing skills, short answer and essay
15% speaking skills
5% practicing test formats
All information formats and content property of ESL in Canada
go to http://www.eslincanada.com for additional information

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USA ESL English schools throughout the USA teach English as a second language to new immigrants, visitors, students and international students. ESL includes conversation, writing, pronunciation, reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary, academic and business English.

English Language Tests in Canada

2008-01-31T13:51:00.002-05:00

CanTEST

Test format and contents

The CanTEST measures English language knowledge and English language skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. The CanTEST is divided into the following sections:

Listening

The English listening test involves answering 40 multiple choice or short answer
questions based on authentic taped material delivered at normal speed. The listening
samples include dialogues, announcements, interviews, and short lectures. The test lasts one hour, and listening passages vary in length from 45 seconds to five minutes.

Reading

The reading test has a 15-item Skimming and Scanning component, which is strictly timed (10 minutes) and administered before the Reading Comprehension. The Skimming and Scanning component features authentic texts from public information brochures, newspapers, university calendars, and annotated bibliographies. The reading comprehension part of the test is composed of passages of various lengths (up to 650 words) with 20 questions (both multiple-choice and short answer). This test also includes a 25-item multiple-choice cloze. A total time of 50 minutes is allowed for the reading comprehension and cloze sections.

Writing

All candidates produce a writing sample which is graded according to content, organization, and language use. The writing task varies but candidates are generally required to compare, contrast, or react to information given on a current issue of interest. Candidates have 45 minutes for this task.

Speaking

Candidates participate in a 15-minute interview with two judges where they are evaluated on the basis of listening comprehension, pronunciation, fluency, and range and accuracy of language used.
For Dates, prices and locations go to:http://www.cantest.uottawa.ca/

CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language Assessment)

New CAEL website at www.cael.ca the CAEL Assessment site includes: English test preparation materials that can be downloaded, access to purchase resource materials, sound files for listening practice, information for educators, research documents, test centre information, band score description and What's New Page.

IELTS

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL), British Council and IDP:IELTS Australia. IELTS language assessment covers the four language skills - listening, reading, writing, and speaking. IELTS is recognized by universities, employers, professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies in many countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Some selectors feel that the IELTS gives the clearest picture of an applicant's English language proficiency. The IELTS test can be taken at four Centres in Canada: Conestoga College of Applied Art & Technology, Simon Fraser University, International Language Institute and GV Calgary.

TOEFL

Visit the TOEFL pages and the ETS web site. Information on TOEFL test dates and registration. There is information on preparation, practice materials, and advice for the day of the test. http://www.toefl.org/index.html , http://www.ets.org/

Computer Based Test Locations across Canada, with local Phone Numbers. Calgary - (403)777-1365 Edmonton - (780)444-6110Coquitlam - (604)464-6401 Richmond - (604)231-1966 Victoria - (250)472-4501 Winnipeg - (204)288-5056 St. John's - (709)724-8901 Halifax - (902)422-7323 Cambridge - (519)622-4479 Etobicoke - (416)236-2629 London - (519)657-4124 Ottawa -(613)745-8391 Whitby - (905)404-1818 Windsor - (519)974-8747 Montreal - 5259 (514)876-8818 Saskatoon -(306)978-7323

TOEIC

TOEIC Services Canada Inc. the official website for the TOEIC test in Canada. http://www.toeic.ca/

Cambridge

Cambridge EFL On-line is the website of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Division. In this site ( http://www.cambridge-efl.org/ ) you will find full information on all of the Cambridge EFL examinations and tests, as well as the latest news from Cambridge.

LINC Assessments using Canadian Language Benchmarks

The benchmarks were developed for Citizenship and Immigration Canada by the Centre for Language Training and Assessment in Ontario. LINC uses the 1 to 12 level program for the assessments of new Canadians language proficiency.

LINK programs are offered free to qualified individuals for a one year period up to level 5. Candidates should note that most entry level jobs require level 8 skills and ability and most professions require level 10 to 12. Tutor prices for the level 5 to level 12 professional English classes range in price from $25 to 65 per hour.

Information Articles for Students

How to PASS the New TOEFL,TOEIC, IELTS English Tests

How to Learn English - Example Plan
ESL Books, Videos, Tapes & CDs
English skill descriptions for University Admissions

Other English TEST's

International House's (IH) Web site has a useful page on British English Language Examinations. the Oxford University Delegacy and the ARELS Examinations Trust, Pitman examinations, Trinity College London, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board (LCCI), the Associated Examinations Board (AEB), the University of London Examinations and Assessment Council (ULEAC), City and Guilds, Northern Examinations and Assessment Board (NEAB), University of Reading (TEEP), The English Speaking Board (ESB), the Institute of Linguists and CENTRA. The I H site provides the addresses and telephone numbers of all these UK examinations boards for anyone who wishes to get in touch with them.

Please confirm all English test information with the Organizations directly.

Blog URL: http://toefl-toeic-ielts-cambridge.blogspot.com/

USA ESL English schools throughout the USA teach English as a second language to new immigrants, visitors, students and international students. ESL includes conversation, writing, pronunciation, reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary, academic and business English.