Building your English reading, writing, and listening skills is important, of course. But before address- ing these specific skill sets, this book takes you through a review of basic study skills and learning strategies. It also helps you prepare a detailed study plan. The stronger your study skills, and the better you understand learning strategies, the more you will get out of each skill-building chapter. Each skill-building chapter of this book includes several practice exercises, and detailed answers and explanations are provided in Appendix A. Appendix B offers an extensive list of resources to help you fur- ther strengthen your basic skills. Chapter 6 provides general information about the TOEFL exam, including notes about registration and scoring. The TOEFL Exam: What the Test Is About The TOEFL exam has four sections: Listening, Structure, Reading, and Writing. The Listening section meas- ures your ability to understand English as spoken in North America. If you have lived in an English-speak- ing country or region where the accent is different than you will find on the TOEFL exam, you may need to spend some extra time adjusting to the sound of American English. The Structure section of the exam tests your knowledge of English grammar and usage, including topics such as verb tenses, idioms, and parallel structure. The Reading section measures your ability to understand passages written in English. You will be asked to identify the main idea, determine the meaning of vocabulary words, identify specific details, and draw inferences based upon the passage. Finally, the Writing section will ask you to write a short essay on a gen- eral topic. A list of possible topics is included in the TOEFL ® Computer-Based Test Information Bulletin and online at www.toefl.org. (For more information, see Chapters 5 and 6.) BECAUSE test centers fill up quickly, you should begin the TOEFL exam registration process right away. The first step you need to take is to obtain the Bulletin. If you have access to the Internet, the easiest way to get the Bul- letin is to download it from www.toefl.org. Bulletins for both the paper-based and the computer-based exams are available on this site. If you don’t have Internet access, you can get the Bulletin from an English language cen- ter or the international student office at the university to which you are applying. You can also send a written request to: TOEFL ® /TSE ® Services P.O. Box 6151 Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 USA 609-771-7100 Don’t Delay—Register Right Away – INTRODUCTION– x Why the TOEFL Exam? Why Me? Proficiency in English is essential if you are to follow class discussions and complete the reading and writing assignments in most college classes. In many courses, you may also be required to deliver oral presentations. And if you are applying to a graduate program, you may be given a position as a teaching assistant, which means you will be expected to help undergraduate students with their schoolwork, instruct them, and grade their assignments. In order to ensure that you can succeed even though you are not studying in your native language, and that you will be a competent teaching assistant if you are applying to graduate school, colleges and other institutions require you to take the TOEFL exam. The TOEFL exam is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS ® ), the organization that also administers other standardized tests, including the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT ® ) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE ® ). Even if you have lived in the United States or another English-speaking coun- try for several years, you still may be required to take the TOEFL exam if English is not your native language. Don’t be offended—this may be of benefit to you because some schools will look at your verbal SAT score with kinder eyes if you have done well on the TOEFL exam. Look at the TOEFL exam as an opportunity to learn English better if you don’t know it well, or to brush up on what you already know if you are already pro- ficient. Standardized Tests and Computer Skills In July 1998, a computer-based version of the TOEFL exam was introduced, and the paper-based exam is rap- idly being phased out. In addition to mastering the English language, students who plan to take the TOEFL exam should develop their standardized test-taking skills and basic computer skills. In the United States, basic computer proficiency is assumed in college, and many of your assignments will require computer work. Mul- tiple-choice tests are also common in college, especially in the first year when students attend introductory or “core” classes that are required of all students. Therefore, studying for the TOEFL exam will not only help you to increase your English proficiency, but it will also enable you to pick up other skills you will find use- ful in college. ➧ In the school year 1999–2000, more than 477,245 people registered to take the paper-based TOEFL exam, and more than 348,417 people registered to take the computer-based exam. ➧ TOEFL exam scores are required for purposes of admission by more than 2,400 two- and four-year col- leges and universities in the United States and Canada. ➧ The TOEFL exam is also used by institutions in other countries where English is the language of instruction. ➧ Many government agencies, scholarship programs, and licensing/certification agencies use TOEFL exam scores to evaluate English proficiency. ➧ Native speakers of 145 different languages have taken the TOEFL exam. ➧ Citizens of more than 220 countries and regions take the exam. TOEFL Exam Facts – INTRODUCTION– xi Scoring on the TOEFL Exam There is no single passing score on the TOEFL exam. The institutions to which you are applying determine the minimum acceptable score. However, some colleges provide ESOL (English as a Second or Other Lan- guage) classes. If you score below what is required by the institution of your choice, you may be able to reg- ister for ESOL classes your first semester and continue to take other classes when you successfully complete the ESOL course. Alternatively, you can take the TOEFL exam again, but one of the goals of this book is to prepare you to do your best and succeed the first time around. How to Use This Book Though each chapter of this book is an effective skill-builder on its own, you will get the most out of this book by beginning with Chapter 1 and working through each chapter. Some of the later chapters refer to ideas and information discussed in earlier parts of the book, so you may find it most effective to tackle Chapters 2–5 in order (you can read Chapter 6 separately at any time). However you proceed, read carefully, take good notes, and use your time wisely. Remember that you are already on your way to success on the TOEFL exam. – INTRODUCTION– xii LearningExpress ® ’s TOEFL ® [Test of English as a Foreign Language™] EXAM SUCCESS In Only 6 Steps! . basic study skills and learning strategies. It also helps you prepare a detailed study plan. The stronger your study skills, and the better you understand learning strategies, the more you will. 1999–2000, more than 477,245 people registered to take the paper-based TOEFL exam, and more than 34 8,417 people registered to take the computer-based exam. ➧ TOEFL exam scores are required for. INTRODUCTION– xii LearningExpress ® ’s TOEFL ® [Test of English as a Foreign Language™] EXAM SUCCESS In Only 6 Steps!