Foreign students, especially those from Asia, should start practicing their vowels and consonants.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) has been revamped, and some educators think the new speaking section might affect Asian students more than others. The new test was given for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 24.
The TOEFL is required for Tufts undergraduate admissions for students whose first language or the language of instruction in their school is not English.
Changes were made in response to complaints that students who scored well on the TOEFL were unable to communicate effectively once they came to the United States.
The new test includes a mandatory speaking section. It will be incorporated into the other three sections: listening, reading and writing. The previously separate sections will be combined, so students will have to speak and write their answers to listening and reading comprehension exercises.
The Educational Testing Service provides an example of a speaking question on its Web site.
"Some universities require first-year students to live in dormitories on campus. Others allow students to live off campus. Which policy do you think is better for first-year students and why? Include details and examples in your explanation," one example question said.
Test takers are given 15 seconds to prepare and then 45 seconds to answer the question. Students record their answers for the speaking section using a microphone.
The test is also now taken online, though students must go to a testing center to access the Web site. The test's new name is TOEFL iBT, for Internet-based test. The price of the test - $140 - is not changing.
"Speaking and listening are important in the process of learning a language," sophomore Amod Rajbhandari said. "If you can't speak, you're left behind." Rajbhandari, originally from Nepal, lived in India for ten years.
The biggest criticism of the new test is that it may put Asian students at a disadvantage. English teachers in Asia tend to focus on reading, writing, and grammar skills.
"'We're all kind of thinking this is going to be more of a challenge to Asian students," a spokesperson from Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions told the Associated Press on Sunday.
The University's admissions officers have not yet met to discuss the implications of the changes to the test. The changes will not affect the requirements for international applicants.
"The tests are required elements of our work and will continue to be so," Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin said.
International students at Tufts supported the changes. Sophomore Alejandro Pinero, originally from Spain, has friends whose high schools did not emphasize English speaking skills. "Having a conversation is so much more spontaneous, so it was very difficult for these students," he said.
Another student, sophomore Alex Sultan-Kahn, said the changes may encourage foreign schools to change the way they teach English. "Schools might have to have English classes with more focus on communication in English," he said. Sultan-Khan grew up in Germany and Pakistan.
The TOEFL was first given in 1964, and 750,000 students took the test last year alone.
