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If you are
interested in studying at an American university, you have probably
heard about the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The test is
widely known as the TOEFL. It is the most widely used language
assessment exam for American universities.
interested IN + ing verb = interested
in
studying;
heard about: oído hablar de; widely known: ampliamente
conocido; assessment exam: examen de evaluación;
Many foreign
students are frightened of the TOEFL because it is risky. Good test
results on the TOEFL will open many doors. But a low TOEFL score
will limit your choices for financial aid and admission to top
schools. The most competitive universities generally expect an
Internet-based test score of 90 or above. Others accept lower
scores, and some do not require a TOEFL score at all. Most
universities do not publicize an actual cutoff score, but a high
score will always help.
are
frightened of: le temen a; risky: arriesgado, azaroso;
will open many doors: traen muchas oportunidades (literal =
abren muchas puertas); will limit your choices: limita las
alternativas; financial aid: ayuda financiera; admission
to top schools: admisión en las casas de estudio más destacadas;
score of 90 or above: puntaje de 90 o superior; lower
scores: puntajes más bajos; at all: en absoluto; do
not publicize: no hacen público; cutoff score: puntaje
mínimo o límite; high: elevado;
There are two
major versions of the TOEFL test. The first is the iBT, or
Internet-based Test. It is offered in most of the world and accepted
by nearly every university and scholarship
program in the United States.
major versions: principales versiones; nearly every:
prácticamente todo; university and scholarship program:
programa universitario becado;
The other
version of the test is called the Paper-based Test or PBT. It is
still used in some developing countries. Scholarship programs
provide money for a student to continue his or her education. Many
scholarship programs will accept the PBT results when a student
first asks for financial aid. However, they may require students to
take the iBT before official admission. The PBT is less costly to
take and does not require use of the Internet. Some businesses and
government offices use the PBT to test the English language skills
of their employees.
developing: en vías de desarrollo; provide money for ... to
continue: facilitan dinero para que ... continue; first asks
for: solicita por primera vez; may require: suelen exigir;
less costly to take: cuesta menos dinero; businesses:
empresas; language skills: habilidades idiomáticas;
The iBT and
PBT have very different structures. The main difference is that the iBT is completely online and includes questions to measure the
person's ability to speak in English. The iBT also has integrated
tasks. For example, listening, reading, and speaking are mixed
together. The Paper-based Test does not mix the different sections.
The PBT has an area to test grammar, the rules governing the use of
words and phrases. The Internet-based Test does not.
main: principal; to measure: medir, evaluar;
integrated tasks: actividades integradas; mixed:
combinadas; the rules governing: las reglas que rigen (para);
does not: no contiene (la mencionada sección);
If you have a
choice, take the iBT if it is not too pricey. The Paper-based test
is being phased out. It will eventually
disappear.
if you have a choice: si puedes elegir; if it is not too
pricey: si no resulta demasiado caro (en tu país); is being
phased out: está siendo eliminado progresivamente; it will
eventually disappear: con el tiempo será eliminado;
Here are some
tips for getting started with TOEFL:
1. Plan
ahead – It takes a long time to improve your TOEFL
score. Many students study just before the test. Raising your score
will take months of intensive work. Do not expect a big lift in
your test results after two weeks. There is no easy way to improve
your score quickly. You will have to spend a lot of time and energy.
plan
ahead: planea con antelación; to improve: mejorar;
raising your score will take: elevar tu puntaje lleva; do not
expect: no pretendas; a big lift: un importante aumento;
there is no easy way: no existe un método simple;
2. Master
the basics first – Many students study for the TOEFL
before they are ready. You should have at least an
upper-intermediate English level before you attempt the test. If you
score below 500 on the PBT or 70 on the iBT, study the fundamentals
for a few months and come back to the TOEFL later.
master
the basics first: en primer lugar domina lo básico; you
should have: deberías tener; at least: como mínimo;
upper-intermediate: intermedio alto o avanzado (B1); before
you attempt the test: antes de intentar hacer el test; the
fundamentals: los aspectos básicos; for a few months:
durante algunos meses; come back to the TOEFL later: regresa
al TOEFL más adelante;
3. Get a
study guide – It is easy to find study guides for the iBT. Pearson, Barron's, ETS, and Kaplan all produce quality
materials. Take a practice test once or twice a month. The best
study guides will have explanations in the answer key. PBT study
guides are difficult to find because the test is being phased out.
study guide: guía de estudio; once or twice a month: una
o dos veces por mes;
4. Use
outside resources – Using TOEFL practice materials all
the time will make you crazy. Remember, you are learning a language,
not a test. You can improve your TOEFL score by making English part
of your daily life. Some simple ways are listening to podcasts,
informal conversation with English speakers, watching movies and
reading newspapers. Some others are reading English textbooks,
sending and reading text messages in English, and writing online
comments in English.
outside
resources: recursos externos; daily life: vida cotidiana;
listening to podcasts: escuchar grabaciones de audio
http://tinyurl.com/ngp2gpu;
some others: otras alternativas;
The bottom
line is, the best way to do well on the TOEFL is to know English
well. Do not depend on informal advice or tricks. Do not try to
outwit the test maker. Think of reading,
listening, speaking, writing, and grammar as a single connected
concept–communication. The real goal of the test is to measure how
well a student can communicate in English-speaking classroom.
Immerse yourself in English on a daily basis and improvement is sure
to follow.
the bottom line: lo más importante; to do well: para
tener éxito; do not depend on: no dependas de; informal
advice or tricks: los consejos o trucos informales; do not
try to outwit the test maker: no intentes ser más listo/a que el
diseñador del test; think
of: concéntrate en; as a single
connected concept-communication: como un único e integrado
concepto comunicacional; real goal: verdadero objetivo; to
measure how well a student can communicate: medir la habilidad
de comunicación de un estudiante; immerse yourself: sumérgete;
on a daily basis: todos los días; improvement is sure to
follow: el progreso será lo que siga. |
