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Part I: Listen and Read: Listen to the recording, answer the questions, and then read along with the audio recording.

To get into many colleges and universities in North America, international students have to take the TOEFL Test (Test of English to Speakers of Foreign Languages) and get a good score on the test. Today, the test is used to determine how well a student might perform at an institution of higher learning. The test evaluates students listening, writing, speaking, and reading skills. To prepare for the test, students need to improve their language skills and learn test-taking strategies to do well on the test. Taking a TOEFL class help students prepare, but reading extensively and listening to academic lectures and news programs—and talking about them—can increase your ability to answer questions on the test.

Part II: Discussion

What do you think are the best ways to prepare for a language test like the TOEFL or TOEIC? Do you think it is a good or accurate measure of whether students can succeed at a university?

Part III: Online Investigation

Finding good books, useful Websites, and even software for TOEFL preparation can be difficult because there are so many of them. Work together with other students to make a list of the ten best resources you can find. Share your results with other students.

Part 4: Online Listening Practice (from www.tips4students.com):

• TOEFL Preparation: How and Why?