TOEIC/TOEFL tests

[Mimsy for President]

Has anyone passed at least one of these tests? I need to get at least 830 out of 990 for the TOEIC test. Looks like almost impossible to me since I don't understand some dialogs where I have to answer to 3 questions for each of these dialogs. The funny thing is that I clearly understand when our AOE3 casters commentate.

[edehollandsbrother]

Yeah I got a 120 on TOEFL. Easy though, since I am Dutch.

[benj89]

120 on the toefl is actually really hard to get at first attempt for non native speaker without some real preparation
Djigit, the best way to prepare it: buy the official ets book, master it + the CD, when you pass the test you will have to know each section and what you are expected to do for each of them before the test.
Give you 1.5 or 2 month of preparation if you want to score 105+
you have to realize that those types of standardized test (can even compare to GMAT, LSAT etc) are mostly about preparation. A good non native speaker who didnt prepare it most likely will have a less good grade than someone less good but who prepared it. the gap is bigger for those grad school test ofc

a friend had a shitty level in english, like really shitty, prepared toefl like crazy for 2month, he made a 94. An almost bilingual friend prepared it 5 days like 30min a day, he had 90

[deleted_user0]

Is this for teaching?

[Mimsy for President]

Thanks for the advice. I think TOEFL is way more difficult than TOEIC. I'm not sure I'm able to prepare like your friend did. It's not about laziness. I've been learning German in secondary school and in high school & I can barely make a sentence. I think the best of the best ways is to move to a country where people speak English.

@umeu

notification

no not teaching :). I asked as a student.

[deleted_user0]

I did IELTS which is british version of TOEFL and scored 7.0. Pretty much without any preparation. That corresponds about 94-101 points on TOEFL. That is high enough to start bachelor programs in english (requires usually 6.5 IELTS score or 80-100 TOEFL score).

What you need your score for?

[deleted_user0]

Thanks for the advice. I think TOEFL is way more difficult than TOEIC. I''m not sure I''m able to prepare like your friend did. It''s not about laziness. I''ve been learning german in secondary school and in high school & I can barely make a sentence. I think the best of the best ways is to move to a country where people speak English.

Try learning languages in a more playful manner. I think language education is completely on the wrong track, atleast in holland, focussing on the wrong aspect of it. Try watching movies in that language with subtitles and then without after a while. Also you can try duolingo to support it, the quality of it isnt sp good, but the method is far superior to what i got in highschool.

Imo apart from growing up in that country with that language the best way to learn a language is entertaiment. Why do ppl from scandinavian countries have good english? I believe its 99% because they dont dub their movies and tvshows

[benj89]

except if you apply to top schools 80 is enough yeah (and if you have lower like 75, a skype interview should make it). usually top grad school asks 105+ (90 for engineers)
I also know a guy who made a 114 at 16 years old without being particularly good and 2 weeks of preparation.. but generally if u aim for 90+ u will have to prepare it
be real, if you arrive at the toelf not knowing the exercise, how to do them efficiently, no way you score 95+ without any preparation (or its another high school like guy who get into harvard "by mistake" u know)
also, I assume you come from a country like france where the foreign language level is particularly low
My friend who made 94 studied english for 7 years and could barely express an opinion.. thats how bad the french education is in english :p. and definitely, you will learn any language 10x faster living in a host family than taking classes

[Mimsy for President]

Actually I watch movies & series in English with English subtitles (mostly American ones). Now as you said, maybe I should watch without them but it's kinda frustrating to skip some important things. For example in The Walking Dead, the characters have a south American accent & I don't get sh*t without subtitles. Same with Sherlock , the English accent is too marked although I totally understand what our mighty Interjection says.


@Somppukunkku to join a business school. I'm getting my bachelor's degree this year.

[benj89]

voices don't have any strong accent during the toefl listening/speak relatively slow

[deleted_user0]

Actually I watch movies & series in English with English subtitles (mostly American ones). Now as you said, maybe I should watch without them but it''s kinda frustrating to skip some important things. For example in The Walking Dead, the characters have a south American accent & I don''t get sh*t without subtitles. Same with Sherlock , the English accent is too marked although I totally understand what our mighty Interjection says.


@Somppukunkku to join a business school. I''m getting my bachelor''s degree this year.

Just listen it back, after a while you can distinguiah any accent once you get used to it. Except manchunian, thats like alien

[Mimsy for President]

All right guys, I'm going to start watching Peaky Blinders without subtitles. May Elton John be with me ! #nohomo

[deleted_user0]

Lol i watch peaky without subs too. Its ez

All they say is its going to be a war bigga than da bluddy somme anyway

[divine_moon]

hmmm, may have to apply for one of these if i look to study in Euro right?
any websites where they have mock papers/tests?

[edehollandsbrother]

In my experience they are quite generous with scores on TOEFL. I thought I had done quite poorly on the speaking part but still got the full 30 points.
I prepared for a few hours in total to know what types of questions they were going to ask. You can easily find TOEFL practice youtube videos, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend spending money on official practice material.

[deleted_user0]

Interesting how you can only see the test if you pay hundreds of dollars. Capitalism, I guess.

Obviously its useless skills, so its caused by lefties who need to fund their salons

[Mr. Pecksniff]

yeah who needs english lol

[divine_moon]

yeah who needs english lol

(rofl) when u thnk this whole forum''s in [s]eeeeenglish .....[/s]

[Mr. Pecksniff]

Obviously its useless skills, so its caused by lefties who need to fund their salons

Troll. B-|

Were all trolls here, theres no need to point it out any more.

[benj89]

no you can see the test on CDs which are like 15-20$ on amazon . you have to pay to take the test, and yeah u pay like 240$ for people to correct it (half corrected by a machine/half by some indians)/the brand name

[iNcog]

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[edehollandsbrother]

I''m never, ever going to pay ?50 to pass a useless test which proves that I can actually speak English.

It''s not a matter of choice, the TOEFL or equivalent is simply a requirement for many universities in English-speaking countries. It''s something like ?250 by the way.

[iNcog]

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[Mimsy for President]

Yeah it''s a pretty shameless cash grab. It''s not like it''s hard to speak English or teach yourself how to do so.

They need a proof since there is no talk (at least before the sorting/selection). That''s understandable I guess.
Btw TOEIC is less expensive : 60? for students, otherwise it''s 90?.

[iNcog]

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