Choosing the best TOEFL® course involves looking at not only how the school is set up, but what specific services are offered for a set price, and how the course will practically help students to prepare for a specific version of the test. The TOEFL® is one of a number of primary English language proficiency tests that are commonly used for placing students in an academic environment. The test can also be used to evaluate workers or influence immigration status in some countries.
One of the most important aspects for picking the best TOEFL® course is considering the quality or reputation of the school, as well as the professionals who are hired to teach the course. Students can evaluate how a providing school is accredited, or review its history as a provider of language training. They can also ask about the bona fides of the trainers who will be delivering TOEFL® or ESL (English as a Second Language) training.
In addition to reviewing a school’s reputation, students can help themselves get the best TOEFL® training through evaluating how the course will address the content of the test. This includes making sure that the TOEFL® course offered, addresses the four critical core tasks of the TOEFL®: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Each of these has their own unique challenges, and a superior TOEFL program should cover all four.
Along with addressing TOEFL® core content, students can ask about how the course prepares learners for different versions of the exam. In the past, many TOEFL® tests were taught using the PBT format, a paper and pencil test that was static rather than interactive. Today, test centers more commonly use an iBT or TOEFL® Internet-based test, where the computerized version seeks to match a student’s skill level. Good TOEFL® courses will cover the newer Internet based version while referencing the earlier paper based test.
In choosing the best TOEFL® courses, it can be good to look at the “hard and soft skills” that test success requires. Some of these skills are more technical, like mastering fact finding in reading. Others are more social, like proactive problem solving in oral discussion. All of these are addressed in the best and most targeted TOEFL® courses that students can find on the educational market.
Beyond the technical content and basis of the TOEFL® course, some students also look at issues of convenience and test “access.” This includes where the classes will be given (in relation to a home or other location), and how well the course allows the student to really get in-depth information from the trainer. It’s also relevant to look at the price per course hour, since this determines how much instruction the student will really get for his or her money. All of this can aid individuals in finding the right options for TOEFL® instruction.