Why was the TOEFL iBT introduced?
The TOEFL iBT better measures what colleges and universities need to know: a prospective student’s ability to use English in an academic setting. The new Speaking section evaluates a person’s ability to use spoken English, and the new integrated Writing and Speaking tasks measure the ability to combine information from more than one source and communicate about it. The new integrated tasks that combine more than one skill are designed to reflect how we really use language. By preparing for the TOEFL iBT, students are building the skills that they need in order to use language in an academic setting and communicate with confidence. In the past, language learning focused on learning about the language (especially grammar), and students would receive high scores on tests without necessarily having the ability to communicate. Now teachers and learners understand the importance of learning to use English to communicate, and activities that focus on communication and integrating (combining)
