IELTS VS TOEFL: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES? IELTS VS TOEFL are you wondering whether to take IELTS or TOEFL? The majority of the world’s English-speaking universities now accept both IELTS and TOEFL scores as proof of English ability. On the surface, the two tests are very similar: they both consist of four sections – listening, reading, writing and speaking – and they both test candidates on their ability to use English in academic situations. As a student, how are you meant to know which test to take? The answer ultimately depends on what you have studied up to now, and what things you do best. Here is a breakdown of the five most important differences between IELTS and TOEFL. IELTS includes a variety of English’s; TOEFL is a test of Standard American English This is a rather obvious distinction but it may be the single most important factor determining which of the tests is chosen. IELTS consists of British regional accents and other varieties derived from British English such as Australian and South African English. As a result, you will hear a wider variety of accents, idioms and other colloquial expressions. On the other hand, if you have grown up with American cultural products like Hollywood movies, you might find the language of TOEFL more familiar to your ears. Your past experiences with English will guide you here. Otherwise, don’t worry too much about the differences between the varieties of English. In both TOEFL and IELTS you can use British, American, or other standard forms. Universities will not care which test you have taken or which variety of English you use, as long as you can demonstrate a good command of one variety of the language. IELTS is a human test; TOEFL is a computer-based test This is arguably a more important distinction than the one above. The speaking section of IELTS consists of a face-to-face interview with a real human being. If you don’t understand a question in IELTS, you can ask for and receive help. This is a luxury that is not available to TOEFL candidates, who must follow the instructions of a computer. Do you prefer interacting with another person? If so, choose IELTS. Do you do well in solitary, computer-based tasks? If so, you may feel more relaxed if you take TOEFL. Also, if you prefer typing at a computer to writing by hand, you may find some parts of TOEFL easier, especially the writing section. IELTS separates the four skills; TOEFL integrates the four skills Both tests require you to show that you can manipulate the English language effectively. However, in TOEFL, integration of skills is more advanced. For example, in TOEFL you will have to read a passage, listen to a lecture or conversation, and then write a response to both. IELTS does not include such integrated tasks. In IELTS, the writing section is clearly a test of writing, the speaking test is clearly a test of speaking, and so on. However… IELTS includes a variety of comprehension checks; TOEFL is multiple-choice While the writing and speaking sections of TOEFL demand quite challenging levels of information processing and recall, the listening and reading sections of TOEFL consist of simple multiple-choice questions. In IELTS, however, the listening and reading sections require you to do more complex tasks such as completing sentences, notes and summaries. You may even need to transform the language you hear into new forms. If you were looking for the easiest possible test, it would definitely be the listening and reading sections of TOEFL followed by the writing and speaking sections of IELTS! Unfortunately, at the time of writing, we don’t know of any schools offering this route. IELTS is a test of English; TOEFL is a test of English and academic skills The comparisons between IELTS and TOEFL above bring us to an interesting conclusion. As a test, IELTS focuses much more on language itself. In IELTS, you can get a high score just by showing evidence of good grammar and vocabulary. Varying sentence patterns and demonstrating lexical resource (i.e. word power) are especially important in IELTS. By contrast, TOEFL requires you to do things that go beyond language. These include making notes during a lecture, guessing a speaker’s intent, synthesising information from different sources, and producing a logical, well-styled argument. We can therefore say that TOEFL is a more complete test of English for academic purposes, while IELTS tells us more about a person’s knowledge of the English language. Which test would a native speaker take? To a native speaker like myself, TOEFL appears more difficult than IELTS because it demands more sustained concentration and places more severe time constraints on the candidate, especially in speaking. Given the choice, I would take IELTS. Had I learned English exclusively from American teachers and Hollywood movies, however, I might choose TOEFL.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 21:10:24 +0000
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