Sunday, September 05, 2004
ETS Announces TAST- A New Academic Speaking Test for Non-native English Speakers
ETS Announces TAST- A New Academic Speaking Test for Non-native English Speakers
ETS Announces TAST -- A New Academic Speaking Test for Non-native English Speakers
Princeton, N.J. (Mar. 25, 2003) - ETS is unveiling a practice version of the speaking portion of the next generation Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) today.
The new TAST (TOEFL Academic Speaking Test) is a fair and reliable indicator of academic speaking skills, says Mari Pearlman, vice president of Teaching & Learning at ETS. TAST is one component of the completely revamped TOEFL test becoming operational in 2005. Until then, students may practice taking the TAST privately using a computer and telephone. "Why is this test so important? One of the biggest challenges for North American academic institutions is determining if prospective non-native English speaking students have an acceptable level of oral English language ability," Pearlman explains. "We assess a student's writing and reading skills using paper and computer-based tests very effectively," she continues. "Now, TAST can measure the ability to speak English clearly and fluently using situations students may encounter in a real academic setting. It's a whole new level of assessment."
TAST can be taken using Ordinate Corporation's telephone-based delivery technology recently adopted by ETS. In the past, spoken language tests were recorded on cassette tape. Now, test takers register online, then phone into the TAST system. They respond in English to questions provided on the phone. Tests are then digitally recorded and stored in a secure database where they are accessed and graded by specially trained ETS raters.
"Ordinate develops innovative technologies that make spoken language testing convenient," said Brent Townshend, CEO of Ordinate Corporation. "We expect that the expanding use of Ordinate's technology within ETS will be welcomed by test takers, test administrators, and score users."
Students can find sample questions, test-taking tips and registration information online at www.toefl.org/tast. Phone access to the TAST will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The test contains six questions, takes about 20 minutes to complete and costs $30 per test. After they take the test and it is rated by ETS, students receive their results online. Educational institutions will receive a 20 percent bulk discount when ordering more than 20 tests.
ETS Announces TAST -- A New Academic Speaking Test for Non-native English Speakers
Princeton, N.J. (Mar. 25, 2003) - ETS is unveiling a practice version of the speaking portion of the next generation Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) today.
The new TAST (TOEFL Academic Speaking Test) is a fair and reliable indicator of academic speaking skills, says Mari Pearlman, vice president of Teaching & Learning at ETS. TAST is one component of the completely revamped TOEFL test becoming operational in 2005. Until then, students may practice taking the TAST privately using a computer and telephone. "Why is this test so important? One of the biggest challenges for North American academic institutions is determining if prospective non-native English speaking students have an acceptable level of oral English language ability," Pearlman explains. "We assess a student's writing and reading skills using paper and computer-based tests very effectively," she continues. "Now, TAST can measure the ability to speak English clearly and fluently using situations students may encounter in a real academic setting. It's a whole new level of assessment."
TAST can be taken using Ordinate Corporation's telephone-based delivery technology recently adopted by ETS. In the past, spoken language tests were recorded on cassette tape. Now, test takers register online, then phone into the TAST system. They respond in English to questions provided on the phone. Tests are then digitally recorded and stored in a secure database where they are accessed and graded by specially trained ETS raters.
"Ordinate develops innovative technologies that make spoken language testing convenient," said Brent Townshend, CEO of Ordinate Corporation. "We expect that the expanding use of Ordinate's technology within ETS will be welcomed by test takers, test administrators, and score users."
Students can find sample questions, test-taking tips and registration information online at www.toefl.org/tast. Phone access to the TAST will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The test contains six questions, takes about 20 minutes to complete and costs $30 per test. After they take the test and it is rated by ETS, students receive their results online. Educational institutions will receive a 20 percent bulk discount when ordering more than 20 tests.
