Most
native speakers of English will never hear anything about the
TOEFL-Test, although some people's use of English makes you think they
should. This is because the TOEFL-Test is a Test of the use Of English
as a Foreign Language (so it should really be called the TOEFL, rather
than the TOEFL-Test). The test is offered by TOEFL having been developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to test people's ability to use the English language.
It
was originally developed in the United States to test the ability of
people from non-English speaking countries to use the American version
of the English Language. Since the test's beginnings in 1963-64, it has
developed into the most well-known measure of English language
proficiency. A large number of organisations and institutions now accept
a TOEFL score as an indicator of English ability.
Who Is it for?
Due
to the international nature of modern education, the test is mainly
taken by pupils or students who want to study in an English-speaking
country. Schools and universities often impose a certain degree of
familiarity with the English language as an entry requirement. The idea
behind this is that exchange students would have a hard time both in
class and in social life if they lack the ability to communicate with
their peers and their teachers.
