Test of English as a Foreign Language project 2022-2025
TOEFL is the most widely used English language test in the world, used principally for the selection of students from non-English-speaking backgrounds for entry to higher education in the US and elsewhere.
Project: Examining the Relevance of TOEFL Essentials Test Tasks for Migration Purposes
2022-2025
The aim of this study is to examine the relevance of the task types of the
new TOEFL Essentials test to migration to Australia
Overseas-trained professionals play a major part in international workforce migration patterns and in Australia, just as in other English-speaking countries, are often recruited to fill workforce shortages. Australia’s two most popular paths to permanent migration are either through employer nominated visas or skilled independent visas. For both these pathways, applicants need to show evidence of their English language proficiency, although the required levels may differ. For example, someone migrating through an employer nominated path may only be required to show a fairly low level of English proficiency. Independent skilled migration, on the other hand, is points tested and English language proficiency is one of the few categories that certain applicants can use to increase their points and become competitive in pools of applicants where only those with the highest points are awarded visas each year. For certain professions, professional registration bodies may also require proof of English language proficiency, which may be different from the score level set for migration.
Australian migration law currently accepts five major English language tests for visa purposes (TOEFL iBT, IELTS, OET, C1 and Pearson PTE). Most of these tests were originally developed to gather evidence of English language readiness for academic study; less validation work has focussed on using these tests for migration purposes. Recently, Educational Testing Service (ETS) introduced a new product, the TOEFL Essentials, which comprises tasks from both the general and academic domains.