When international students wish to
study English, they could not find a more ideal location
than Canada. Whether you wish to study for a month-long
general English course, or are continuing your postgraduate
studies, Canada is the perfect place to study for your English
Proficiency Test, on the path to continuing your international
education. Linda Paton, Cambridge/TOEFL Advisor at Canadian
Cascadia International College tells us why...
Browsing through the pages of this site, you will see any
number of institutions offering preparation for the TOEFL
(Test of English as a Foreign Language), TOEIC (the Test
of English for International Communication), and the Cambridge
Certificate Exams - managed and distributed through the
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).
In addition to this, some centers in Canada now offer testing
for the IELTS - the International English Language Testing
System, administered jointly by UCLES, the British Council
and IDP Education Australia. Additionally, the GMAT (Graduate
Management Admission Test) and the GRE are now available
at certain TOEFL test centers. For business students, a
few schools offer preparation courses and testing for the
complete range of ESL/EFL preparation courses and tests
currently required worldwide.
My first advice to students is to determine which exam
you need to prepare for, and how much time you have to do
this. While not all schools offer preparation courses for
all tests, the choice is extensive. For exams such as the
IELTS, which is rapidly becoming the alternative choice
to the TOEFL for many universities and students, there are
three test locations in Canada - two in Vancouver, B.C.
and one in Kitchener, Ontario.
The TOEFL, produced by the Educational Testing Services
in Princeton, New Jersey is take by approximately one million
people every year, and is the most commonly taken English
test in the world (excepting only the College English Test
taken by 2 million people annually in China). In July 1998
this test became available on computer in most countries
(with the exclusion of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan),
took on the name CBT (Computer Based Test), and introduced
a number of changes to its original format, including the
now compulsory written essay.
If you are planning to take this test in Canada, there
are a number of testing centers in each major city. The
basic cost is US$100, with an additional 7% for federal
taxes. Depending on the test center and the time of year,
you usually need to phone up to four weeks beforehand to
book your exam time. You can pay by credit card, send for
a voucher through ETS, or go directly to the test center
with a certified cheque to book a test time.
If your goal is a TOEFL preparation course, contact several
schools before making a choice: find out what type of TOEFL
program is offered, and how many students are in the TOEFL
class. Don't be afraid to ask the school exactly what their
TOEFL curriculum or program consists of. Because the CBT
is quite different from its paper format, anyone planning
to take the test should get a copy of both the TOEFL CBT
Bulletin and the TOEFL Sampler - a CD ROM that is the official
and only existing material similar to the new computer exam.
Both are available directly from the ETS, or at schools
where TOEFL preparation courses are offered.
The most significant and interesting option to the TOEFL
Computer Based Test in Canada is the IELTS, which is now
accepted by most Canadian universities and many institutions
in the United States as an indication of English proficiency
for non-native speakers. In addition, it is the standard
English proficiency test for medical doctors who are not
native speakers and wish to practice in the United Kingdom,
as well as a requirement for non-native speakers of English
intending to immigrate to New Zealand. Two forms are available
- one for academic English and one for general English -
so it is important to determine beforehand which of these
you require.
Presently, there are three IELTS testing centers in Canada:
Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario, and Simon Fraser
University and the University of British Columbia in British
Columbia. Testing takes place once a month, and results
are available 10 working days from the time of testing,
which is a bonus if you have deadlines to meet. You can
register for the test up to 3 days beforehand and the cost
is US$125.00 (or $180.90 Canadian). The test itself encompasses
a wide range of skills, including a personal interview that
focuses particularly on individual communication skills.
Trained examiners conduct both the personal interview (which
is taped) and mark the two written compositions.
A truly ideal destination for the English
language learner, western Canada offers more than a tranquil
haven in which to prepare for exams and tests.
