TOEFLitis
Do you suffer from TOEFLitis?
In my years as a teacher, I have encountered many students with a bad case of TOEFLitis.
They live their lives with TOEFL hanging over their heads like a big black cloud, sucking away all their joy and pleasure in life.
They’re like airplanes in a holding pattern, endlessly circling the same airport, unable to land. They take TOEFL multiple times … several times a month, many times a year. Their careers or life goals depend on a certain score, which seems to hover like a mirage in front of them … when they approach it, it disappears, or recedes even farther beyond the horizon.
They study for the test for hours each day, but feel they’re merely spinning their wheels, going nowhere. Maybe once they were positive, confident people, but now they are assailed by feelings of doubt and even hopelessness, seeing themselves as failures and lost causes.
Is there a cure for TOEFLitis? Perhaps not a complete cure, but I believe there are ways to combat these symptoms.
Spend time thinking about your life beyond TOEFL. Sometimes people get so caught up in achieving a particular TOEFL score, they forget why they’re even studying English. They are so focused on THE SCORE, they ignore why they need to improve their English in the first place.
Perhaps you need a certain speaking score to be licensed as a pharmacist. What kinds of interactions will you engage in once you start working? Imagine being behind the counter talking to a young mother who is concerned about the possible side effects of her child’s prescription. How would you help to reassure her, to give her accurate information, to answer her questions fully even while other clients are impatiently standing behind her in line?
What if your TOEFL score is your entrée to a demanding academic program? You’ll be encountering complex texts written for native English speakers. You’ll be attending lectures where professors are speaking quickly, idiomatically, perhaps even with a non-standard accent. You may need to engage in complicated group projects with your fellow students, or write a 10-page research paper using multiple outside sources, or give a lengthy presentation in front of the class.
Is your English up to these challenges? Beyond the TOEFL and your goal score, you will be putting your English to the test in multiple ways. TOEFL is just a (less than perfect) way to assess whether you’re ready for them.
Identify your weaknesses and find creative ways to strengthen them. Too many students spend most if not all of their time “studying for TOEFL” … using TOEFL study guides, TOEFL YouTube videos, TOEFL websites, TOEFL prep programs. Not only is this exceedingly boring and tedious, but it may not be terribly effective. (If it’s really that effective, why don’t they get the score they need when they first take the test?)
Although TOEFL has four separate sections – reading, listening, speaking, writing – it’s also an integrated test, meaning that whatever you study will help your overall performance. If you master a new vocabulary word, for example, you may see it in the reading section, hear it in the listening section, or use it in the speaking or writing sections. Any effort you make to improve your overall English fluency can help raise your score.
There may be a particular skill you struggle with, or a particular section of the test that you need to score well in. I would still recommend that you pull away from the standard TOEFL training materials and find a variety of more engaging, enjoyable ways to improve your skills.
Need a higher speaking score? Find a conversation group or online partner or teacher to converse with. If you live in an English-speaking country, look into volunteer jobs, parent-teacher organizations, or book discussion groups.
Does your writing need help? Instead of writing endless TOEFL essays, try keeping a journal or blog. Or read interesting articles (I love The New York Times, The Economist, and The Atlantic Monthly) and study their organization, style, word use, and expressions. Try writing your own texts closely following these models.
Instead of listening to endless TOEFL lectures (surely the most boring lectures known to humankind), subscribe to The Great Courses Plus. Or find some good podcasts broadcast to native English speakers.
Same with reading. Find authentic English texts rather than TOEFL practice reading material (also exceedingly boring). Work on your vocabulary with a fun learning app. Make a study of Latin and Greek roots (this is something many American high school students do to score higher on college entrance exams).
Take breaks and don’t put your life “on hold.” TOEFL burnout is real. An endless round of study, study, study will suck the joy out of living. Eat well. Exercise. Get the sleep you need. Pay attention to your loved ones. Take trips and vacations. Enjoy the moment. Practice mindfulness. Engage in the religious beliefs and practices that are important to you.
I have known students who have said, “After I pass the TOEFL, I’ll spend more time with my kids.” Or, “I’ve put on weight, I’ve been studying so much. After I pass, I’ll go on a diet.” Or, “I can’t enjoy anything because I’m always worried about TOEFL.”
Well, that’s just sad. It’s not the way it’s supposed to be. You owe it to yourself and to your loved ones to enjoy the life you’re living right now. For everyone’s sake, think about ways that you can overcome your TOEFLitis and free yourself to take pleasure in everything that the world has to offer.
