English Proficiency Certification

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations state that universities admitting international students must verify that each non-native English speaking student has sufficient English language proficiency to cope with academic studies. Therefore, each department must present proof of such a level of proficiency for each student before the Forms I-20 and DS-2019 can be processed by the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) at Washington University .

The government requirement notwithstanding, it is in the department's best interest to bring in students with strong English language skills. Students with deficient language skills cannot really take advantage of their programs and can lower the quality of education within the classroom by not participating at an expected level.

To maintain high standards, it is important that all involved realize that poor language skills cannot usually be ameliorated by contact with the language alone. In other words, if students are brought in with low skills, just going to class may not help their English proficiency level very much.

Moreover, skills in speaking English do not guarantee that students have academic skills needed to critically read, synthesize, and write sophisticated materials. The expectation is that if students are accepted at Washington University, they can function at a high academic level which is intrinsically tied to high language skills. This is why it is important for departments to set definite test score thresholds which can imply a basic level of proficiency.

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The International TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

Washington University uses the International TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) as the primary certification of English proficiency, as do most American universities. There are three versions of the TOEFL: a pencil-and-paper version, a computer-based version, and an Internet-based test (iBT). A free sample test and animated tour of the iBT can be seen on the TOEFL Web site at http://www.ets.org/toefl/nextgen. The big differences among the tests are that the new version, the iBT, has a speaking section, tests more integrated skills, and has a more extensive writing section. The entire test is on the internet and scores are viewable 15 days after the test. Also, students can re-test as many times as they want. To see how the scores on the iBt compare with the other versions of the TOEFL go to : http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/TOEFL_iBT_Score_Comparison_Tables.pdf

Score Interpretation of the Pencil and Paper Version
The composite TOEFL score scale of the pencil and paper version ranges from 310 to 677 with the generally accepted minimum score of 550. Several departments, however, have found that students with a score of 550 still have trouble succeeding in classes at Washington University, so they have raised their minimum composite score to 575 or 600.

The TOEFL paper and pencil version consists of three sections. The first section tests listening comprehension, the second section tests correct grammar identification, and the third section tests vocabulary recognition and reading comprehension. The score for each section ranges from 31 to 68 and is listed on the TOEFL score report. An individual score of lower than 55 could indicate a real deficiency in the respective skill section.

Score Interpretation of the Computer-Based Version
The composite computer-based score ranges from 40 to 300 with the generally accepted minimum score of 213. However, several departments on campus have now raised their minimum admission score to 237 or 250.

The computer-based version consists of three sections. The first section tests listening comprehension, the second section tests correct grammar identification and includes an essay rating score, and the third section tests vocabulary recognition and reading comprehension. Some departments might want to focus on the separate sections. A score lower than  22 indicates a weakness in writing, lower than 21 indicates a weakness in reading, and lower than 21 indicates a weakness in listening in the computer-based test.

 The essay in the second section is one sixth of the total scaled score, so if students choose not to write, they earn an automatic score of 0.  Any TWE( test of written English ) score lower than 5 indicates a weakness. 

Score Interpretation of the iBT Version
The composite iBT score ranges from 0-120 with the generally accepted minimum composite score of 80 which is comparable to a 213 on the computer-based test and a 550 on the paper-based test. Departments which have found that the traditional 550 or 213 scores were inadequate might want to set their iBT scores at 100 which is comparable to a paper-based 600 score or a computer-based score of 250. Also, some departments might want to focus on the separate sections. A score lower than 23 in speaking indicates a weakness, lower than 25 indicates a weakness in writing, lower than 21 indicates a weakness in reading, and lower than 17 indicates a weakness in listening.

To fully understand how scores on TOEFL iBT compare to those on the computer-based and paper-based tests, visit: http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/TOEFL_iBT_Score_Comparison_Tables.pdf. TOEFL iBT English language competency descriptors which provide useful information about what a student can do in English at various score levels and explain what the new scores mean are also available at http://www.ets.org/toefl/nextgen.

Those departments which want to set their own standards can contact the director of the ELP program to receive a CD which explains the whole standard-setting process. This is a two-day affair and would require several members of the department to make cut-off decisions.

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The TSE (Test of Spoken English) and the TWE (Test of Written English)

The TOEFL is a useful admission tool, but ETS (Educational Testing Service) warns that it should not be the sole criterion for admission or used as a predictor of academic success.

The TSE is helpful in assessing whether a graduate student is fluent enough in spoken English to serve as a teaching assistant. Although it is also a useful admission tool, the fee for the exam is $125, and, unfortunately, it is not offered in every country. It will be phased out as soon as the iBT is totally implemented around the world.

The TWE was added to the TOEFL because many universities wanted to have a clearer idea of the student's ability to produce written English. The TWE is offered in every country at five of the twelve test administrations at no extra cost to the student. Some graduate departments at Washington University have begun to require a minimum TWE score of 4.5. This test will be phased out when the iBT is fully implemented also.

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The IELTS

The IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, score reports can be used in place of TOEFL scores if TOEFL scores are not available. As with the TOEFL, for the IELTS, both the overall band and the bands indicating individual modules of the test should be considered to gather a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the student. Generally speaking, for linguistically demanding fields, the overall band which is acceptable would be 7.5-9.

An overall band of 7 is acceptable for less linguistically demanding fields.

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Washington University English Proficiency Exams for Graduate Students

While it is important to ascertain that students have adequate language test scores from a TOEFL exam, it is prudent to realize that test scores do not always provide the most accurate picture of student language proficiency. While the new iBT is a more rigorous and complete test than before, the effect of coaching and multiple test administrations can inflate scores so that a reliable indication of actual skills is not presented. For this reason, the English Language Programs provide departments with additional measures of determining language proficiency with its own in-house testing of listening and speaking skills and writing skills.

Who Should Take Which WU Proficiency Exams for Graduate Students?

Speaking and Listening Exams (The Standard Oral Exam)
First of all, who should not take the Standard Oral exam? Those students who have received a degree from an American university need not take the exam. Also, those students who received a degree from a university abroad where English was used as the medium of instruction for all coursework need not take the Standard Oral Exam. Students from those situations have had at least four years of exposure and practice speaking English so that it can be assumed that they have adequate speaking and listening skills.
Students who will interact with native speakers in a quasi-professional manner should definitely take the standard oral exam. For example, any student wishing to do an internship will need to have excellent oral skills. Also, any student who will eventually be a teaching assistant delivering content in English should also take the exam as a preliminary step before taking the specialized TA Exam later on in their programs. Even students with speaking scores of 23 or higher on the iBT may not be ready to adequately interact and interpret fast-paced and sometimes highly nuanced spoken conversations. Additional practice may be needed and the twenty-minute interview given by the English Language Programs can indicate which course, if any, would be warranted to give students the boost they need for effective oral participation. Obviously, students with weak speaking and listening scores on the TOEFL (as noted above) should also be tested.

Composition Proficiency Assessment
Graduate students in programs where writing is a key method of scholarship should be tested along with students who will write doctoral dissertations. Most professionals are required to have excellent writing skills which includes editing for grammatical accuracy, so most graduate students should be tested as the writing portion of TOEFL renders a global score which does not weigh accuracy in the same way that the WU writing placement exam does.
The writing samples gained from the composition proficiency assessment may indicate a need for consistent instruction to help students gain editing skills among others.In that case, a writing course will be recommended. Those students who demonstrate writing proficiency in the two-hour sample do not need to take further language training.

Department Follow-up
If graduate students are tested in the Washington University proficiency exams at the beginning of the semester, their test results will be e-mailed to departments and posted on the Student Information System (SIS). The results can be viewed on the students' internal record. Students receiving recommendations for coursework should try to fit the work into their programs as soon as possible.

How Departments can Monitor Student Progress

When students are admitted, departments enter information about English language proficiency in FSA Atlas.  If a department has required a student to take the WU ELP general language proficiency assessments or if the graduate student  is in the School of Arts and Sciences and will be required to take an ELP TA test, this information is input into the Student Information Systen (SIS) so that departments and students can check student status in student internal records.  Testing requirements are listed under Milestones and student progress in taking the tests or in  taking ELP classes are listed under Test Scores.  To decipher the test score codes, go to the ELP Score Descriptions.  

It is the departments responsibility to monitor whether the students took the courses or not. Instead of focusing only on short-range planning of getting the student through the program, if professional goals are examined, strong language skills are vital for the long range attainment of success. If students are allowed to slide by not addressing their language skills, they are short-changed in the long run and the public face of Washington University graduates is diminished. As indicated above, language coursework can help students achieve a higher degree of language proficiency, but this does not happen overnight. Students may need more than one course to polish their skills. Nor does an increase in language proficiency happen in isolation. Departments admitting non-native English speaking students should also be committed to helping them achieve real language development which can only be augmented if everyone concerned makes an effort to nurture relationships and non-threatening communication opportunities.

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