Creative and Innovative Ideas for Toefl Training and Testing Activities

Abstract

This paper aims to suggest ways of developing and applying creative and innovative ideas for TOEFL training and testing activities in Indonesia, where alternatives to the classic ETS TOEFL test should be exploited based on general dissatisfaction with the existing
official tests that are deemed too American-centred and limited in scope The presentation of this paper is divided up into six sections, namely an introduction that ponders the pros and cons of losing and finding languages followed by more specific information on the
actual purpose of TOEFL practice and testing in Indonesia and the phenomenon of hybrid forms arising wherever and whenever English is used as a Lingua Franca. Section three zooms in on the background and practice of devising simulation material and tests for the Local Equivalent to TOEFL, including advice for Indonesian English instructors planning to develop a study programme and curriculum to meet the current demand. Section four focuses on the three TOEFL exam sections (Listening Comprehension, Structure and Written Expression, and Vocabulary & Reading Comprehension) in some detail and provides concrete examples of practice materials and simulation tests, as well as Testing Points to brief students on what to expect to relieve anxiety. Section five attempts to shed some light on the controversial issue of a certain amount of resistance to the English language and Western culture prevalent in Indonesia by examining possible hidden agendas or even cultural-linguistic imperialism lurking behind the spread of Global English, while the closing section proposes several conclusions and provides suggestions vis-à-vis the immediate future of the TOEFL teaching and learning process in Indonesia.