TOEFL Vocabulary Preparation: Stacking the odds in your favour
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an internationally recognized test which is used to assess the profiency of non-native English speakers. It is an extremely challenging test and whilst its critics try to argue that it is a “soft option” that requires the candidate to do little more than merely memorize huge amounts of words and text the TOEFL is anything but easy. A major element of the TOEFL that makes it so challenging is that it tests not only the knowledge and understanding of the candidate (in terms of the number of words that they know) but also the problem solving and analytical capabilities of the candidate in terms of how they can identify a link between ideas and the words.
If you are a non-native English speaker who intends to undergo this somewhat grueling test, be aware that you have a seriously complex and major undertaking ahead of you. If you think that you will be able to pass with merely memorizing a few hundred English words or so, then I must say, you are in for a rude awakening.
Your English skills will be stretched to their absolute limit and therefore it is vital that you have a solid understanding in all of the key areas of English, including vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. However it is not simply enough to know what an exclamation mark is, or how to write a semi colon. You have to know when to use the various punctuation marks, as well as the exceptions to the rules and then apply them in order to effectively and critically analyze the material in front of you. To use an analogy, your understanding of English grammar and the rules of syntax are the paintbrushes, and your grasp of English vocabulary is the paint.
Using an preparation toefl is an excellent way of adjusting to the requirements of the test as well as becoming more confident with some of the writing styles and formats which are commonly used by the TOEFL test. Parts of the TOFEL will include a excerpt of text from a novel or play or perhaps even a poem and you will be required to explain the meaning of certain words. The purpose of this section of the TOEFL is not so much to determine your vocabulary, but your analytical capability, and how well you can use the information around you to reach a conclusion.
TOEFL is pitched at a university level of sophistication of English, and so you may want to practice essay writing and other relevant skills in order to help maximize your chances of success.