TOEFL Speaking Dilemma

[rameses28]

Do we need to be error free when it comes to grammar and sentence as we deliver our response?

Do they want us not to stutter or hesiatate at all in order to get good grade?

Funny thing is, when I watch the news, even the most brilliant people in the US are having some errors and hesitations; and they are native speakers and have the most brilliant mind in the country, needless to say the whole world.... Do not tell me that they will not pass TOEFL IBT speaking section as well.

Even sometimes the president himself is having some errors putting up a sentence....

Please note, I am not disrespecting him (the president), in fact, I have high regards for the him.... but the point I want to convey is, if the native speakers who have the most beautiful minds of our time are not error free when it comes to their spoken english; how come the raters are expecting us, who are non-native speakers, whose english is probably the second or third language, to speak almost perfect english.....

I think that is why this is called Test of English as Foreign Language; because they cannot expect us to speak it perfectly. They should be more lenient with our lapses.

Any comments?

[newbie12345]

i agree about that they dont expect us to speak perfectly but they expect us to send the message across. Its okay if you pause for a second and its okay if you dont have time to finish in the time alloted as long as you show them that you can understand what is being said.

[Tseprep]

Originally Posted by rameses28

Do we need to be error free when it comes to grammar and sentence as we deliver our response?

Do they want us not to stutter or hesiatate at all in order to get good grade?

Funny thing is, when I watch the news, even the most brilliant people in the US are having some errors and hesitations; and they are native speakers and have the most brilliant mind in the country, needless to say the whole world.... Do not tell me that they will not pass TOEFL IBT speaking section as well.

Even sometimes the president himself is having some errors putting up a sentence....

Please note, I am not disrespecting him (the president), in fact, I have high regards for the him.... but the point I want to convey is, if the native speakers who have the most beautiful minds of our time are not error free when it comes to their spoken english; how come the raters are expecting us, who are non-native speakers, whose english is probably the second or third language, to speak almost perfect english.....

I think that is why this is called Test of English as Foreign Language; because they cannot expect us to speak it perfectly. They should be more lenient with our lapses.

Any comments?

Not reality, it is true most natives makes errors, but because this is in a fantasy land, you have to be perfect as possible.

[Trav]

It is accepted everywhere, but not in .....

[Trav]

Many more

http://thegrammarvandal.files.wordpr...pg?w=375&h=500

Another grammatical error "fixe's"

http://www.23hq.com/alexander/photo/...81B4ECDA157361

Another one

[Trav]

Two more

[Tseprep]

I am sure there are more of these. LOL LOL LOL

[PharmCW]

I'm not a native speaker. But my husband is American as an apple pie. He acutually took the pratice on-line of speaking part. He's got a score of 23. Even American can't score 26. Why do they expect foreingers to achieve that ?

[Tseprep]

Originally Posted by PharmCW

I'm not a native speaker. But my husband is American as an apple pie. He acutually took the pratice on-line of speaking part. He's got a score of 23. Even American can't score 26. Why do they expect foreingers to achieve that ?

I doubt your husband practiced TOEFL before, so he may not get 26, however if he practice for a month, he should get 26 or higher. This was true with TSE, an American professor, a native speaker took TSE and he got 40, so even a native speaker, if they don't know the test will not "pass" the speaking section.

[ve_boss]

Originally Posted by rameses28

Please note, I am not disrespecting him (the president), in fact, I have high regards for the him....

Any comments?

Don't really understand why. Not sure that he deserves such regards.