A Critical View on the Use
of TOEFL for Setting Standards in Universities
Patrisius
Istiarto Djiwandono
The paper presents a critical view on the increasingly
common practice of using TOEFL as a standard for various academic requirements
in some universities in Indonesia.
It weighs up the possible outcomes of such practice and the consequences for
the language programs, then sets forth some cautionary notes, arguing against
the misuse of the test. The paper then explains how standards within the
framework of competency-based curriculum should be determined in a proper
manner. It points out a contrast between
the use of the international test and the use of locally developed standard that
is designed to accommodate the stakeholders’ interests, highlighting the
long-term benefits that the latter will offer. The paper also proposes an
interconnected scheme of standard setting, whereby an ultimate standard referring
to the real-life occupations determines the standard for language instruction
during students’ university learning, which in turn determines the contents of
an entrance test for selecting students seeking admission to the university.
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Djiwandono, P. I. (2003, October). A
critical view on the use of TOEFL for setting standards in universities.
Paper presented at the 51st TEFLIN International Conference, Bandung, Indonesia.
Website: www.geocities.com/eltindonesia
Email: eltindonesia@yahoo.com