The TOEIC test and communicative competence

THE TOEIC TEST AND COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE:Do Test Score Gains Correlate With Increased Competence? by CYNTHIA R. CUNNINGHAM A dissertation submitted to the School of Humanities of the University of Birmingham in part fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language (TEFL/TESL) Supervisor: Clare Hindley Centre for English Language Studies Department of English University of Birmingham Edgebaston, Birmingham B15 2TT September 30, 2002 Abstract The TOEIC test is an internationally accepted, multiple-choice test of general English proficiency. It is marketed as an indirect yet highly reliable measure of non-native speakers’ abilities to communicate in an English-speaking work environment. However, there is a lack of independent research into whether or not the TOEIC test does indeed measure communicative competence. To explore this question, a direct assessment of listening, reading and writing abilities (TIC) was created and administered to a homogenous group of first year university students, paralleling TOEIC test dates. Results from both the entry and exit tests were analysed to determine if gains on the TOEIC test correlated with improved communicative competence, as measured by TIC. The findings were discussed in relation to the literature on the TOEIC test, testing and communicative competence. Initial results suggest that a correlation neither exists between TOEIC test scores and communicative abilities, nor between TOEIC test score gains and improved communicative competence. Additional findings suggest that TOEIC test-preparation does not result in more accurate use of structure. Furthermore, it appears that the test is not an ideal discriminator of language abilities. Thus, its role as a placement test and as a measure of non-native speakers’ English language abilities needs reappraisal.