Review - TOEFL® Mentor Reviews
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Library Journal, Volume 122 No. 19, 11/15/97, CD-ROM REVIEWS, P. 84
Set up in a "practice/test" format, this disc in preparation for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is divided into three major sections: Listening (comprehension), Structure (sentence structure and written expression), and Reading (comprehension). There are several full-length timed tests on the disc, as well as a test strategy section. Product advertising notes that it is designed for English-language instructors, ESL students, and others who want to "enhance their language skills" in English, and the system should satisfy all three groups as the disc is extremely easy to use once loaded (the interface is clear and straightforward). However, installation is an issue here: we had to load it on three different computers to get it to run. Bottom Line: This is a very useful resource for a high-demand area of study-if you can get it installed!* Major advantages over print counterparts are the automatically timed tests and ondisc spoken dialog for listening comprehension. We recommend it with reservations for public, academic, and special library circulating and reference collections. * Publisher's note: The TOEFL Mentor CD-ROM is designed to run on Win 3.1, but it will run on Win 95. We are happy to provide technical support for installing the program on Win 95.
Booklist, Vol. 94 No. 9/10, 1/1/98 and 1/15/98, Editors' Choice '97, CD-ROMs, PP. 830-831
TOEFL Mentor: Test Preparation for the TOEFL Test. Encomium. 1996. Mac/Win. $96 Encomium Publications. 800-234-4831. FAX 513-871-4312 428 Test of English as a Foreign Language-Study guides Gr. 10-12 and adult. Non-English-speaking students seeking admission to an American college or university must submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and TWE (Test of Written English) test scores to verify their proficiency with English. This multimedia CD-ROM tutor helps students achieve higher scores on these tests by introducing the TOEFL test format and providing spoken practice questions for each of TOEFL's three exam sections (understanding spoken English, mastery of Standard English grammar, and reading comprehension). It also includes two complete timed tests, plus a general information section with answers to commonly asked questions about the test (how often it's given, how much it costs, where you can take it, how scores are calculated, etc.). Based on an individual's performance on the first practice test, the program measures English proficiency, reviews questions answered incorrectly, and highlights areas that need more work. It also offers tutorials in each of the Structure and Written Expression sections. Students looking for a self-paced learning tool to help them prepare for TOEFL would do well to use this resource as a study guide. -Carol Holzberg Click for the TESL-EJ review!