The question above is a bit hard to answer. There are two ways we can think of the TOEFL, and depending on how you think, the answer might be “yes” or “no.”

If you compare the TOEFL to other English tests, you could definitely say that it is well made. That’s because it directly tests your actual English ability—how well you can understand and communicate.

As you know, ABA stands for American and British Academy. This is because our course incorporates vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation from both sides of the Atlantic. In fact, we have even more accents in our course since our teachers come from all over the world!

However, our students often ask us questions regarding the differences in vocabulary between American and British English. 

Here is a great infographic with some of the words you might come across:

What is WOTY you might ask. WOTY stands for "Word of the Year" and it is time for the Oxford Dictionary to look back on the year and decide which new words or phrases have become so popular that they deserve an award. 

From "selfie" to "chav", these words reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year and have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.

Welcome to #MusicFriday!

Are you married? Single? In a relationship? Do you want to get married? We ask because the song we will learn today is all about a man asking his future father-in-law for permission to marry his daughter. It's so romantic!

But... he says no! The father-in-law says he will not give permission, so the singer (Nasri) tells him "I will marry her anyway!".

This song is the debut single of Canadian reggae fusion band Magic! Do you like it?

1. Read the lyrics
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. SING!

Learn how to use the question tags with the auxiliary verb "Do", for both positive and negative questions.

Beyoncé, the Queen of Pop and R&B.

She has been singing since she was a child and now, after recently having her own child, released her fifth album Beyoncé which immediately went to #1.

Today, we will be using her song XO to learn some new English vocabulary. Ready? This is what you have to do:

1. Read the lyrics
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. SING!

When you’re alone, do you talk to yourself? I do. I will have whole conversations with myself while cooking, cleaning, or driving a car. I’m not embarassed about it, although I know I might look strange to other people who walk into the room (I try to do it only when nobody will hear or see me talking, but sometimes I get caught...).

I know I’m not the only one—it’s a funny habit, but it’s pretty common. For me, it helps me to think more clearly. If I think out loud, literally speaking my mind, then I can reason through a problem or situation more quickly and effectively. If I am silent, it’s a bit more difficult to think straight.

Even if you don’t have the same experience with talking out loud, it’s still a good idea to talk to yourself if you’re preparing for the TOEFL. That’s because a quarter of the test actually is talking to yourself. Well, technically, you speak into a microphone, but there is nobody listening as you talk, and nobody responds to you, so it’s very similar to talking to yourself. And in general, to improve your TOEFL scores, you will want to practice doing the tasks that the test requires of you.