TOEFL for Physical Therapy

We bend over backwards

preparing PTs for the iBT

Why TOEFL?

Many national accreditation boards for physical therapy (PT) require that physical therapists get a score of 89 on the iBT, which is rarely a problem for these test takers. Unfortunately, though, the accreditation boards require a Speaking score of 26, and most PTs find it difficult to impossible to get higher than a 24 no matter how hard they study.

A Speaking score of 26 Needs Accent Modification

Strictly English's extensive research has concluded that the difference between a 24 and a 26 (there is no score of 25 on the iBT Speaking section) rests wholly on the speakers accent. Perfect English, perfect comprehension, and perfect presentation skills cannot get you above a 24. Only a significant modification in your accent will allow you to get a 26 or above.

What do we mean by "Accent Modification"?

"Accent" is a catch-all term used to describe how a speaker's mother tongue intrudes into their speech. "Accent' breaks down into "intonation," "diction," syllable stress," "tone," and, of course, "pronunciation." Our specialists find which of these issues is causing you to score low, and we modify it accordingly.

We use the term "accent modification" at Strictly English because "accent reduction" is only half of the process. You also have to learn how to perform a American/British accent while you're simultaneously losing your original accent. Therefore, it is more accurate to say that you're modifying your accent, not eliminating it.

Accent modification needs private tutoring

Because accents are so individual and unique, it will be very difficult to modify your accent by attending a group class, where the teacher has 10-15 other students in the room. This means that you're only getting about 1 minute every hour dedicated to your specific accent issues. Clearly, this is not enough time. In contrast, Strictly English's 1:1 accent modification classes dedicate the full hour to only you, allowing you to progress much quicker.

Requirement & Results

Physical Therapy Admissions	89	(S 26)
Our Top Score	116!	(S 30)

Q: How do you improve your score?
A: Use your Strengths, Eliminate your Weaknesses!

Strengths

A Physical Therapist typically has:

High conversational fluency
Good listening comprehension

Weaknesses

A Physical Therapist usually:

Lacks effective structures for writing and speaking
Lacks familiarity with non-medical academic topics
Has answers that are not precise

Solutions

Strictly English teaches you how to:

Clearly organize your written and spoken TOEFL answers
Comprehend the structure of college-level readings and lectures that talk about non-medical subjects (such as history, literature, geology, and meteorology)

Methods

Strictly English teaches TOEFL the way Physical Therapists learned Physical Therapy:

By using the same critical thinking skills used in Physical Therapy classes
By memorizing checklists of standard procedures and then repeatedly practicing those procedure

More Information