The Duolingo English Test: The New Proficiency Test That Interface Students Should Be Taking 多邻国英语测试： 顾瑞学生应该参加的新的英语能力测试

By Beth McKenzie

Demonstrating English proficiency is a necessary component for applications of all kinds, research programs, summer programs, and of course college applications. Interface students spend valuable time, energy, and money securing the necessary certifications to demonstrate their English language skills to admissions representatives.  

展示英语能力是各种申请的必要组成部分，比如研究项目、夏校、当然还有大学申请。顾瑞学生花费宝贵的时间、精力和金钱来获取必要的认证，向招生代表们展示他们的英语语言能力。 

Until recently, there have only been two main proficiency tests available to non-native speakers of English. The Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) is the world’s leading proficiency test and the main test taken by Interface students for admission to US academic programs. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the British counterpart which is accepted by institutions in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.  

直到最近，对英语为非母语的学生来说只有两种主要的语言能力测试，托福（TOEFL）是世界领先的英语水平测试，也是顾瑞学生申请美国学术项目需要参加的主要测试。雅思（IELTS）是英国的同类考试，被英国、爱尔兰、加拿大、澳大利亚、新西兰和欧洲的机构所接受。 

However, the Duolingo English Test is a new option available that offers exciting benefits to test takers. The first benefit is the price. The combined price for test and scores is $49, as opposed to the $200+ that other tests cost. Another major benefit is the flexibility of location. The test is taken online, anywhere at anytime without any reservations needed ahead of time. The scores are processed in 48 hours and can be reported immediately to unlimited institutions for free. Those scores are valid for 2 years, just like the TEOFL and IELTS. The test can be re-taken after a waiting period of 15 days. 

然而，多邻国英语测试为考生提供了一个新的选项，并给他们带来令人兴奋的好处。第一个好处就是价格。测试和分数的整体价格是49美元，而其他考试的费用是200美元以上。另一个主要好处就是地点的灵活性，测试在线上进行，随时随地，无需提前预约。完成测试后的48小时内便可收到成绩并可立即被免费发送给机构，而且数量不限。如托福和雅思一样，成绩有效期为2年。考生在测试完15天后可以再次参加测试。 

The test is accepted by over 2,000 institutions. This includes many top schools that Interface students regularly apply to such as: 

超过2000多家机构接受多邻国测试。其中包括顾瑞学生通常申请的一些顶尖高校，比如： 

Stanford University 

斯坦福大学 

MIT 

麻省理工学院 

UChicago 

芝加哥大学 

Yale University 

耶鲁大学 

Johns Hopkins University 

约翰霍普金斯大学 

Boston College 

波士顿学院 

Boston University 

波士顿大学 

Northeastern University 

东北大学 

Tufts University 

塔弗茨大学 

Columbia University 

哥伦比亚大学 

Cornell University 

康奈尔大学 

NYU 

纽约大学 

Duke University 

杜克大学 

Wake Forest University 

维克森林大学 

Case Western Reserve University 

凯斯西储大学 

UPenn 

宾夕法尼亚大学 

Brown University 

布朗大学 

Rice University 

莱斯大学 

University of California campuses 

加州大学校区 

Georgetown University 

乔治城大学 

Emory University 

埃默里大学 

Northwestern University 

西北大学 

California Institute of Technology 

加州理工学院 

California State University campuses 

加州州立大学校区 

Claremont McKenna College 

克莱蒙特麦肯纳学院 

University of Notre Dame 

圣母大学 

Grinnel College 

格林内尔学院 

Tulane University 

杜兰大学 

Brandeis University 

布兰迪斯大学 

Wellesley College 

韦尔斯利学院 

Washington University in St. Louis 

圣路易斯华盛顿大学 

Dartmouth College 

达特茅斯大学 

Swarthmore College 

斯沃斯莫尔学院 

Middlebury College 

明德学院 

The College of William & Mary 

威廉玛丽学院 

Williams College 

威廉学院 

Imperial College London 

伦敦帝国理工学院 

University College London 

伦敦大学学院 

Another benefit of the Duolingo English Test is the testing time. Both the TOEFL and IELTS require around 3 hours to take but the Duolingo English test only requires 1 hour. The testing time is reduced because the test is adaptive. The test adapts to the performance of the taker, getting harder with each correct answer, and easier with each incorrect answer. 

多邻国英语测试的另一个好处是考试时间。托福和雅思考试都需要3个小时左右的时间，但是多邻国英语测试只需1个小时。多邻国是适应性考试，减少了测试时间。测试根据考生的表现而定，回答正确，试题难度增加；回答错误， 试题难度减小。 

The design of the test is unique. Unlike the TOEFL and IELTS, there are not separate sections for the four modalities of language: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Instead, these modalities are mixed. This design allows the test to measure a test taker’s language skills in a unique way that directly mimics language use in the real world. Consider the language skills needed for typical college scenarios. In a lecture, students need to be able to listen to the professor, read information from slides or the board, and be able to ask questions or make comments. In a study group, an individual needs to be able to listen to their peers, write their own notes, and share their thoughts and conclusions. Clearly, natural language processing is integrated, requiring an individual to use multiple modalities simultaneously. Therefore, the Duolingo English Test cleverly mixes modalities, gauging how these skills interact. Thereby, in addition to receiving a holistic overall score on a scale of 160, test takers receive sub scores in literacy, conversation, comprehension, and production. 

多邻国测试设计独特。与托福和雅思考试不同，多邻国测试没有将语言技能的四个部分--听，说，读，写独立分开。相反，这些技能被融合在一起。这种设计使得测试以一种独特的方式考量考生的语言技能，直接模仿现实世界中的语言使用。想一想典型的大学场景中所需的语言技能。在讲座中， 学生需要能够听教授讲课，阅读幻灯片或黑板上的信息，并能够提出问题或表达看法。在学习小组中，个人需要能够倾听同伴的意见，写下自己的笔记，并分享他们的看法和结论。显然，自然的语言过程是综合的，需要一个人同时使用多种技能。因此，多邻国英语测试巧妙地将各种技能融合在一起，衡量这些技能如何互相作用。因此，除了取得160分的整体总分外，考生还可以获得在读写、对话、理解和创作方面的分数。 

Students who wish to take this test should prepare themselves by considering some strategies that will help them succeed. First, you only get one opportunity to answer a question. You cannot go back to change an answer. Each question is timed, and the time allowance depends on the type of question. For example, a question that requires a short-answer writing response will give the test taker more time than one that requires them to speak their answer since it takes more time to type a response. If you finish a question early, the leftover time does not get added to the next question, so the best strategy is to use the full time to make sure you have answered each question thoughtfully, accurately, and to the best of your ability. If you are answering a speaking question, you should endeavor to fill the entire time with your response, and not leave a gap of silence at the end. A longer answer provides more data for the test to calculate a score of your language ability. For each question, try to focus your attention entirely on the task. Don’t worry about past questions or what is next to come.  

希望参加考试的学生应该做好准备，考虑一些有助于考试成功的策略。首先，每个问题只有一次回答的机会，不能回头去修改答案。每个问题都有答题时间限制，时长取决于问题类型。比如， 一道需要输入答案的简答题会比一个要求说出答案的问题给考生更多的回答时间，因为输入答案需要更多的时间。如果你提完答完一道题，剩余的时间不会被累计到下一个问题上，所以最佳策略就是利用这整段时间尽你所能确保仔细、准确地回答了这个问题。如果你在回答一个口试问题，你应该努力使你的回答充满整段时间，而不是在末尾留下沉默的空白。一个较长的回答可以提供更多的数据来计算你的语言能力分数。对于每个问题，尽力集中你的全部注意力在当前的任务上，不要担心过去的问题，也不要担心下一个问题。 

In addition to these test-taking strategies, students should also be aware of some technical considerations that have been created to deter cheating. You will need a quiet, isolated space that is well-lit so that your face can be easily detected. There cannot be anyone else in the room while you take the test. You must keep your eyes on the screen. You cannot look down or to the side for an extended time since this could be a way for a test taker to be cheating by looking at a smartphone to check an answer. This also means that you cannot look down to take notes. You cannot wear earphones, since this could potentially be abused by people who shared their screen or had someone hiding the same room who could give the test taker the answer. You cannot open other tabs while taking the test. If the testing software detects you breaking any of these rules, the test will automatically end, your score will be invalidated, and in some cases, depending on the severity of the rule breaking, the test taker might be banned permanently from taking the test again. One interesting strategy that has been devised by the supervisors at Duolingo is to ask the test taker to place a mirror behind them to provide a greater view of the test taker’s surroundings.  

除了这些考试策略， 学生们也应该了解一些防止作弊的技术因素。你需要一个安静、独立、光线充足的空间，这样你的脸就很容易被检测到。当你进行测试时，房间内不能有其他任何人。你的眼睛必须注视屏幕。 你不能长时间低头或往旁边看，因为这可能会成为看手机查答案作弊的一种形式。这也意味着你不能低头做笔记。你不能戴耳机，因为这有可能被那些共享屏幕的人滥用，或者有人躲在同一个房间内给考生答案。测试期间你不能打开其他标签。如果测试软件检测到你违反了其中任何一条规定，测试会自动终止，你的成绩会作废，并且在某些情况下，根据违反规定的严重程度，考生有可能被永久禁止再次参加考试。多邻国监考人员想出了一个有趣的办法，就是要求考生在身后放一面镜子，以便清楚地反映出考生周围的情况。 

By taking some simple measures, Interface student can create the right testing environment that will allow them to take this test from the stress-free comfort of their own home. Many of our students have complained about the challenges of taking examinations at a testing center. The distractions of other students can negatively impact performance, particularly in the speaking section. Other students have also expressed that they experience testing fatigue in the three hours of the TEOFL. The Duolingo test offers a better experience for these students. Even students who haven’t faced these particular challenges should take the Duolingo English Test to see if the unique design is a good fit for them. Studying for the test is simple. Duolingo offers practice tests with unlimited questions on their website. The practice tests are free, so students can take as many tests as they want to get comfortable with the types of questions and the pace of the test.  

通过采取一些简单的措施，顾瑞学生可以营造正确的考试环境，使他们可以在自己的家中轻松自在地进行测试。我们的许多学生都抱怨在考试中心参加考试的各种挑战。其他学生的干扰会负面影响他们的发挥，特别是在口试部分。其他学生也表示，3小时的托福考试让他们感到疲劳。多邻国测试为这些学生提供了更好的体验。即使是那些没有面对过这些挑战的学生也应该参加多邻国英语测试，看看这种独特的测试设计是否适合他们。备考很简单。多邻国在他们的官网推出了海量习题免费模拟测。所以学生们可以根据自己的需要参加任意次数的测试，以适应问题类型和答题节奏。 

The cost, ease of scheduling, and original design that measures language in different ways from the TOEFL or IELTS make the Duolingo English Test a fantastic opportunity for all Interface students. Visit https://englishtest.duolingo.com/ today to learn more.  

多邻国英语测试的成本、简单的日常安排、有别于雅思和托福的角度来衡量语言能力的独创设计，为所有顾瑞学生提供了一个绝佳的机会。 请访问https://englishtest.duolingo.com/了解更多信息。