PRINCETON, NJ–(Marketwire – December 17, 2009) – Thirty years ago this December, an official from Japan’s World Economic Information Service, Mr. Yasuo Kitaoka, approached Educational Testing Service (ETS) about designing an English test that he envisioned would become the international standard for measuring global workplace English. This vision was realized as the TOEIC® Test (Test of English for International Communicationâ¢). From a modest start in 1979 with about 3,000 test takers, more than 5 million TOEIC tests were administered in 2009. The TOEIC test is used by over 9,000 businesses and organizations in more than 90 countries worldwide. Kitaoka’s goal was the promotion of global communication through English. He spoke about his vision with ETS, the world-renowned nonprofit test development organization. At the time, ETS was already administering the TOEFL® Test (Test of English as a Foreign Languageâ¢) to assess English ability in academic settings. Today, the TOEFL test is taken annually by nearly a million people worldwide wishing to pursue higher education degrees at primarily English-speaking universities. “The task of developing a global workplace English test was a challenging one,” explains Dr. Philip Tabbiner, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, K-12, Business Development, Partnerships and Global. “Once approved, however, the TOEIC test-development project generated much excitement at ETS. While the TOEFL test was developed to measure academic English, the TOEIC test was developed to focus on English-language assessment of individuals for use in the workplace all over the world, particularly in areas where… [Read More...]
With the many sites offering free learning English online courses, you can save yourself the cost of tuition and you don have to move away from home to live in an English-speaking country. The best way to learn English is to immerse yourself in the culture and spend time talking to other people in the language. With the online courses, there is a chat line with whom you can communicate with others just like yourself and with whom you can speak English. Using a chat line also gives you the opportunity to write in English to use the proper grammar and you get practice in reading as well when you read the conversations. Although you won actually speak to others, these forms of communication are just as important. You will also communicate with native English speakers who will give you constructive criticism and help you correct any mistakes you make. You do have to be motivated to take full advantage of a free online English course. You have to ask yourself why you are taking the course. Your reasons will provide you with the motivation you need. For example, you may want to learn English to get a raise or a better job, you may want to be able to conduct business in an English speaking country or you may want to have a basic knowledge of the language because you want to visit an English speaking country. Since you have to set your own time for… [Read More...]
Corporate Recognition Listing of corporations that recognize Cambridge Examinations. Provided by the source: Cambridge EFL Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) General description of Certificate of Proficiency in English including specfics required for completion of test, as well as test dates. Provided by the source: Cambridge EFL Business English Certificates General description of Cambridge Business English Certificates including specfics required for completion of test, as well as test dates. Provided by the source: Cambridge EFL Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) General description of Certificate in Advanced English including specfics required for completion of test, as well as test dates. Provided by the source: Cambridge EFL Cambridge Papers Downloads Straight from the source, a treasure trove of a sample test per Cambridge exam in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat Reader). Download a paper and give the test a trial run! Bell English First Certificate Practice The only online course focusing on the First Certificate Examination. This page offers a free introduction to the online modules offered for sale at this site. If you are going to take the exam, this program is worth looking into. Cambridge Exams – Set Texts Optional set texts reading materials listed by Cambridge exams for taking the First Certificate FCE, or the Proficiency CPE exams First (FCE) Certificate Examination Preparation Materials a buying guide to First Certificate Exam preparation materials by your About guide to English as a second language Advanced English Grammar Review Quiz This quiz provides questions that cover each of the most important… [Read More...]
Learning grammar is perhaps one of the parts of the course that will cause you difficulty when you learn English language. This is because there are so many rules and exceptions to almost every rule. Spelling English words correctly involves knowing certain rules, such as: – The letter in a word is always followed by the letter ? – Use before except after ? This is sometimes confusing because there are many words in the English language that come from other languages and do not adhere to this rule. One such example is the word’s einer? – Words that end in change the to ?before adding any endiings – Words that have a silent ?at the end of the word, drop the ?before adding suffixes English grammar rules apply to both spoken and written English. The verb you use in a sentence must agree with the subject. Some verbs are used for plural subjects and others are singular verbs. For example, you would not say me have to go home now?because he is singular, the correct grammar for this sentence is me has to go home now? When you use any part of the verb be?in a sentence, you rarely use the word ?except when you are speaking in the future or past perfect tenses. You would not say, for example, be going home now? Instead the proper English grammar usage is am going home now? With all of the courses to help… [Read More...]
. Introduction In order to study abroad, students need to find a great deal of information about the institution where they will study; the city, region, and country where that school is located; the school year; academic information; scholarship information; living expenses; exchange rates; climate; transportation; daily life; visa requirements; language requirements; proof of language proficiency; etc. Nowadays, there are many Internet sites related to studying abroad, both for Japanese people interested in going abroad and non-Japanese people who are interested in coming to Japan. I have compiled a list of links to many of them, in addition to writing articles and learning materials for students who want to study abroad. I have made a web page “Study Abroad” http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/online/www/study.htm) (Appendix A) which has links to those resources. This is a guide to show how to use the Internet effectively to find such resources. On-line resources are particularly helpful, because users can search for information, navigate through links, and look up information just by changing screens. In addition, web pages can be updated more easily than printed materials. Though this page was made for both Japanese who go abroad to study and non-Japanese who come to Japan, it is more useful for the former, and some information is particularly intended for Doshisha University students who are planning to participate in the university’s exchange student programs. 1 The Japanese web page “Ryugaku” (http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/Japanese/library/resource/abroad/) (Appendix B) has links to resources written in Japanese. The contents… [Read More...]
When you can learn English for free, you can stay at home and take the online classes in your spare time. This means you donât have to give up your job and move away from your family to attend school or to live in an English speaking country. The speed with which you will learn English depends to a large extent on your motivation for taking such a course. Whether you need to learn English in a short period of time for your job or you just want to learn the language for travel purposes and your own interest, you will find all the resources you need for your education in an online course. Â The best advice for learning English is to not rush the classes. Take advantage of everything offered and take your time to ensure that you fully understand all the details of grammar and increase your vocabulary. There will be times when you find some of the concepts harder than others, but you shouldn`t let yourself get frustrated. This will only cause you to give up. When you get stuck on a concept, take a break and come back to it at a later time or seek help from the online experts who will gladly help you with any questions that you may have. Â You have to recognize your capacity for learning a new language and know how you learn best in order to make the most of your English language learning. Think about… [Read More...]
Which Language Test Should I Sit?
IELTS, TOEFL and OET are the three main forms of English testing accepted by most professional registration bodies. You should check with your professional registration body to see which test is required in the country and profession of your choice. Please make this check before taking your language test.General information on Language Tests
IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is used as the language of communication. Usually candidates are required to pass the equivalent of at the Academic Level of 7 in IELTS. IELTS tests are administered at accredited Test Centres throughout the world – there are currently more than 300 Centres, in over 120 countries.
IELTS covers all four language skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking and is offered in two test formats – Academic and General Training. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules and there is an option of either Academic or General Training Reading and Writing Modules.
Academic is suitable for candidates who are seeking professional registration. IELTS is recognised by employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. It is also recognised by professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies.
TOEFL is an alternative English test required by some countries, notably the USA and Canada. For more than 40 years the Test of English… [Read More...]
Grammar is one of the most essential things you should know when you learn to write proper English. It deals with the forms and structures of words and sentences. You should know the proper usage of such words. The best way to learn English grammar is not by using the dictionary but by using English grammar books. It is best to learn English grammar in school wherein a teacher will really help you everyday but if you do not have the time and money, just make use of English grammar books. Aside from the fact that they are inexpensive compared to going to school, they are very reliable compared to the Internet. First thing you should do is to choose the best book for you. Find the one that is easy for you to read and understand. You can ask for some help from the bookstore assistant. Do not just buy one book but buy a number of books since not all books have the same points. It is best to compare one with the other. Second, make sure you really read and of course, understand the rules of writing proper English. Test yourself by writing several paragraphs and check the books you have bought for errors and correct them if there are any. Ask some assistance from a friend who you know is good at English. Do not just let him correct your writing but ask him to explain as well. Try to understand everything he says, never… [Read More...]
The short and easy answer is âYESâ.
In fact anyone who has graduated from high school and has a good grasp of their own language can make a comfortable living as a freelance trainer in Germany.
However, a little prep work is required in order to avert disaster.
Over the years Iâve seen so many people come full of enthusiasm only to leave in tears a few short months later. I canât guarantee you success but if you follow the 5 guidelines below then your adjustment will be a lot easier.
1. Learn some basic German.
You donât have to be a fluent speaker but a few months before your trip you should buy a basic phrase book. âWhere is the train station?â âHow much is this?â etc.
Make sure it has a phonetic pronunciation guide.
It doesnât matter if your German is terrible at the start, as long as you make the effort to speak the language then most of the natives will try their best to help you.
DO NOT blurt out âHey dude, where can a guy get himself a mickey dees and a cold bottle of suds in this town?â Although a lot West Germans had a little English in school most of them have forgotten it. How much high school French or Spanish can you remember!?!
2. Brush up your grammar.
Native speakers use complex grammar structures without thinking what they are called.
Now you need to learn… [Read More...]
The English language is a wonderful language to learn. However, in order to really get the best out of this language, you will need to use it in your daily life. When people learn the language, they often view it as a task, rather than a privilege. Hence, using English becomes a necessity – a requirement to be used only for job interviews and other formal situations, rather than a special skill that may be utilized at any time of the day. However, you should realize that there are plenty of ways in which knowing English can benefit your day-to-day life. First of all, let’s talk about the Internet. The World Wide Web has established itself as the primary communications media of the future. When you take a look at the Internet, its content is written primarily in the English language. This is because the content placed on the Internet is meant to be accessible throughout the world. It is a media meant to unite people, rather than perpetuate further barriers to communication. Internet content is in English because it is assumed that the greatest number of people will be able to understand the language. When you master this language, your Internet usage will be much more productive. This is not just about content either; the Internet today allows rapid and cheap communication between people from different parts of the world. Because of this, talking to people in other countries is becoming quite common. It is also very common… [Read More...]