CoEIL.com

The TOEIC® Program Celebrates 30 Years of Measuring Global Workplace English

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:57:59 +0000

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 TOEICÂ® 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 TOEFLÂ® 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 English is not the native language. The challenge was that the TOEIC testing population was far more heterogeneous, and the new test needed to cover a wider range of abilities. ETS was up to the challenge, though, and continues to be the innovative leader in English-language assessment.”

The TOEIC test, which is administered around the globe, is administered in Japan by the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC). The Institute is a nonprofit organization that operates under the auspices of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to promote internationalization for individuals and companies. Since its founding, IIBC has been involved in a diverse range of activities with a global perspective, in collaboration with various organizations inside and outside Japan, to fulfill its mission of promoting effective communication in the global business environment.

“We are very pleased to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the TOEIC test,” notes Naotomi Umezawa, Managing Director of IIBC. “The test has achieved tremendous popularity in Japan because of its quality and reliability. Also, because of the quality, the test has had a positive influence on the way Japanese people study English. We truly appreciate the support that ETS has been extending to us for the past 30 years.”

Nonprofit ETS, which developed and owns the TOEIC test, coordinates test development, scoring and related research. The TOEIC family of assessments is comprised of the TOEICÂ® Listening and Reading test, the TOEICÂ® Speaking and Writing tests and the TOEIC Bridgeâ¢ test. These tests can be used individually or in combination. When used to assess all four English communication skills, the TOEIC tests provide an accurate measure of workplace English proficiency.

About ETS

At nonprofit ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English-language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFLÂ® and TOEICÂ® tests, the GREÂ® test and The Praxis Seriesâ¢ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide.

Related Video for toefl:

Save Money With Free Learning English Online Courses

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:23:35 +0000

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 studying, you do need to think about your motivation in order to prevent distractions from keeping you from your task. You don have to adhere to someone else time table as you would if you were attending classes, so you should have a set time when you log on at sometime during the day or night. It is best if you inform your family and friends that you are not to be disturbed during this time. Although you can choose to study once a week, it is better for you if you do so every day because this way you won forget the structures you learn between lessons. Set achievable goals for yourself ?ones that you can accomplish in a very short time. Once you see that you are making progress, it makes the learning process easier.

Take notes as you are learning by writing down points and rules in a notebook. Vary your lessons so that you are not focusing on structures all the time. When you do the practice exercises, don be disappointed if you make mistakes. Use the mistakes as a learning experience and review the material so you can understand where you made the mistakes and how you can improve.

Listening is an important component of language learning. The online course you choose should have an audio component in which you can listen to native English speakers using the words and phrases properly. You should spend time listening to the passages several times and then read them out loud yourself. Record yourself as you read and then compare your speech to that of the speaker in the course to determine how well you are doing.

A typical lesson should include all aspects of language learning ?listening, speaking, reading and writing. Take advantage of the comprehension exercises that follow the passages so you ensure you understand what the passage is about. Utilize games that help you learn vocabulary through the flash cards that contain words and pictures.

Related Video for learn english:

ielts exam material,ielts listening materials,ielts specimen materials,cambridge ielts material

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:10:12 +0000

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 Grammar points that advanced level English students need to know. Correct answers are provided after each question and a total score is given with feedback at the end of the test.

English Tense Review – Conjugating Verbs Tense Review and conjugation exercise to help advanced level English ESL EFL TESL or TOEFL classes and students review all major tenses Sentence Transformation Exercises

The ability to rewrite sentences so that they have the same meaning as the original is often required for many English ESL EFL Exams such as Cambridge’s First Certificate, CAE and Proficiency. This skill can also help you prepare for the TOEFL examination (Test of English as a Foreign Language). There are five of these exercises in this series.

TOEFL Structure Practice interactive structure quiz similar to those of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). There are five interactive exercises in this series. Word Form Gap Fill Quizzes Use the word at the end of each gap to form a new word with which to fill the gap. While doing this exercise, look for clues which tell you what kind of word is missing (adjective, noun, verb, adverb). Make sure to take into consideration forms using various prefixes and suffixes, as well as negative forms.

IELTS Free Study Resources The IELTS exam is one of the most popular international exams for academic qualifications in English (similar to the TOEFL). This guide points you to all the FREE resources available on the Internet to help you prepare for the exam.

Related Video for toefl:

Tips to Help You Learn English Langauge Grammar

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:48:56 +0000

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 you learn English, you will receive complete explanations of each concept along with examples of how they are used. Once you fully understand the explanation and the example, you can complete exercises to help you use the words in the proper way. There are also listening exercises for each lesson so that you hear the words and the grammar being used correctly.

Making words plural is different in English than it is in most other languages. Although the articles, the, a and an are used in English, when you make a noun plural, you do not pluralize the articles. So to say change he boy?to plural, you would say he boys? There is no plural form of articles in English.

The use of prepositions is another part of grammar that is sometimes confusing because each word has so many different connotations. The problem with learning how to use these words properly is that there are no rules for how to use them. You do need to start learning English phrases for certain circumstances and increase your vocabulary at the same time. The preposition in?for example, can be used for telling dates and times, location of objects, or direction.

Adjective placement in sentences for English comes before the word being described, rather than after the word. If you wanted to describe a dress, for instance, you would say beautiful dress? Adverbs, which are used to modify verbs usually end in ly and come after the verb, but there are adverbs that do not end in by? An example is an adverb of place, such as come here? In this sentence, the word here?is the adverb modifying the verb come? but it denotes a location.

Take your time when learning grammar and don’t get bogged down on one concept. Move on to another one and come back to the one that is causing your frustration.

Related Video for learn english:

Student Viisa

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:57:44 +0000

.

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 are: useful information, information about different countries, embassies, organizations for international exchange, traveling abroad, cheap international phone calls, free e-mail, university programs related to international exchange, and study abroad resources for Doshisha University students. Students can get overall information about studying in various countries, particularly about universities where Doshisha University sends exchange students.

2 Useful Sites

This section includes information on time, exchange rates, weather, Internet domains, school calendars, universities, and language schools. For students planning to go abroad, these sites include a great deal of valuable information

3 Articles about Studying Abroad

These articles were written for students who are thinking about studying abroad. There are seven articles which explain American higher education, studying abroad and the Internet, studying in an American university, using university libraries, the differences between American and British higher education, and benefits of three types of studying abroad.

4 Organizations and Governmental Offices

This section is a list of links to organizations and governmental offices related to studying abroad, such as embassies, associations of language schools, educational exchange organizations, and Departments or Ministries of Education. Students can get information from these organizations and offices. They are organized by country or region: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe.

5 Resources

This section includes various types of information which students may need. There are some general resources, such as guides to studying abroad and links pages related to studying abroad, as well as some resources for certain regions or countries. The latter has the following categories: Asia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Korea. This section includes commercial resources and other resources for studying and traveling.

6 Tests

Since some institutions require test scores as part of their application process, I have included links to information about the GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, and SAT in “Tests.” The GRE and GMAT are required by many American graduate schools. Most English-speaking institutions require non-native English speakers to provide IELTS or TOEFL scores to show the English language proficiency. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand generally require IELTS, and American and Canadian universities require TOEFL.

7 Institutions

This section links the pages of many universities all over the world, or connects to links pages for universities in certain regions or countries. The first part of this section has the general links pages, and then there are links classified by country. There are some lists of individual institutions, which have some useful resources for people who are considering studying there.

8. Reports and Projects by Doshisha Students

One Doshisha student has written a report on her experience studying in Australia. Some students have made web pages to help people who are considering studying at a certain university in a certain country. Those are listed in “Reports and Projects by Doshisha University Students.” They are very helpful for students who are considering to study at those universities. There are more projects found at http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/class/practicum/.

Doshisha University students made some web pages for non-Japanese people to come to Japan to study, do business, to live and to do sightseeing. They are at http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/library/student/japan.htm. Also some Doshisha University students have made web pages for non-Japanese people who want to study Japanese language and understand aspects of Japanese culture, which are included in the section for non-Japanese people.

9. Learning Materials on Studying in the US

This section includes five articles which are included in our textbooks. They are explanations about an American college, taking classes a college, living in at college dormitory, and experiences of Japanese students in the United States and on an American college campus. The latter were written from the point of view of Japanese students as they experience new things in the United States, so it is easy for Japanese students to understand, and they can learn about studying abroad from the point of view of someone who had experienced it.

10. Academic English

This section is another resource I have made, which can be found at http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/class/material/academic.htm (Appendix C). It includes valuable information for students who want to study abroad. It includes information about how to evaluate resources, plagiarism, fields of study, search tools, study skills, research, writing research papers, writing, resources, and making web pages.

11. Traveling Abroad

This page (http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/japanese/online/overseas.htm) is made for Japanese scholars and business people interested in traveling abroad, particularly to the United States, the UK, and European countries (Appendix D). Thus it includes both English and Japanese resources, and probably more Japanese ones.

This web page includes very practical resources for traveling, including information about obtaining plane tickets; transportation such as trains, buses, ships, etc., in various countries; finding night accommodations and even making reservations; major airports; and other helpful information for traveling.

12. For Non-Japanese Students

This section is for non-Japanese people who come to Japan for study, business, or sightseeing. There are many Doshisha student projects to help those people enjoy staying in Japan, and study better or do business more effectively.

Those projects include information about studying the Japanese language, studying at Japanese universities, various places in Japan, entertainment, famous places, avoiding problems, eating, etc.

This section also includes links on Japanese culture and language that could be helpful to non-Japanese people to study Japan. “Japan and Japanese Language” (http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/online/www/japan.htm), which I made, is linked, and it covers learning Japanese language, gateways for various types of information, culture, Japanese language, Japanese literature, libraries, mailing lists, newspapers. magazines, TV and radio; movies, organizations, resources, teachers’ homepages, learning material, college associations, university Japanese programs, Japanese programs in Japan, and food. (Appendix E) These links are beneficial for non-Japanese people who live or stay in Japan.

Using “Study Abroad” Effectively

Japanese students who have just started thinking about the possibility of studying abroad should read the articles about studying abroad, particularly “Why Don’t You Study Abroad?” which explains three different types of studying abroad and their advantages and disadvantages in “3. Articles.” Other articles explain higher education in the United States and Britain. If you are interested in studying abroad, the learning materials are interesting and informative as well as giving you a chance to read English.

The Japanese resources “Ryugaku” include explanations about educational systems and universities in various countries, and they are very informative for students who are trying to decide what English-speaking country they want to study in. There are great differences among the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

The web pages of organizations and government offices provide various resources and information, and students who are interested in studying abroad should skim this information. While you might not need the information right away, it may later be useful, so you should know what kinds of resources are available.

Choosing the institution where you study is a big and important decision. Fortunately, most institutions have well developed web sites, and you can find almost all the information you need. One way of comparing institutions is to make a chart. You can list the institutions down the left side and characteristics of the institutions across the top (for example, the size of the institution, the courses of interest to you, or whatever is important to you in choosing an institutions). You can fill in the chart with information from web pages. That way, you can choose the five institutions that best fit your priorities. Then you can send e-mails to them to collect more information or begin the application process.

“Reports and Projects by Doshisha Students” might be helpful in deciding what kind of information you need to look for. Students have made web pages with information they thought might be useful, and most of them are well done. One problem might be that some of the information might become outdated, since they will not be revised.

If you are considering getting into a degree program, you need to take TOEFL or IELTS depending on which country you are going to. You need good scores before you apply for admission. You should check the schedule, etc., for those tests, and take them as soon as possible.

After you decide to go abroad for study, I strongly suggest that you study academic English. Writing essays and research papers is particularly important, so you need to learn about doing research and writing a paper. “Academic English” section has resources that will help you in this area.

“Reference Materials for Students and Researchers” (http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/online/www/referenc.htm) has valuable resources. Resources for writing and search sites are particularly important for the students who are going abroad to study.

“Useful Sites” and “Traveling Abroad” have very practical sites where you can get a lot of information about traveling and living abroad. Some of these sites might be interesting for students in general. They might spark an interest in studying abroad if students use them to studying English. When students are ready to go, they can use these sites to make travel plans, etc.

For non-Japanese people, web pages by Doshisha students are interesting and informative. Keiko Schneider’s “Japanese language learning tools on Web” is very extensive, and you will find a great many useful sites.

My “Japan and Japanese Language” also has a great deal of information about that you may need to know about Japan, Japanese culture, and Japanese language. I have included some information about language and university programs as well as universities.

.

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 are: useful information, information about different countries, embassies, organizations for international exchange, traveling abroad, cheap international phone calls, free e-mail, university programs related to international exchange, and study abroad resources for Doshisha University students. Students can get overall information about studying in various countries, particularly about universities where Doshisha University sends exchange students.

2 Useful Sites

This section includes information on time, exchange rates, weather, Internet domains, school calendars, universities, and language schools. For students planning to go abroad, these sites include a great deal of valuable information

3 Articles about Studying Abroad

These articles were written for students who are thinking about studying abroad. There are seven articles which explain American higher education, studying abroad and the Internet, studying in an American university, using university libraries, the differences between American and British higher education, and benefits of three types of studying abroad.

4 Organizations and Governmental Offices

This section is a list of links to organizations and governmental offices related to studying abroad, such as embassies, associations of language schools, educational exchange organizations, and Departments or Ministries of Education. Students can get information from these organizations and offices. They are organized by country or region: Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Europe.

5 Resources

This section includes various types of information which students may need. There are some general resources, such as guides to studying abroad and links pages related to studying abroad, as well as some resources for certain regions or countries. The latter has the following categories: Asia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Korea. This section includes commercial resources and other resources for studying and traveling.

6 Tests

Since some institutions require test scores as part of their application process, I have included links to information about the GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, and SAT in “Tests.” The GRE and GMAT are required by many American graduate schools. Most English-speaking institutions require non-native English speakers to provide IELTS or TOEFL scores to show the English language proficiency. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand generally require IELTS, and American and Canadian universities require TOEFL.

7 Institutions

This section links the pages of many universities all over the world, or connects to links pages for universities in certain regions or countries. The first part of this section has the general links pages, and then there are links classified by country. There are some lists of individual institutions, which have some useful resources for people who are considering studying there.

8. Reports and Projects by Doshisha Students

One Doshisha student has written a report on her experience studying in Australia. Some students have made web pages to help people who are considering studying at a certain university in a certain country. Those are listed in “Reports and Projects by Doshisha University Students.” They are very helpful for students who are considering to study at those universities. There are more projects found at http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/class/practicum/.

Doshisha University students made some web pages for non-Japanese people to come to Japan to study, do business, to live and to do sightseeing. They are at http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/library/student/japan.htm. Also some Doshisha University students have made web pages for non-Japanese people who want to study Japanese language and understand aspects of Japanese culture, which are included in the section for non-Japanese people.

9. Learning Materials on Studying in the US

This section includes five articles which are included in our textbooks. They are explanations about an American college, taking classes a college, living in at college dormitory, and experiences of Japanese students in the United States and on an American college campus. The latter were written from the point of view of Japanese students as they experience new things in the United States, so it is easy for Japanese students to understand, and they can learn about studying abroad from the point of view of someone who had experienced it.

10. Academic English

This section is another resource I have made, which can be found at http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/class/material/academic.htm (Appendix C). It includes valuable information for students who want to study abroad. It includes information about how to evaluate resources, plagiarism, fields of study, search tools, study skills, research, writing research papers, writing, resources, and making web pages.

11. Traveling Abroad

This page (http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/japanese/online/overseas.htm) is made for Japanese scholars and business people interested in traveling abroad, particularly to the United States, the UK, and European countries (Appendix D). Thus it includes both English and Japanese resources, and probably more Japanese ones.

This web page includes very practical resources for traveling, including information about obtaining plane tickets; transportation such as trains, buses, ships, etc., in various countries; finding night accommodations and even making reservations; major airports; and other helpful information for traveling.

12. For Non-Japanese Students

This section is for non-Japanese people who come to Japan for study, business, or sightseeing. There are many Doshisha student projects to help those people enjoy staying in Japan, and study better or do business more effectively.

Those projects include information about studying the Japanese language, studying at Japanese universities, various places in Japan, entertainment, famous places, avoiding problems, eating, etc.

This section also includes links on Japanese culture and language that could be helpful to non-Japanese people to study Japan. “Japan and Japanese Language” (http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/online/www/japan.htm), which I made, is linked, and it covers learning Japanese language, gateways for various types of information, culture, Japanese language, Japanese literature, libraries, mailing lists, newspapers. magazines, TV and radio; movies, organizations, resources, teachers’ homepages, learning material, college associations, university Japanese programs, Japanese programs in Japan, and food. (Appendix E) These links are beneficial for non-Japanese people who live or stay in Japan.

Using “Study Abroad” Effectively

Japanese students who have just started thinking about the possibility of studying abroad should read the articles about studying abroad, particularly “Why Don’t You Study Abroad?” which explains three different types of studying abroad and their advantages and disadvantages in “3. Articles.” Other articles explain higher education in the United States and Britain. If you are interested in studying abroad, the learning materials are interesting and informative as well as giving you a chance to read English.

The Japanese resources “Ryugaku” include explanations about educational systems and universities in various countries, and they are very informative for students who are trying to decide what English-speaking country they want to study in. There are great differences among the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

The web pages of organizations and government offices provide various resources and information, and students who are interested in studying abroad should skim this information. While you might not need the information right away, it may later be useful, so you should know what kinds of resources are available.

Choosing the institution where you study is a big and important decision. Fortunately, most institutions have well developed web sites, and you can find almost all the information you need. One way of comparing institutions is to make a chart. You can list the institutions down the left side and characteristics of the institutions across the top (for example, the size of the institution, the courses of interest to you, or whatever is important to you in choosing an institutions). You can fill in the chart with information from web pages. That way, you can choose the five institutions that best fit your priorities. Then you can send e-mails to them to collect more information or begin the application process.

“Reports and Projects by Doshisha Students” might be helpful in deciding what kind of information you need to look for. Students have made web pages with information they thought might be useful, and most of them are well done. One problem might be that some of the information might become outdated, since they will not be revised.

If you are considering getting into a degree program, you need to take TOEFL or IELTS depending on which country you are going to. You need good scores before you apply for admission. You should check the schedule, etc., for those tests, and take them as soon as possible.

After you decide to go abroad for study, I strongly suggest that you study academic English. Writing essays and research papers is particularly important, so you need to learn about doing research and writing a paper. “Academic English” section has resources that will help you in this area.

“Reference Materials for Students and Researchers” (http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/online/www/referenc.htm) has valuable resources. Resources for writing and search sites are particularly important for the students who are going abroad to study.

“Useful Sites” and “Traveling Abroad” have very practical sites where you can get a lot of information about traveling and living abroad. Some of these sites might be interesting for students in general. They might spark an interest in studying abroad if students use them to studying English. When students are ready to go, they can use these sites to make travel plans, etc.

For non-Japanese people, web pages by Doshisha students are interesting and informative. Keiko Schneider’s “Japanese language learning tools on Web” is very extensive, and you will find a great many useful sites.

My “Japan and Japanese Language” also has a great deal of information about that you may need to know about Japan, Japanese culture, and Japanese language. I have included some information about language and university programs as well as universities.

more info about student visa and visas.

Related Video for toefl:

Yes! You Can Learn English for Free

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:27:34 +0000

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 the processes you have used in the past to help you learn a new skill in your own language and apply these same processes to learning English. You also have to think about your reasons for learning the language. Even if it`s a hobby and something you always wanted to do, you should enjoy the experience and make it a fun activity for you. Take advantage of the games offered online to help you enjoy the course.

Â

Set achievable goals for each step of the way. This will enable you to approach the learning in small steps and when you achieve each step you will feel a sense of accomplishment. With an online course in English you can set your own schedule and the fact that it is offered online means you can log on to the course at any time of the day or night. You can fit the classes around your availability instead of trying to attend classes at specific times.

Â

If you are easily distracted, remove any of these distractions before you start your online classes each time you sit down at the computer. Let others in your household know that this is your study time so they won`t interrupt you.Â Make sure that you have a pen and paper handy so that you can take notes.

Â

Some people learn best by listening and this is one facet of an online course in English. If you don`t want to interrupt others around you, use headphones and record yourself speaking the language so that you can play back the recordings to determine how well you are doing.

Related Video for learn english:

Language Test for Medical or Dental Jobs in Australia & Canada

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:21:43 +0000

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 as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) has been a leading academic English proficiency test.

For more country specific information please see below:

• Australia

• Canada

See also our relevant weblinks at the bottom of this page.

Australia OET – otherwise known as the Occupational English Test – is an Australian based language test for overseas qualified medical and health professionals whose first language is not English. Currently, it assesses English language competency as it is used in medical and health professions in Australia. This test may be useful for professionals in the following areas:

Doctors :

Occupational Therapists :

Radiographers :

Dentists Atla Medical Recruitment recommends this test for overseas trained Dental professionals – however, as mentioned above, please check with the registration body in the location you are moving to prior to arranging any language testing. Some test results may also only be valid for a certain length of time. You should also ensure that any results for recent test you have completed are still valid when providing these results as part of your application process.

Canada All International Medical Graduates moving into Canada must demonstrate fluency in English or French through ONE of the following (A, B, C, D, or E):

a. TSE-P Score Date and TOEFL Score Date, and Essay Writing Score TSE-P: Minimum score 50, prior to July 1995 minimum score 220. TOEFL: Minimum score 237, or minimum score 580 for paper-based test. OR

b. TOEFL-Ibt Score Date Writing Section Score – Passing score of 93 including a minimum score of 24 on the speaking section. OR

c. A pass result in the French proficiency test administered by the Collège des Médecins du Québec. OR

d. Candidates for whom their primary and secondary, or medical school education was conducted in English or French, the Ontario medical schools will accept Language Proficiency Attestations as follows:

• Primary and Secondary: Mailed directly from the Senior Academic Administrators of both schools to the program confirming that all of the candidate’s primary and secondary education was conducted completely in English or French.

• Medical School : Mailed directly from the Dean of the candidate’s medical school confirming that the language of instruction and patient care was conducted completely in English or French.OR

e. FAIMER Language Option – If the instruction and the language of patient care at the undergraduate medical school was conducted completely in English or French, then a candidate can submit to the Program a copy or printout of the FAIMER website ( http://imed.ecfmg.org) listing the medical school which clearly states that the language of instruction is English or French.

Candidates also have to answer the following question:

Was the language of patient care conducted completely in English or French? Yes/No When registering in Canada, and providing evidence to support your Language Proficiency, please note the following:

• Notarized/certified documents must be submitted. Photocopies are acceptable

• Language Proficiency Attestations will not be accepted from the candidate or a third party.

• Language Proficiency results will not be accepted by fax or e-mail.

• Community medicine candidates must also receive a minimum score of 5.0 on the essay section of TOEFL or a score of 22 on the writing score of TOEFL-Ibt

www.ielts.org

www.ets.org/toefl

www.occupationalenglishtest.org http://www.globalhealthprofessionals.com

Related Video for toefl:

How to Learn English Using Grammar Books

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:24:49 +0000

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 hesitate to ask questions. Remember it is better to ask than to act as you know everything because you are the only one who benefits this.
Finally, try writing a whole article or essay and proofread everything. Make sure you are not bias with the checking of your work. Do the necessary corrections and write some comments. Read different articles and works of popular writers and understand them carefully. Learn from what they are doing and for sure, you will make a good writer.
English grammar books can really improve not only your English writing skills but your speaking skills as well. If you are good in writing, it does not necessarily mean that you are also good in speaking but you can be good at both if you are determined to be. By reading these books, you broaden your knowledge and you can make beautiful writings and eventually be a famous writer and a good speaker as well.
When you speak in your native tongue, the correct sentences seem to come right into you.
Reading a grammar book will help you to develop the intuition needed. Studying English is all about putting a good number of suitable sentences in your head. Your brain can then imitate them and produce similar English sentences to express the significance you are opting for. When you read and listen to English much, paying attention to English vocabulary, you will start soon to employ new words and expressions of English in your speech and writing.
If you ever followed English classes, you were probably invited to read a text and then to achieve a task related to it. The majority of the professors encourage students to read very quickly, to just obtain the precise force of the English text. You could think that this way your English will improve you, but you have other manners around.
Good writers not only rely on themselves, when it comes to write good copy, abstracts, documents, letters or even books. They rely on supportive tools, like advanced NLP grammar checkers.

Related Video for learn english:

Can I Really Teach English in Germany?!?

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:56:25 +0000

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 the names and when they are used. DONâT PANIC!

Essential Grammar In Use ISBN 3-12-533460-8

This book is the bible for English trainers and itâs written simply and clearly.

GET IT NOW! Read it from cover to cover and do all the exercises.

Remember you are not learning the language, just brushing up.

I remember thinking âwow, so thatâs what itâs called when I say that.â

Basically your learning the lingo.

A TOEFL certificate would be a big advantage and you can do the course in the evenings or at weekends. Itâs worth the relatively small price you pay.

3. Observe the culture.

Search the net, read German authors and watch German movies.

Learn a little about the German culture.

Germans are a lot more reserved than British or Americans and need a little more time to warm up. Donât mistake this for unfriendliness. Once you gain their trust you wonât find more loyal friends. Eating on the street can be frowned upon but drinking a bottle of beer on your way home from work isnât really out of place.

4. Have your papers ready.

The people here are highly organized and for us maybe a little too bureaucratic.

Make sure you have all your relevant education papers, tax info. , social security etc.

You also have to register for a work permit but most schools will help you with this process. Although the authorities are more tolerant with non-German speakers they still expect everything to be done exactly right. If you have to organize your work permit by yourself then try to have a bi-lingual speaker with you.

5. Have a âPlan Bâ.

Even with the greatest preparation things can sometimes go wrong.

Make sure that you have an open return plane ticket, travel insurance and enough emergency money with you in case things donât go as planned.

It could be that you get here and the culture shock is too great, maybe you have a skiing mishap on your day off or being an English trainer isnât all you thought it would be.

Itâs better to be safe than sorry.

Hopefully I havenât painted too dark a picture. After all Iâm married to a German woman and have happily adjusted to life here. Living and working in Germany can be a fantastic experience and totally change your life in a positive way as long as you do a little planning before your trip.http://getlearn.biz

Related Video for toefl:

How to Learn English Writing Using Software

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:23:57 +0000

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 that the language used for this crossing of communication is predominantly English.
Living the English language also allows you to take a fresh look at the world around you. With proper English skills, you will be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas to the whole world much more efficiently. You will also be able to travel without the fear of ending up in a country where it is difficult to find a way to communicate. If you learn English writing through a professional program you can stop worrying and start being productive.
There are many individuals who are not able to speak or write in the English language, yet they would like to do so or struggle with misunderstandings. We have seen many people getting denied upfront when applying for a job because they couldn’t write properly. Sometimes they even got insulted. In that regard, we would like you to look a bit deeper into the benefits of English writing software.
I.e. repeatedly we receive complaints about committed grammar or writing mistakes. We can’t go back and change the published article, but we can change the way and manner we write the next articles. We can improve ourselves when writing and in this way publish class A text. Fact is, that today with our advanced technology, also writing checker software reached a level of higher sophistication. We are talking about software that many proofreaders are using to correct book manuscripts or teachers create their English tests. Professional software can help an individual to instantly improve its English writing and learn something while doing it.

Related Video for learn english: