In today's global marketplace, the ability to effectively communicate in English-the international language of business-is essential to your organization's success. Organizations that prioritize the English prociency of their staff can gain a competitive advantage, making the assessment of English communication skills a strategic investment.
But not all assessment approaches are created equal. Research from the TOEIC program - the world's leading assessment of workplace and everyday English prociency-demonstrates that testing all four communication skills (listening, reading, speaking and
writing) provides the most accurate understanding of language prociency. Research also suggests that evaluating more complete information on an individual's language prociency can enhance the quality of your organization's decision making.
The TOEIC program provides comprehensive data on all four communication skill areas, so you can make talent management decisions with condence and be sure that your candidates and employees have the English skills needed to fulll a particular role.
Listening and reading are considered 'receptive' or 'passive' skills, which can be measured by multiple choice questions.
Strong English listening skills are important for face-to-face communication, online training and telephone conversations. International business demands increasing skill in this area as new technologies make it easier for people to communicate around the world.
Strong English reading skills are essential for quickly understanding many forms of business correspondence. The ability to follow written briengs or undertake online-research are just two examples where English reading skills are essential for certain roles.
Speaking and writing are considered 'productive' or 'active' skills. To accurately measure them, test takers must produce responses to open ended test questions that can be answered appropriately in many different ways.
Speaking well in English is important for effective presentations and conversations. Clear, coherent speech is essential for building strong relationships with both clients and partners.
Competency in English writing skills is necessary for producing clear, persuasive business correspondence. Certain written communications, such as contracts, can be permanent and binding, and therefore demand a high standard of clarity and accuracy
For more than 40 years, research scientists and assessment experts for the TOEIC program have conducted rigorous research to ensure that TOEIC tests are aligned to current English language use in the workplace. This extensive research has revealed numerous benets to assessing all four communication skills. Here are some key ndings relating to the four-skill approach:
Research ndings suggest that each of the four skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) provides distinct evidence of test takers English language competency, and researchers concluded that predictions of speaking and writing scores based on reading and listening scores were relatively imprecise. This research supports the argument that four-skill testing provides the most accurate picture of a test taker's language prociency
The quality of assessment and, therefore how well you can evaluate you employees' prociency, is enhanced by a four-skill approach. Testing all fou skills leads to a signicant improvement in the assessment of each individual skill.
A comprehensive approach has incremental value in predicting English language prociency for the workplace, helping you to make more effective talent management decisions by virtue of having deeper insight into the communication skills of individual employees.
The four skills are strongly correlated, but not to the degree that a measure of one can substitute perfectly for a measure of another. Failing to measure all of these important aspects of prociency, therefore, may leave critical gaps in a test taker's language prociency prole
When test scores are used to make consequential decisions, the use of several sources of information yields better decisions than does a more selective use of information. Moreover, assessment is fairer to test takers if they are allowed to demonstrate their skills in multiple ways - with different methods and different question formats.
Established by ETS in 1979, the TOEIC program is the world's most widely recognized assessment of English prociency for the workplace and is trusted by over 14,000 organizations in more than 160 countries.
ETS is committed to advancing English-language teaching and learning and providing opportunities for individual learners worldwide. Our research group includes research scientists, psychometricians and assessment experts who work to ensure the quality and reliability of the TOEIC program and advance the eld of English measurement.
In 2010, Emilie Cleret was recruited as Head of the English Language Office of École de Guerre and quickly established English training programs and hired training officers. However, her office had no way of knowing whether its training was effective or if the English prociency of its students was improving.
After issuing a call for tenders to select a certication provider, the school chose the TOEIC tests, and has been using them since 2012. Using TOEIC test scores allows the school to compare test takers from year-to-year, which helps them to evaluate the effectiveness of the English training they provide.
Organization: École de Guerre
Location: Paris, France
Institution Size: 300+ trainees
About: Founded in 1993, the École de Guerre is a French institution for military higher education. Founded by Louis XV in 1750 'to maintain and educate in the war ve hundred young gentlemen,' the institution was formed after the merger of the training schools of the French Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Gendarmerie. Today, through a competitive and selective process, officers and students from more than 60 countries choose to entrust their training to this institution. Since 1993, more than 2,500 foreign officers representing 126 nationalities have attended École de Guerre.
According to Kang Dong-Oan, President of Chosun University, English language prociency is the most important factor in achieving the goal of raising the competitiveness of the university and of its students. Because of this, the university requires students to submit a TOEIC test score when applying for a scholarship or study-abroad program.
By requiring students to submit TOEIC test scores, along with outstanding high school grades and achievements, Chosun University is able to select the best and brightest students.
Chosun University believes that with all of its scholarship and study-abroad programs, their students' competitiveness in the job market will rise, and in turn, the university will become more competitive.
Organization: Chosun University
Location: Gwangju, South Korea
Institution Size: 15,001–20,000 students
About: : Chosun University is one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea. Founded in 1946, the university offers bachelor’s degrees in over 18 academic departments, including law, business, engineering, information technology, medicine, foreign studies and general education, among others. Additionally, the university maintains relationships with many universities abroad, allowing students and professors to take part in exchange programs
The TOEIC program offers a variety of test preparation resources, sample test questions and other informative publications designed to support success of test takers and those responsible for English-language teaching and training. Visit ets.org/toeic/organizations.
Propell Teacher Workshops provide English-language teachers and corporate trainers with instructional techniques that help them prepare test takers for the TOEIC tests. These hands-on, interactive sessions are led by ETS approved facilitators. They explore different approaches to language training that can improve the real-world English prociency of learners. Workshop participants have the opportunity to network with peers, enhance their teaching and curriculum development skills and obtain valuable professional development credentials.
Learn more about Propell Teacher Workshops at ets.org/toeic/propell.
Available resources include the TOEIC tests Score User Guides, Examinee Handbooks, and sample tests and questions. These materials provide guidance for all four test modules and are available at ets.org/toeic/organizations.
Note: The TOEIC® test scores are mapped to the CEFR (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) levels A1 to C1
Advantages for Students:
Credibility and Recognition: A valid certicate adds credibility to a student's language prociency, making it easier for them to pursue higher education or job opportunities, both locally and internationally.
Competitive Edge: Having a certicate that demonstrates language prociency gives students a competitive edge in the job market, potentially leading to better career prospects and higher earning potential.
Advantages for Institutions:
Quality Assurance: Offering a certicate with a photograph and a unique number enhances the institution's commitment to quality assessment and minimizes the risk of fraud or impersonation.
Global Recognition: An internationally recognized certicate can help the institution attract students from around the world, expanding its global reach and reputation.
Data and Analytics: Collecting data through unique numbers can provide valuable insights into student performance and assessment trends, aiding in program improvement.
Advantages for the Industry:
Streamlined Hiring: Industries that require English language prociency can efficiently verify candidates' language skills by validating their certicates, saving time and resources in the hiring process.
Reduced Risk: Valid certicates with photographs and unique numbers reduce the risk of hiring candidates with fraudulent credentials, enhancing the overall quality of the workforce.
International Talent Pool: Industries that rely on English-speaking talent can tap into a broader pool of international candidates with condence in their language skills.
ETS India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Educational Testing Service (ETS), the world’s largest private educational testing and measurement organization and a leader in educational research. ETS, headquartered in Princeton, NJ USA, is dedicated to serving the needs of individuals, educational institutions, and government bodies. ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually - including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® tests and The Praxis Series® assessments - in more than 200 countries, at over 9,000 locations.
Website: www.etsindia.org | Email : contact@etsindia.org