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— Contents —【Featured Interview】The Ideal Global Leader with Japanese Sensitivities! Mari Yamashita, Director of the United Nations Information Centre ... 2

【Special Feature】TOEIC® Test and TOEIC® Speaking and Writing Tests Help Employees Improve English Skills, and Prepare for Overseas Assignmentst SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. ... 4Raising the Standard of English Ability and Fostering an International Corporate Culture to Help Clients Expand Overseas Businesses Shizuoka Bank ... 7

【ETS Interview】How the TOEIC® Speaking and Writing Tests Maintain Quality ... 10

【Special Interview】Unique Project to Teach Useful English to Develop an Globally Capable Workforce Osaka Prefectural Board of Education ... 13

Overseas expansion is becoming a vital part of the corporate strategy for a whole range Japanese companies and industries, given the persistently strong yen and shrinking of the domestic market. Financial markets and investment activities, likewise, are increasingly global today now that globalization is a fact of life for every facet of the economy. What is the financial industry, whose activities include wide-ranging support for businesses expanding overseas, doing to develop a workforce capable of responding to the increasingly global demands of clients? This issue presents some examples of how the financial industry is dealing with clients’ expansion overseas and the globalization of financial markets, while striving to raise the level of English skills to foster a globally capable workforce.

【Special Feature】

Workforce Development and a Growing Need for English Speakers in the Financial Industry

—Digest Version—

TOEIC Newsletter ®

No.113

The TOEIC® Newsletter is published quarterly by the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) in Japanese. It features how the TOEIC program is used effectively within companies, universities and other institutions. We offer the latest case studies of TOEIC program usage to our clients, so they can take full advantage of the TOEIC program within their organization. In this journal, we also introduce a trend of global human resources development and the globalization movement in Japan. This issue is a summary of the TOEIC Newsletter No.113 (issued: March 2012) translated into English by IIBC for its readers around the world.

ETS, the ETS logo, PROPELL, TOEIC, TOEIC Bridge, TOEIC BRIDGE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service in the United States, Japan and other countries and used under license.

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After graduating from the Sophia University (Japan) Faculty of Law in 1988 with a degree in international legal studies, she obtained a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1990. That same year she passed the National Competitive Recruitment Examination and joined the UN Secretary-General’s Office for Research and the Collection of Information as an Associate Political Affairs Officer. Since then, she has served as Deputy Chief Electoral Officer for the UN Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) and as a UN Coordinator of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-United Nations Joint Operation in Armenia. In addition to working on over 20 electoral assistance projects in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, she also served as Team Leader for South-East Asia and the Pacific in the Department of Political Affairs, focusing on good offices efforts in Myanmar, Fiji, Timor-Leste, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) relations and mediation support. She was appointed to the current position in July 2010.

Mari Yamashita

The brand “Japan” is highly appreciated throughout the world

Inmy20yearsofworkingwiththeUNtoengageinconflictpreventionelectionsupport,andpeace-buildinginpost-conflictareas,IhaveoftenfeltdirectlythegreatadmirationandexpectationsforJapanaroundtheworld.WhenItellpeoplethatIcomefromJapan,theirresponseswereinevitablypositive,includingcommentsabouthowwonderfulthecountryis. Recently,thereisalotofattentiononJapanesecuisineandpopculture,buttherealsoisconsiderablerespectforhowJapanrecoveredfromtheravagesofwarandwentontobecomeaneconomicpowerandmaintainasafe,peacefulsociety.Inaddition,JapanisthesecondlargestfinancialcontributortotheUNbudgetaftertheUnitedStates,andtheinternationalcommunityhashighexpectationsforJapantocontinuetoprovidethatcrucialsupport. WhenIcamebacktoliveinJapaninJuly2010,forthefirsttimein22years,IheardabouthowJapanhadturnedinonitselfandwassufferingfromalossofconfidence.IndeedwhenIspoketojournalistsandthoseinacademia,that’salltheytalkedabout.Iwassurprisedbythegapbetweenthehigh

The Ideal Global Leader with Japanese Sensitivities!

Director of the United Nations Information Centre

Featured Interview

Mari Yamashita

Over the past 20 years Mari Yamashita has pursued a career with the United Nations as a specialist in political affairs and election support. Drawing on her wealth of hands-on experience, she spoke to us about how Japan is viewed by the international community, what the world expects of Japan, and how Japan can develop personnel who can make an impact on the global scene.

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communicationisthepowertopersuade.Insomecountries,raisingvoicecontributetobettercommunicationwhileinothersitisnon-verbalcommunicationthatismoreeffectiveattimes.Therefore,inordertoconvinceothers,itiscrucialtounderstandthesurroundingculturalcontext.Anotherimportantfactoristheabilitytolistentoothers.InamulticulturalorganizationliketheUN,listeningasameansoffosteringmutualunderstandingisaparticularlyvaluableassetandthisisanareawhereJapanesepeopletendtoexcel.Fromchildhood,welearntointerpretthefeelingsandemotionsbehindpeople’swords,andthisskillhascurrencythroughouttheworld.

Innovative English education can produce bilingual Japanese people

Japan’spresencewithintheUNhasbeenshrinkingalongwiththedeclineintheamountofOfficialDevelopmentAssistance(ODA)itprovides.ThenumberofJapanesepeopleinmanagement-levelUNpostshasshrunkbyhalfsincereachingapeakinthe1990s.The“desirablerange”ofJapaneseofficialsthatcanbeemployedbytheUNSecretariatisbetween202and273,buttodaythereareonly65Japanesewhocanbecounted.Thisdeclinereflects,inmyopinion,thedwindlingawarenessamongJapanesepeopleoftherelevanceoftheoutsideworldtothem,aswellastheweaknessinforeignlanguagesneededtocommunicatewithpeoplearoundtheworld. DespiteJapan’shighlevelofeducation,notenoughefforthasbeenmadetoteachusefulEnglish.MoreJapanesepeoplecouldbecomebilingualifinnovativeeffortsweremadetorevampEnglisheducation,suchasintroducingTOEIC-levelEnglishinstructionintheschoolcurriculum. Butthetaskathandinvolvesmorethanjustlinguisticability:thereisalsoaneedforpersonaldevelopment.Japanmustputinplaceanenvironmentthatprovidesthebreathingroomneededforpeopletoacquiretheskillsrelatedtosuccessfullypersuadingandlisteningtoothers. IwouldliketoencourageyoungpeopleinJapantoaimhighandsteadfastlypursuetheirinterests.Followingyourdreamcanbehardattimes,butallrewardingworkischallenging.Forthosewhoarepursuingacareerontheworldstage,IwouldhighlyrecommendacareerattheUNasanoption.TheUnitedNationsalwayswelcomesmotivatedandqualifiedJapanesepeople.

expectationsheldbytheinternationalcommunityandthelowesteemamongpeopleinJapan. ItwasamidstthistrendthatJapanwasstruckbytheGreatEastJapanEarthquakeonMarch11,2011,andthesubsequentnuclearreactormeltdown.TheworldwasdeeplyimpressedbytheorderanddisciplineoftheJapanesepeopleintheaftermathofthoseterribleevents.Atthesametime,theworldremainsconfidentthatJapan,drawingonitsnationalcharacter,willbeabletobouncebackfromthedisaster.

Communication skills entail the “power to persuade” and excellent listening skills

IhavegivenlecturesandpresentationsatarangeofJapaneseuniversitiesoverthepastyearandahalf,andwasdelightedtoseemanystudentswithasparkintheireyesastheylistenintentlytomylectureandaskquestions.So,despitewhatpeoplesayabouttoday’syouthbeingtoointroverted,Idon’tthinkweneedtobesopessimistic. Granted,therehasbeenarelativedeclineinthenumberofpeoplestudyingoverseas,particularlyinWesterncountries,butthereappearstobeanincreaseinthenumberofstudentsgoingtoChina,SouthKorea,andelsewhereinAsia.Thefactthattheworldisenteringwhatmightbecalledthe“AsianEra”mayaccountforthegrowingnumberofJapanesestudentswhoseetheirownfutureslinkedtotheriseoftheregion.Ibelievethistrendrepresentsinternationalizationandglobalizationinthetruesenseofthoseterms. TheUN’sworkinglanguagesareEnglishandFrench,andgiventhatthesourceofinformationispredominantlyEnglish,itisinevitablethatthethoughtprocessestendtobemore“Western.”Yetthegreatmajorityoftheworld’scountriesarenon-Western;andtheUN,foritspart,alwaysseeksthebestsolutionsfromarangeofperspectives.Therefore,fromtheperspectiveoftheUNSecretariat,theidealinternationalcivilservantfromJapanissomeonewhoiscapabletoproperlycommunicateinEnglishorFrenchandwhocanmakegreatcontributionstotheinternationalcommunitybyconveyingJapanesesensitivitiesbasedonitsculture,history,andtechnologyJapanhasamassedovertheyears.Simplyput,theideal“GlobalJapanese”iscapableofputtingacrossaJapaneseperspective—and,indeed,anAsianperspective;that’sthekindofpersontheUNvalues. Oneofthemostimportantfactorsin

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FoundedinJuly1918asKawashimayaShoten,SMBCNikkoSecuritiesInc.hasbeenamajorpresenceinJapan’ssecuritiesindustryformorethan90years.ThecompanybecameamemberoftheSumitomoMitsuiFinancialGroupinOctober2009,andchangeditsnamefromNikkoCordialSecuritiestoSMBCNikkoSecuritiesinApril2011.Initsroleasacomprehensivesecuritiescompany,thefirmisacentralpillaroftheSumitomoMitsuiFinancialGroup’ssecuritiesstrategy.SMBCNikkoSecuritiesisheavilyinvolvedinpromotingsustainablebusinessgrowthintheretailsegmentandincreatingnewbusinessaspartofitswholesaleoperations.Inaddition,thecompanyexpendsconsiderableeffortoninitiativesrelatedtoglobalization,suchastheexpansionofitsinternationalnetwork.KensukeMatsumoto,deputygeneralmanagerofPersonnelDevelopment,explainsmoreaboutoutSMBCNikkoSecuritiesisrespondingtoglobalization: “Recently,wehavemadeanewstartasacomprehensivesecuritiescompanybybecomingamemberoftheSumitomoMitsuiFinancialGroupin2009.Wehavebranchedoutfromourtraditionalretail-orientedbusinesstoabroaderbusinessmodelthatincludes,inadditiontoretail,wholesaleoperationsforourcorporateclients,investmentbanking,financialproducts,research,andoverseasbusiness.Asmarketsandinvestmenttargetsbecomemoreglobal,ourcorporateclientelealsoisbecomingmoreinternational,sodevelopingaglobally-capableworkforceisanimportanttaskforus.” SMBCNikkoSecuritiesengagesinbusinesswithcompaniesactiveinAsia,Europe,NorthAmerica,andotherlocationsaroundtheworld,relying

SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

【Special Feature】 Workforce Development and a Growing Need for English Speakers in the Financial Industry

TOEIC® Test and TOEIC® Speaking and Writing Tests Help Employees Improve English Skills,

and Prepare for Overseas Assignments

onitssix-pointglobalnetworkofoverseasofficesinNewYork,London,Luxemburg,Shanghai,HongKong,andIndonesia.Thecompanyleveragestheseofficestoboostitsoverseasbusiness.Mr.Matsumotoexplainshowtheoverseasofficesworktogether: “ItisincreasinglycommonforJapanesecompaniestoissuesharesorbondsoverseas,orenterintocross-borderM&Adeals.Ouremployees—bothinJapanandatouroverseasoffices—helpclientstotheyworktheirwaythroughthesetransactions.Giventheglobalnatureofthisbusiness,itisoutdatedforemployeesworkinginJapantothinkthatonlyspeakingJapaneseissufficient.ItisbecomingharderandhardertodistinguishbetweentheworkdoneinJapanandthatdoneatoverseasoffices,ortodrawalinebetweentaskscarriedoutinJapaneseandthosedoneinEnglish.”

Giventheneedtotrainemployeesforoverseasposts,SMBCNikkoSecuritiesdecidedinFY2011toofferanopportunitytotaketheTOEICtesttoanynewemployeewhowasinterestedindoingso.Untilthen,thecompanyhadofferedthetestonlytonewrecruits.YoheiOchiaiofthePersonnelDevelopment,explainsmoreabouthowthecompanyisusingtheTOEICtest. “Wepostednoticesonthecompanyintranetinthelead-uptoofferingtheTOEICtest,andmanagement-levelemployeesreceivedinternale-mailsencouragingthemtohavetheirsubordinatestakethetestasameansofself-improvement. “ThefirstTOEICtestwasheldinNovember2011.Wesoughttoensurethatemployeeshadanequalopportunitytotakethetest,regardlessofwheretheyworkedinJapan,byadministeringonthesamedaytheInstitutional

Developing into a Comprehensive Securities Company Providing Multi-Faceted Financial Solutions

Employees Given Opportunities to Take the TOEIC Test to Keep Pace with Globalization

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ProgramatourTokyotrainingcenterandtheSecureProgramatourothersalesofficesnationwide,takingadvantageofthegroupapplicationsystem.Around600ofouremployeesendeduptakingthetest.” SMBCNikkoSecuritiesbelievesthattheTOEICtestisnotjustameansofgaugingemployees’Englishabilities,butalsoconveystotheentireworkforcethatthecompanyplacesapremiumonEnglishskillsandhopesemployeeswillmakeanefforttoimprovetheirEnglish.Inordertofurtherunderscorethismessage,thecompanycoveredalloftheexamexpenses.Mr.OchiaicommentsonhowtheTOEICtestwillbeusedbySMBCNikkoSecuritiesinthefuture: “WeonlygavethetestonceinFY2011,inNovember,butweintendtodoublethatstartingnextfiscalyear.Byadministeringthetestrepeatedly,wehopetonurtureacultureofEnglishusewithinourcompany.I’vebeenimpressedbytheenthusiasmshownbyemployeeswhotookthetestlastyear.Alreadywe’vereceivedeagerinquiriesaskingwhetherthecompanywillcontinuetoofferthetestinthefuture.” SMBCNikkoSecuritiesdidnotsetanytargetscoreswithregardtothetest,norhasitusedtestscoresasacriterionforpromotionsorpayincreases.Thecompanydoes,however,useTOEICscoresasacriterionforeligibilityforlanguageclassesandothertrainingprogramsaimedatdevelopingaglobally-capableworkforce. “Ourtrainingprogramforlanguageacquisitionanddevelopmentofaglobally-capableworkforceismadeupofthreeparts:languagetraininginJapan,overseastraining,andoverseasstudy,”Mr.Matsumotoexplains. “LanguagetraininginJapaninvolvessixmonthsoflessonsatalanguageschoolchosenbythecompany.Programparticipantsarechosenbasedonapplicationsfromemployeesthroughoutthecompany,

anduponconclusionofthetrainingperiodanyonewhowishestotaketheTOEICtestmaydoso.OurHumanResourcesDepartmentsetstargetscoresforeachparticipantandthosewhofailtoreachthattargetcanstudyontheirowntoachievethatgoalsubsequently. “Meanwhile,theoverseastrainingprograminvolvestemporarilyassigningemployeestoouroverseasoffices.Thisallowsthemtogainexperienceinfront-officedutiespertainingtoequitysalesandbondunderwriting,ormiddle-officeandback-officetaskssuchasplanningandmanagement.Theaimoftheprogramisforparticipantstodeveloptheabilitytofunctionontheglobalstage. “Finally,theoverseasstudyprogramoffersparticipantsthechancetopursueanMBAorotherdegreeatanoverseasuniversity.Ourgoalistocreateapoolofcandidatesforfuturepromotiontoexecutiveposts. “WeuseTOEICscoresasageneralguidewhenseekingapplicationsforthesetrainingprograms.Ascoreofatleast500isexpectedforacceptancetotheJapan-basedlanguagetrainingprogram,600foroverseastraining,and800foroverseasstudy.”

EmployeesselectedfortheoverseastrainingprogramarerequiredtotaketheTOEICSpeakingandWritingtests(TOEICSWtests)beforedepartingtotakeuptheiroverseasposts.Mr.OchiaiexplainswhythecompanydecidedtooffertheTOEICSWtests. “Becauseourworkmostlyinvolvesface-to-faceinteractionwithcustomers,peopleoftenassumethatweplaceapremiumonEnglish

Yohei OchiaiPersonnel Development SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

Kensuke MatsumotoDeputy General Manager Personnel Development SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

Overseas Trainees Required to Take the TOEIC Speaking and Writing Tests

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Company Overview

SMBC Nikko Securities, Inc. July 1918; incorporated under its current name in June 2009 7,476 (as of September 30, 2011)

Name：Founded：

Employees：

One of Japan’s “big three” securities companies, SMBC Nikko Securities provides high-quality financial services worldwide. The company continues to serve as a strategic partner for its clients by generating ever-greater added value to the products, services, and solutions it offers.

communication,particularlylisteningandspeaking.Butreadingandwritingarealsoimportantskillsbecauseouremployeesneedtoidentifyandcollectthelatestinformationandcommunicatewithoverseasclientsbye-mail.WeoffertheTOEICSWteststoconveythemessagethatwewantoverseastraineestomakeimprovementsinallfourEnglishskillsduringtheoverseastrainingperiod,withoutprioritizinganyoneskillovertheothers.” WhenthetraineesreturntoJapan,theytaketheTOEICSWtestsagainsothatthecompanycangaugetheirimprovement,asMr.Matsumotoexplains: “WehaveseenadefiniteimprovementinoverallEnglishskillsamongourtrainees,particularlyintheabilitytoapplythoseskillsinbusinesssituations.Forexample,traineeshavedevelopedtheabilitytotaketheinitiativeinconductingbusinessinEnglish.Inmanycases,overseastraineesareassignedtostayonandworkatanoverseasoffice,whichdemonstratesthekeyroletheprogramhasbeenplayinginpreparingemployeesforstintsoverseas.Thereisdemandamongouroverseasofficesforemployeeswiththoseskills,sowelookforwardtocontinuingwiththeprogram.”

SMBCNikkoSecuritieshasstrivedtoimprovetheEnglishskillsofitsworkforce,butMr.MatsumotoisatpainstoemphasizethatimprovedEnglishabilitydoesnotautomaticallyresultinanoverseasposting. “Wehaveasystemwhereemployeescansubmitapplicationstwiceayearforthedepartmenttheywanttoworkin,alongwithotherdetailsincludingtheirTOEICscores.ButemployeeswhowantstoworkoverseasarenotautomaticallyassignedtosuchpositionsonthebasisofaTOEICscoreimprovement.Theimportantthingisthattheyfirstdemonstratetheabilitytoperformtheirassignedtasks.Ratherthanfocusentirelyonthefuture,thebestwayforapplicantstoadvancetheircareersistoconcentrateontheworkathandandbuildupasolidtrackrecord. “IthinkthereisagrowingimageamongthoseseekingajobatSMBCNikkoSecuritiesthatworkingforusgivesthemopportunitiesinbothJapanandoverseas.Andthat’strue;wehaveinplacetherightenvironmentforemployeestocontributeto

ourbusinessoverseas,andwe’repreparedtogiveouremployeesthechancetoprovethemselves.” Inrecentyears,SMBCNikkoSecuritieshasseenariseinthenumberofnewrecruitswhoexpressadesiretoworkoverseasrightfromtheirinitiationintothecompany.Thenumberofpeoplehopingtoworkoverseasfarexceedsthenumberofpositionsavailable,though,soapplicantsmusthavetheaptitudeandtheforeignlanguageskillssuitedtoemploymentpositionoutsideJapan. SMBCNikkoSecuritiesisalsodoingitsbesttofosteracorporateculturewhereemployeesfeelcomfortableusingEnglish,whethertheyareworkingoverseasorinJapan.Mr.Ochiaidescribesthecompany’sinitiativestoachievethatgoal: “Wehaveaworkforceofjustunder7,500people.Lastyear,atotalofaround1,100employees,including500newrecruits,tooktheTOEICtest.So,asyoucansee,thereisplentyofroomforimprovementinouremployees’awarenessoftheimportanceofEnglish. “Globalizationisnotjustaboutthesurroundingclimate;thereareclearchangesgoingonwithinthecompany,too,includingincreasedopeningsforoverseaspostings,languagetraining,andoverseasstudy.IbelievethatofferingtheTOEICtestmorefrequentlywillhelpbreakdowntheresistancesomeemployeeshavetowardEnglish,therebybringingaboutacorporateculturewhereEnglishisusedonadailybasis.” SMBCNikkoSecuritiesseekstomaintainitsedge,amidstanincreasinglyglobalbusinessenvironment,througheffortsthatincludetheprovisionofforeignlanguagetrainingandtheadministrationoftheTOEICtestandTOEICSWtests.Insodoing,thecompanyhopestocementitsplaceasJapan’stopcomprehensivesecuritiescompanybyexpandingitsglobalnetworkandmeetingadiverserangeofclientneedsinanageofglobalization.

Creating a Corporate Culture Where Employees Feel Comfortable Using English

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ShizuokaBank,whichisaffectionatelyknowninitslocalcommunitybytheabbreviatedname“Shizugin,”hasthelargestshareofthebankingmarketinShizuokaprefecture.Thankstoitssolidfinancialstructure,ShizuokaBankisknownthroughoutJapanasoneofthenation’sstrongestregionalbanks,providingthecommunitywithacomprehensiverangeofhigh-qualityfinancialservicesformanyyears.InJanuary2011,thebankopeneditsInternationalBusinessSupportOfficewithintheInternationalBusinessPromotionGroupofitsTreasuryAdministrationandInternationalDepartment. ThegeneralmanageroftheInternationalBusinessSupportOffice,ToshioShinya,explainsmoreaboutwhythebankdecidedtosetuptheorganization: “InShizuokathrerearemanymanufacturersmainlyinthewesternpartoftheprefecture.Becauseofthepersistentlystrongyeninrecentyears,manyarelookingtoshiftoperationsoverseas—notonlythemajormanufacturingfirmsbutalsomanyoftheirsmalleraffiliates.Sowehaveseensmallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)shiftingtheirproductionbasestolocationsoutsideofJapanthesedays. “In1990,Shizuokahad435companieswithanoverseaspresence.Butthatnumberhadskyrocketedto1,313by2011.AtShizuokaBank,wesetuptheInternationalBusinessSupportOfficeasawayofassistingtheeffortofthelocalcorporatecommunitytokeepupwiththistrendbysharingourexpertisewiththosecompaniesseekingtoexpandoverseas.” Thebankhasfocusedinparticularon

Shizuoka Bank

【Special Feature】 Workforce Development and a Growing Need for English Speakers in the Financial Industry

Raising the Standard of English Ability and Fostering an International Corporate Culture to Help Clients Expand Overseas Businesses

providingbusinesssupportrelatedtoAsianmarkets,wheremanyofourclientshaveinvestedinrecentyears.Aspartofthiseffort,wehaveabranchinHongKongandrepresentativeofficesinShanghaiandSingapore.ShizuokaBankhasalsoformedtie-upsin2011withfinancialinstitutionsinanumberofAsianfinancialinstitutions,includingadealwithaThailandinFebruaryandwithIndonesiaandVietnaminApril.Underthoseagreements,ShizuokaBanksendsemployeestostafftheofficesofitsoverseaspartners. Mr.Shinyaelaboratesonthebank’soverseasnetworkandthetasksoftheInternationalBusinessSupportOffice: “Ourmainjobistosupportourclientssotheycanpursuetheirbusinessoverseaswithoutimpediment.Forinstance,ifaclienthasalreadysetupbusinessinanoverseasmarket,ouremployeesinthatcountryareonhandtoprovidewhateverassistanceisneeded.Orifaclientisthinkingaboutexpandingoverseas,stafffromtheInternationalBusinessSupportOfficewillvisitthemhereinJapanandofferabroadrangeofservicesdesignedtodealwiththevariouschallengesarisingfromoverseasexpansion. “Wehavehadclientsaskustofindlocationsonwhichtobuildtheiroverseasfactoriesandintroducethemtolocalstaffingagenciestohelpacquirethenecessarymanpower.That’swhyithasbeenvitalforustobuildupanextensivenetworkcapableofsupportingourclients.TheInternationalBusinessSupportOffice’scorerolesincludefindingoverseasfinancialinstitutionsandnegotiatingtie-upagreements.”

Asapartofitsefforttohelpclientsexpand

International Business Support Office established to assist clients’ overseas business expansion

TOEIC test offered to improve employees’ English skills

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overseas,ShizuokaBankbeganofferingtheTOEICtesttoitsemployeesinFebruary2011.JunShimoyama,businessleaderoftheCorporateAdministrationDepartmentPersonnelDevelopmentGroupexplainswhythetestwasintroduced. “Withafewexceptions,Englishisthecommonlanguageusedinthehigh-growthAsianbusinessmarket.Welookedatwaysofgaugingemployees’EnglishskillsanddecidedtointroducetheInstitutionalProgram(IP)oftheTOEICtestbecausethescoreswouldofferaconvenientwaytomeasureEnglishabilityamongemployeesandbecauseTOEICiswidelyrecognizedintheinternationalbusinesscommunity. “Atpresent,weencourageemployeestoimprovetheirEnglishskillsthroughtheTOEICtestandEnglishconversationlessons.” EmployeestaketheTOEICtestonavoluntarybasisandpaythecostthemselves.TheEnglishlessons,whicharealsovoluntary,aretaughtonthebank’spremisesbynativespeakersofEnglish;theclassesaregroupedaccordingtoabilityandconductedonaquarterlybasis.Mr.ShimoyamaexplainsmoreaboutthesetwoeffortstofosterEnglishlearning: “Inourdiscussionswithclientsthesedays,internationaltopicsoftencomeup,relatedtosuchoperationsasimportingandexportingproductsandmaterials,expandingoverseassaleschannels,andbuildingfactoriesoutsideJapan.ThismeansthatevenouremployeesbasedinJapanneedtohaveanawarenessofinternationalaffairs.TheTOEICtestandEnglishconversationlessonswereintroducedtoencouragethatinternationaloutlookthroughoutourworkforce. “TheTOEICtestisparticularlyusefultogaugethecurrentlevelofabilityofemployeeswhostudiedEnglishbackintheirschooldaysbuthave

Toshio ShinyaGeneral Manager International Business Support Office International Business Promotion Group Treasury Administration and International Department Shizuoka Bank

notbeenstudyingitasadults.Oncetheseemployeesknowwheretheystand,itmakesiteasiertofigureoutwhatsteptotakenext. WemadethedecisiontonotcoverthecostoftheTOEICtestbecausewebelievethemonetarysacrificeinvolvedwillmotivateparticipantstomakeanefforttostudyharderandtodotheirbestonthetest.”

ThefirstTOEICIPtestconductedbyShizuokaBank,inFebruary2011,wastakenby351employeesacrossfourvenues.Thebankalreadyhadasysteminplacewhereemployeeswhoscoredatleast500pointsonthetestwereawardedextrapointsontheirpersonnelevaluationscore.Afterthat2011test,82employeesreportedtothePersonnelDevelopmentGroupascoreover500,bringingthecumulativenumberofemployeeswhohaveachievedthisgoalthusfarto258. “Ascoreof500isonlytheinitialgoal,”notesMr.Shimoyama.“It’samilestonebutnottheultimateaim.Wewantouremployeestosethighertargetsandkeeponstudyingtoachievethem.Asameansofboostingthemotivationofouremployeesandtracktheirprogress,wewillcontinuetoconducttheTOEICtestonceortwiceayear.” Onceeveryyear,ShizuokaBankemployeesareaskedtofilloutacareerdevelopmentsheetelaboratingtheirdesiredcareerpaths.Thesheetincludesasectionwhereemployeescanletthecompanyknowiftheywouldliketoworkoverseasinthefuture.EmployeescanimprovetheirchancestogainanoverseaspostingbysteadilyimprovingtheirperformanceontheTOEICtest. Asnotedabove,Englishisbecomingavital

Jun ShimoyamaBusiness Leader Personnel Development Group Corporate Administration Department Shizuoka Bank

Developing a workforce able to offer solutions that quickly meet clients’ needs

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skillforbankworkers.Mr.Shimoyamatouchesonsomeofthereasonsbehindthisdevelopment: “AtthePersonnelDevelopmentGroup,ouraimistodevelopaworkforcecapableofofferingclientssolutionsthataredesignedtofulfilltheirneeds.Thisrequirestheabilitytoidentifythevariouschallengesourclientsface,andtopromptlyofferandimplementtheneededsolutions.Englishisoneofthekeyskillsrequiredtoattainthatlevelofability.Andwehavearangeofprogramsinplacetonurtureouremployees’Englishskills.Theseincludegrouptrainingsessions,whichareorganizedaccordingtoyearsofservicewiththecompanyandinlinewithspecificmarkets;temporaryassignmentstootherfinancialinstitutionsinJapanandoverseas;trainingprogramsattheouroverseasbranchesormoneymarketandcreditdepartments;andassistanceforemployeestostudyontheirown. “Itismuchharderinthebankingindustrythaninthemanufacturingindustrytodifferentiateyourselffromrivalssolelyonthebasisofproducts.Forthisreason,ShizuokaBankhastoensurethatfront-lineandback-officeemployeesworkcloselytogethertoprovidehigh-qualitysolutionsassoonasaclientneedisidentified.Thisisparticularlytrueforinternationaloperations,whereweoftencompetewithmega-banks.Everythingthuscomesdowntoprovidingtop-qualityservicesasquicklyaspossible.” Mr.Shinyaemphasizesthatthebank’semployeesmusthaveawell-balancedEnglishabilitywithregardtothefourskillsofspeaking,writing,reading,andlistening. “Internationaloperationsincludedifficulttasks,suchasrespondingtoinspectionsbyoverseasfinancialauthorities.Inthesecases,alackofanyoneofthefourskillsthatcompriseEnglishcommunicationabilitycanhindertheabilitytoperformworkeffectively. “InordertoimproveacrossthewholespectrumofEnglishskills,itisvitaltohaveawayofmeasuringallfourskills.Inmyopinion,theTOEICSWtestsareveryusefulforthispurpose.TheTOEICtestisagoodentry-levelexaminationand,onceyoustarttoimprove,takingtheTOEICSWtestsisagoodwaytofindoutifyou’reachievingbalancedgrowthacrossthefourskills.”

AnotherpointofemphasisforMr.Shimoyamaistheinterestamongyoungeremployeesinworkingoverseas,asheexplains:

“Our‘youngeremployees,’whicharethosestillintheirfirstfiveyearsatthebank,tendtobeeagertogainanoverseasposting.Lookingatthemake-upofouremployeeswhotooktheTOEICtestinFebruary2011,almost80percentofthemwereyoungerormid-careeremployeeswithservicerecordsofnomorethantenyearsorso.Thecurrentageisoneinwhichbankingserviceshavebecomeverybroadinscope,soShizuokaBankwantstodevelopaculturewhereemployeesbringaglobalsensibilitytotheirworkregardlessofthespecificdepartmentinwhichtheywork.Ibelievethatabroad,globalperspectiveimprovesourabilitytoofferourclientssolutions,andalsoallowsustosetourselvesapartfromrivalbanksandcompanies.” Mr.Shinyapointstoarecentchangewithregardtohowthebankregardsitssalesterritory. “OurmarketingactivityusedtobecenteredonShizuokaprefecture,butnowwehavecometoviewtheplacesoverseaswhereourclientshaveinvestmentsasbeingapartofoursalesterritoriesaswell.Inthatsense,thewholeofAsiaisourterritory,sotospeak.ThatchangeinattitudeisnotuniquetoShizuokaBank;inrecentyears,manyregionalbankshaveopenedofficesinSingaporeandThailand.WearenolongerinanagewhereabankcansurviveonthesolebasisofitsclientsinJapan. “Idon’tknowwhatthesituationwillbelikeinthenextfewyears,butchangeisinevitable.AndI’mconvincedthatweneedtodevelopaglobaloutlooktoensurethatwecankeepupwithanever-evolvingworld.” ShizuokaBankmakesanefforttokeeppacewiththatchangeandfosteraworkforcewithanglobalmindset,alongwiththeTOEICtestaswellasitsvarioustrainingprograms.Thankstothiseffort,thebankisconfidentthatitwillbeabletocontinuetodevelopalongwiththecommunityitserveswellintothefuture.

Company Overview

Shizuoka BankMarch 1, 19433,133 (as of March 31, 2011)

Name：Founded：

Employees：

Shizuoka Bank adheres to a corporate philosophy aimed at “expanding dreams and affluence with its community.” Inspired by this ambitious goal, the bank provides services to clients in Shizuoka prefecture, while also assisting those interested in expanding business to overseas locations. Currently, its global network includes branches in New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong, representative offices in Singapore and Shanghai, and a locally-incorporated company in Brussels.

A broad, global perspective sets Shizuoka Bank apart from its rivals

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Susan Hines: TheTOEICSWtestsaredevelopedandcompiledbyETS. ETSistheworld’slargestnon-profittestdevelopmentorganization,locatedinPrinceton,NewJersey,U.S..Wedeveloparound200differenttests,includingtheTOEICandTOEFL®tests.ETShasastaffofaround3,000people.Ofthese,some1,100areexpertsontesting,education,andresearch,andareinvolvedintestdevelopmentandabroadrangeofotheractivitiessuchasresearchintothefieldofeducation. TheTOEICSWtestsbeganinJapanandSouthKoreainDecember2006(theSecureProgrambeganinJapaninJanuary2007)aftermarketresearchwasperformedinJapan,SouthKorea,andMexicoin2004andfieldstudieswerecarriedoutinJapan,SouthKorea,andFrancein2005. WeatETSplaceapremiumonquality.Webelievethattherearefourelementsthatcomprisetestquality—validity,reliability,fairness,anddataconfirmation—andweworkhardtomaintainandimprovethese. Bythesametoken,wemaintainthequalityoftheTOEICSWteststhroughthosefourelementsaswell. Intermsofvalidity,itwouldbeinappropriateinatestofspeakingandwritingskillstohavequestionsthatrequireotherskills,suchasonethatgaugescalculationskills;forinstance:“Whatisthedurationofameetingthatstartedat1p.m.andendedat6p.m.?”Rather,thequestionsmustbetailoredtotheparticularlanguageskillsthetestisseekingtomeasure.

How the TOEIC® Speaking and Writing Tests Maintain Quality

Toensurevalidity,weuseamethodologycalledEvidenceCenteredDesign(ECD)fortheTOEICSWtests.ECDiscomposedofthreecomponentsthatexamine:(1)Whatclaimsdowemakeaboutthetest-taker’sproficiency?;(2)Whatistheevidencethatsupportstheseclaims?;(3)Whatarethetasksthatprovidethisevidence? Businessesandschoolsareinterestedinusingtestscorestoevaluatethespeakingandwritingskillsoftesttakers.Tomeettheirneeds,webeganthetestdesignprocessbymakingECD-basedhypothesesabouteachofthethreeelementsastheyrelatetotheTOEICSWtests.Thenextstepwastotestthosehypothesesscientificallyduringapilotstudy,whichwasusedasthebasisforrefiningthedesignoftheTOEICSWtests. BecausetheTOEICSWtestsaredesignedinaccordancewiththatconceptofvalidity,theyprogressfromsimplequestionstoharderquestions,allowingtesttakersatalllevelsofEnglishabilityto

The four elements for maintaining test quality

Susan HinesDirectorTOEIC Speaking and Writing AssessmentsResearch and DevelopmentEducational Testing Service

The TOEIC Speaking and Writing tests (TOEIC SW tests) were developed to measure the speaking and writing skills of people who need to communicate effectively in English in the international workplace. This article focuses on the quality of the tests and scores. We spoke to Susan Hines and David Anderson of Educational Testing Service (ETS), who coordinate the development and scoring of the tests.

David AndersonDirectorTOEIC Speaking TestResearch and DevelopmentEducational Testing Service

【ETS Interview 】

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takethesametestwithinthesametimeframe.

Thesecondelementoftestqualityisreliability.Thisreferstothemaintenanceofthescoringcriteriaatauniformlevelatalltimes. Toensurethatthetestsarereliable,ourtestdevelopmentteammembers—drawingontheirdiversearrayofthinkingandcareerexperience—employacommonblueprinttocreatetestquestionsbasedonthesamemethodsandcriteria. Fairness,thethirdelement,isallaboutensuringthatwegiveallofthetesttakersanequalopportunitytotakethetestandthesametestenvironment. BecausetheTOEICSWtestsareadministeredaroundtheworld,itisimperativetoavoidanyculturalbias;suchassubjectsthatareonlyrelevanttocertainculturesortesttakers,andwouldthusleaveothersatadisadvantage.Asameasuretopreventthatsituation,wekeeptheculturalaspectsofthetesttoanabsoluteminimumsothattheconditionsareequitableforalltesttakers. Thefinalelement,dataconfirmation,concernsthestatisticalanalysisweconductfortheresponsestoeachandeverytestquestion,whichwerefertoas“items.”Wereviewthestatisticstoallofthequestionsandchecktoseethatthequestionsallfunctionproperlybeforetestscoresaredelivered. ThesearejustsomeofthemanystepswetaketomaintainthequalityoftheTOEICSWtests.OurhopeisthattheTOEICSWtestswillbeadoptedbybusinessesandschoolsasaneffectivetooltohelpthemmakeinformeddecisionsabouttheirstaffandstudents.

Thebestwaytoimprovelanguageskillsistoconcurrentlydevelopthefourfundamentalskillsofreading,writing,speaking,andlistening.Tothatend,IwouldliketoseeeducatorsincludeactivitiesthatinvolvetheuseofspeakingandwritingskillsintheirEnglishtrainingprograms,startingattheelementarylevel.

David Anderson: LetmesayafewwordsabouthowwemaintainthequalityofscoringfortheTOEICSWtests. WeensurethattestscoringisconductedatahighlevelbyemployingauniqueprocessforratingtheTOEICSWtests.Thereliabilityoftestscoringdependsontheraterswhoassesstheperformanceoftesttakers,sowepaycarefulattentiontotheselectionandtrainingofraters. Ourratersarerequiredtohaveabachelor’sdegreeandwhereverpossibleweprefertoalsoselectthosewhohavelanguageteachingexperience.Moreover,thescoringleaders,ontopofholdingabachelor’sdegree,musthaveexperienceinteachingEnglishasasecondlanguage(ESL)andpriorexperienceasarater. Allapplicantswhomeetthesecriteriaundergoonlinetraining,andthosewhothenpassacertificationtestcanberegisteredasraters.Butevenregisteredratersdonotbeginassessingtestsrightaway.Rather,onscheduledtestratingdays,theseratersundergoacalibrationtestbeforebeginningtheday’srating.Forinstance,ifratingisscheduledfor8a.m.to5p.m.,theratersarerequiredtomarksomesampletestsat8a.m.Thesampletestsarechecked

Multiple processes help maintain test quality

Quality of scoring depends on thorough management of raters

[Reference 1] ETS's Online Scoring Network

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toverifythatratershavescoredthemaccurately,andifanyratershavescoredthosesampletestsincorrectly,thoseratersarenotallowedtoparticipateintheday’sratingactivities.Furthercalibrationchecksareperformedafterlunchtomakesurethatratersarefullypreparedfortheafternoonsessionaswell. Duringtheactualratingoftests,scoringleadersmonitortheratersatthevarioussites.Thescoringleadersdonotrateteststhemselves,however;instead,theychecktomakesurethateachraterhasscoredthetestscorrectly.Scoringleaderswhodiscoverthataraterhasmarkedananswerincorrectlywillprovideadvicetotherateronpropertechniques,alongwithavarietyofassistance,toensureahighlevelofratingquality.

Inthesewayswethoroughlymanagetheperformanceofourraterstoensurethateachtestisfairlyassessedregardlessoftheparticularraterwhoconductedthescoring.Moreover,thequalityofTOEICSWtestscoresisfurthersafeguardedthroughourOnlineScoringNetwork(OSN)system[seeReference1]. Underthissystem,eachtesttaker’sanswersaredividedintoindividualquestionfilesandseparateratingteamshandleeachquestiontype[seeReference2].Forinstance,oneratingteamwillassessthetesttakers’answerstoQuestion1,while

anotherteamratestheanswersforQuestion2,andyetanotherteamexaminesQuestion3,andsoonandsoforth.Becausetheratersareassignedtospecificquestions,ratherthanspecifictest-takers,theraterwhoevaluatestheanswersforQuestion3willnotknowhowanyofthetesttakersansweredQuestions1or2,etc.Thismeansthattheraterscanfocussolelyonwhetheragiventesttakerwasabletoaccomplishthespecifictasksrelatedtothatsinglequestion.Asaresult,unlikeinterview-basedtests,whereatesttaker’sfaterestsinthehandsofasinglerater,theimpressioncreatedbyoneanswerdoesnotinfluencethescoringofanswerstootherquestions.ThisguaranteestheindependenceofthescoringoftheTOEICSWtestsamongquestions. Eachratingteamisledbyascoringleader,whointurnisdirectedbythechiefscoringleader.Inthisway,testsandscoringareconstantlymonitoredtomakesurethatqualityhasnotbeencompromised.Ifratershaveanyquestions,theycanconsultwithscoringleadersand,inturn,scoringleaderscanconsultwithchiefscoringleaders.Furthermore,chiefscoringleaderscanconsultwithETStestdevelopers.Thisallowsthescoringteamtoshareissuesandensurequalityscoringforeverytesttaker. Indesigningourtests,weareconstantlyponderingwhatcanbedonetoenhancethelevelofsupportweprovidetotesttakers.WearecommittedtodoingwhateverwecantobeofassistancetoEnglishlearnersaroundtheworldbyprovidingthemwithhigh-qualitytests.

Scoring system ensures independent ratings

[Reference 2] Independent, Multiple, Anonymous Ratings

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Osaka Prefectural Board of Education

【Special Interview 】

Unique Project to Teach Useful English to Develop an Globally Capable Workforce

Inoue:LookingattheemploymentsituationandJapan’sglobalpresence,weattheOsakaPrefecturalBoardofEducationfeltthechildrenofOsakawouldstruggletosurviveinthefutureunlesssomethingwasdone.WethoughtitwasimportantforschoolchildrentocasttheireyestothewiderworldoutsideJapaninthisageofglobalizationandtoimprovethelevelofEnglishcommunicationabilityamongstudentsatprefecturalhighschools.Sowewerelookingforwaystoachievethoseobjectives. Aboutthattime,ToruHashimoto,whowasthenthegovernorofOsakaprefecture,wasonanoverseastripandspokeofhisfearthatJapanesechildrenwillnotbeabletocompetewiththehumanresourcesofthehigh-growthAsiancountrieswhentheygrowup.Hefelttherewasaclearneedforbetterlanguageeducation,anddeclaredtherewouldbearevolutionarychangeinthewayEnglishwastaught. Mr.Hashimoto’sstatementsgaveustheneededmomentumtochannelthatsentimentintoamajorproject.

Inoue:Westartedbysettingthegoalsof

developinganinternationally-capableworkforceandimprovingthelevelofEnglishcommunicationabilityofstudentsatprefecturalhighschools[seeReference1].Wealsodecidedtoimplementtheprojectoverthreeyears,duringwhichtimewewouldmonitortheresultsinordertomakeoverallimprovements. Wechosethistimeframebecausethegovernment’scurriculumguidelineswillundergoachange,startinginthe2013academicyear,involvingaswitchtoconductingEnglishlanguageclassesentirelyinEnglish.What’smore,thedemandforEnglishspeakershasevolvedinoursocietytothepointwheresomeJapanesecompaniesnowuseEnglishastheirofficialin-houselanguage.Inlightofthis,itisimportantthatwefurtherimprovehighschoolstudents’abilitytouseEnglish. IamasocialstudiesteacherandatypicalexampleofthosewhogrewuplargelyunabletospeakEnglish.ButevenIhavealwaysbecomeawareofthedangerinproducingsomanypeoplewiththissamelimitation.That’swhyIreallyhopetoday’shighschoolstudentswillacquirebetterEnglishskillsthanIdidandventureoutintotheworldwhentheygrowup.Forthatreason,Ibelieveitwasnecessarytoestablishtargetsaspartoftheproject. Ikeshima:First,weestablishedfourlevelsofEnglishability,andwehopetoachievebottom-upimprovementacrossallschoolsbyraisingthelevelofeachproficiencylevel.UtilizingTOEICscoresisonewayforustogaugewhetherachievementgoalshavebeenreached. ThesedaysoneofthekeywordsinEnglisheducationis“immersion.”Ibelievethat’soneofthe

———— What does the project entail for high schools?

Starting in the 2011 academic year, the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education launched Usable English Project, a three-year initiative that seeks to improve the English communication skills of students at prefectural high schools. We spoke to two representatives of the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education, Takashi Inoue, chief supervisor, and Nobuteru Ikeshima, supervisor, about the project, which is garnering much attention throughout Japan.

———— Tell us about how the Usable English Project came about.

Targets set to encourage a bottom-up improvement in English skills at all schools

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reasonsthenewcurriculumguidelineswilldictatethatEnglishclassesaretobeconductedinEnglish.Thiswillgivestudentstheopportunitytousethelanguage,inlinewiththegovernment’sgoalofencouragingtheabilitytoactuallycommunicateinEnglish.InalllikelihoodexaminationswillalsobeconductedentirelyinEnglish.TheTOEICtesthastheadvantageofofferinganenvironmentofEnglishimmersion,whichisprobablywhyithasbecomeaglobalstandard.WeintendtousetheTOEICtesttogaugewhetherornotstudentshavereachedtheirtargets.

Ikeshima:Theprojectisbasedonfivemaininitiatives:innovativeclasses,opportunitiesforcommunication,furtherimprovements,teachertraining,andtaskforces[seeReference2]. Theinnovativeclassesinitiativeisbasedon

Takashi InoueChief Supervisor Education Affairs GroupSenior High School Division Education Promotion Office Osaka Prefectural Board of Education

thebeliefthatweneedtotransformourlessons.Twenty-fourschoolsundertheprojecthavebeendesignatedasEnglishFrontierHighSchools(researchschools),andtheyhavebeendividedintoGroups1,2,and3.Eachgroupconductsresearchintoteachingmethodsanduseslearningaids,andGroups2and3offeradvancedclassesinaccordancewiththelevelstudentswishtoachieve.Wehopetobroadenthescopeofthisstudytocoverallprefecturalhighschoolssowedeliberatelychoseschoolsthatcoverawiderangeoflevels. TheresearchintoinstructionmethodsinvolvesassigningscenariosinwhichstudentshaveagreaterneedtouseEnglish,thusensuringtheylearnnotonlyhowtolistenandread,butalsohowtocreatesomekindofEnglishoutputthroughspeakingandwriting.Meanwhile,theexperimentintheuseoflearningaidsinvolvestheexploitationoflanguagelearningequipmentaspartofteachingaswellasresearchsupport;thisexperimenthasseentheestablishmentof“Englishrooms”withmovabledesks.Finally,theadvancedclassesinitiativeiscomprisedoflessonsheldafterschoolhoursandonSaturdays,allconductedbynativespeakersofEnglish,makingitpossibleforschoolstooffera

Nobuteru IkeshimaSupervisorEducation Affairs Group Senior High School Division Education Promotion Office Osaka Prefectural Board of Education

[Reference 1] Usable English Project

Initial budget: 231.626 million yenProject Objectives・Develop an globally capable workforce ・Improve the English communication ability of　　　prefectural high schools students

Criteria for Continued Support　A review will be performed of a range of outcomes over the three years between the 2011 and 2013 academic years. The review looks at the achievements of the English Frontier High Schools, the support for English-based activities at each school, and the number of people taking the TOEFL and TOEIC tests and their scores. Taking all these factors into account, a decision is made on how to proceed thereafter, or whether to withdraw support instead.

Background〈New Curriculum

Guidelines〉“English classes shall, in general, be conducted in English so as to make such classes practical forums for communication.”

+

〈Social Needs〉Internationalization has increased the need for English skills (e.g., some Japanese companies have made English their official in-house language).

Need to improve high school students’ ability to use English

＝

Description of targeted goals

Fragmented communication by piecing individual words together.

L1

TOEIC Score: 220 - 465TOEFL Score: 24- 47STEP: Pre-2nd grade

Able to follow a simple conversation if others speak slowly, repeat, or rephrase.

Level 1

Can grasp the main points of general, everyday conversation topics and participate without problems, but in complex situations struggles to converse accurately and convey thoughts.

L2Level 2

TOEIC Score: 470 - 725TOEFL Score: 48 - 78STEP: 2nd grade L3Level 3

Can fully understand general, everyday conversation topics and converse with ease, and is capable of engaging in back-and-forth of conversations, even those dealing with in-depth topics.

TOEIC Score: 730 or higherTOEFL Score: 79 or higherSTEP: Pre-1st grade L4Level 4

Usable English Project (started in the 2011 academic year)

———— Could you describe some of the initiatives?

24 prefectural high schools designated “research schools” offer innovative classes

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higherlevelofinstructionandimprovestudents’Englishskills. Inaddition,thereisanexercisewhereoneresearchschoolfromeachofthethreegroupsdevelopsitsownteachingmaterialsandteachingmethod.WealsoheldtheOsakaEnglishForuminJanuary2012tosharetheresultsoftheproject.

Ikeshima:Wesubsidizethetravelcostsforoneteachertosuperviseoverseaslanguagetrainingtrips,andprovideassistanceforactivitieslikeinternationalconferences,Englishcamps,Englishcontests,andinternationalexchangeevents.Manyschoolstakeadvantageoftheseactivities.

Ikeshima:TheadvancedclassesarespecialtraininglessonsforstudentswhoaregoodatEnglishandwanttofurtherimprovetheirskills.Thereare30lessonsayear,whichareheldonSaturdayafternoons.Participationisopentostudentsfrom140schoolsthroughoutOsakaprefecture,andwealreadyhave111studentsenrolled,whichismorethanwehadexpected. WealsoofferstudentstheopportunitytotakeTOEFLandTOEICtests.TheEnglishusedintheTOEICtestispractical,andwillserveanyhighschoolstudentingoodsteadinthefuture.Forthatreason,weofferstudentsatallprefecturalhighschoolstheopportunitytotaketheTOEICIPtestasameansofsettingtargetsandmotivatingthestudents.WeconductedthetestinDecember2011,andhad114testtakers. Inoue:WehopetopromotefurtherunderstandingoftheTOEICtestnextyearandencouragemorestudentstotakeit.Tothatend,Ithinkwe’llneedtoinnovateusingeverylastdropofwisdomwehave.

———— What does the second initiative—opportunities for communication—entail?

2 Opportunities for Communication

[Reference 2] Five initiatives of the Usable English Project

English Frontier High Schools (24 schools) １ Innovative Classes

Group 1: 10 schools aiming for level 1 or 2 Group 3: 5 schools aiming for level 4Group 2: 9 schools aiming for level 3

＊ Supervisors and advisors temporarily assigned to help improve teaching methods

Research on Teaching Methods

＊ Language learning aids are distributed to 15 schools to support research on teaching methods incorporating such equipment.

＊ 24 schools equipped with “English rooms”

Use of Learning Aids

＊ Special English classes are held to help improve students’ English abilities (expenses paid as a performance allowance).

Advanced Classes

G3G1 G2 G3G1 G2 G2 G3

〈Creation of Practical English Teaching Materials〉＊ The Osaka Prefectural Board of Education asks research schools to create teaching materials with the help of internationally minded people brought in from outside the board; the results are then collated by the Osaka Prefectural Board of Education.

〈Osaka English Forum〉＊Project initiatives are presented

to the meeting and the outcomes shared among all schools in Osaka prefecture.

＊Usable English Project Committee Meeting

＊T-NET instructors temporarily assigned to schools (27 instructors; six hours per day over 28 five-day weeks)

〈Support for English-based activities〉＊ Aid for students’ overseas training (covers

travel expenses of up to 250,000 yen for one teacher at 50 schools)

＊ Aid for international conferences, English camps, contests, and hosting international exchange events (covers expenses of to a maximum of 200,000 yen per school at 50 schools)

(Budget: 22.5 million yen)3 Further Improvements

〈Advanced Classes (Budget: 2.031 million yen)〉＊ Students of Osaka prefectural high schools who

aspire to improve their English skills in order to study abroad and attend a foreign university are invited to apply to attend special classes held at four locations throughout Osaka prefecture (class sizes limited to approximately 20 students).

＊ Classes are outsourced.

〈Opportunities to Take TOEFL and TOEIC Tests〉＊Osaka Prefectural Board of Education holds tests

as a way of establishing English learning targets for students, enhancing their motivation, and gauging the effectiveness of schools’ efforts. TOEFL test ITP TOEIC IP test (Students cover their own test fees.)

4 Teacher Training(Budget: 5.26 million yen)

★ Expanded teacher training at the Education Center to foster debating and presentation skills

★ Training at Japanese universities, etc. for 20 teachers ＊ Short -term intensive classes grouped according to ability

★ Overseas training ＊ Three-week training in English instruction for five teachers at the University of Queensland ＊ Two months’ overseas training for three teachers at the National Center for Teachers' Development

English Task Force＊Planning of initiatives to improve students’

ability to use EnglishSupervisor

Teacher

Teacher

Teacher

Supervisor

Teacher

Teacher

Teacher

Advisory Staff

Expert

Task forces meet weekly

Expert

Expert

Expert

(Budget: 201.835 million yen)

———— The further improvements initiative seems to be centered on advanced classes and the TOEIC test.

TOEIC IP test used as part of the “further improvements” initiative

5 English Task Force

＊Guidance and advice for English Frontier High Schools＊Guidance and advice for Advanced Classes＊Advice and support for teaching to prepare for

TOEFL and other tests

＊Cooperation with and temporary assignment of advisory staff

＊Assistance to improve English teaching skills

———— What exactly does the teacher training initiative involve?

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Ikeshima:Becausethecurriculumwillchangeinthe2013academicyear,weneedteacherstobrushupontheirEnglishskills.Towardthatend,ourtrainingheldattheEducationCenterfeaturesanin-depthprogramaimedatimprovingteachers’debatingandpresentationabilities. InlateJuly2011,weheldafive-dayintensivetrainingcourseinconjunctionwithatraininginstitution.Itattractedmanymorerequeststoparticipatethanwehadenvisioned,andprovedtobeahighlyrewardingevent.Inaddition,wesendteachersonoverseastrainingprograms,too. FromthefeedbackfromteacherswhoparticipatedinthistrainingwehavelearnedthattheyrecognizetheneedtoconductclassesentirelyinEnglish;thattheytriedteachingresearchclassesinEnglishandthatapplyingwhattheylearnedfromthetraininghadtheresultofboostingstudents’motivationtoparticipateinclass.

Ikeshima:Thosetasksforcesmeetonceaweektodiscusstheotherfourinitiatives.Wetalkaboutwhethertheotherinitiativesareprogressingadequatelyandhowtoovercomeanyproblemsthatmightexist.Thetaskforces,whichofferguidance,advice,andsupport,arecomprisedofteachersparticipatingintheinitiatives,andareheadedbymyfellowsupervisorsandme.Wealsohavefourexpertadvisorstoprovideabroadrangeofadvice.

Ikeshima:OneschoolhasintroducedEnglishrakugo(traditionalJapanesecomicstorytelling)intoitsclasses.Englishlessonsofteninvolverecitation,butthestudents’heartsarerarelyinthepresentations;thetypicalresultisadull

readingoflinesnomatterhowwellthestudenthaslearnedthecontent.Atthatparticularschool,however,introducingrakugo resultedinaremarkabletransformation:studentsdidnotmerelylearntheirlinesbyrote,butmadeanemotionalinvestmentintheirexpressions. Anotherschoolisplanningtorepeatfirst-yeartextbooksinsomesecond-yearclasses.Inotherwords,theyareattemptingtohavestudentsre-learnthecontent. Thesearejusttwoexamplesofmanyinitiativesunderway,andwehopethatparticipatingschoolswillcompilereportsoftheirresearchintothesedifferentteachingmethodsandsharethemwithEnglishteachersatallOsakaprefecturalhighschoolssotheycanbeusedmorewidely.

Inoue:Iftheknow-howaccumulatedbyEnglishteachersthroughtheprojectissharedwithteachersofothersubjects,IimagineitwillbepossibletoconductclassesinEnglishforothersubjects,suchassocialstudiesandscience.IthinkitisimportanttolinkEnglishtoothersubjectsbypresentingEnglish,inthisway,asausefultool.

Inoue:Atthemomentwearefeelingourwaythroughthefirstyearoftheproject,sowemaynotbeabletoachievetheoutcomesthattheschoolshadimaginedjustyet.However,theteachersarewell-disposedtowardtheproject,andareparticipatingenthusiastically.Wearedeterminedtocarryonwiththeprojectsothatwecanachievebetteroutcomesinthesecondandthirdyears. Obviously,wewillstudytheresultsoftheprojectthoroughly,andIhopewecanlinkwhatwefindtothenextstepsothatourachievementsdonotendwiththeconclusionoftheprojectwhenitsthreeyearsareup.

———— What effect do you think the project will have on subjects other than English?

● Published by Market Development UnitThe Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC)Sanno Grand Building 2-14-2, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014, JapanPhone: 81/3-5521-5012 Fax: 81/3-3581-5512Official Website: http://www.toeic.or.jp Issued：August 2012

Printed in Japan

———— What kind of outcomes has the Usable English Project produced so far?

Research into unique teaching methods introducing the use of rakugo

———— What about the fifth initiative involving the task forces?

———— What kind of outcomes are you hoping for, and what is your vision for the project?