TOEIC Newsletter digest

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The TOEIC® Newsletter is published quarterly by the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) in Japanese. It features how the TOEICtest is used effectively within companies, universities and other institutions. We offer the latest case studies of TOEIC test usage to our clients, so theycan take full advantage of the TOEIC test within their organization. In this journal, we also introduce a trend of global human resources development andthe globalization movement in Japan. This issue is a summary of the TOEIC Newsletter No.104 (issued: February 2009) translated into English by IIBC for its readers around the world.

Copyright 2009 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logos and TOEIC are registered trademarks of Educational TestingService in the United States of America and other countries throughout the world.

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――Contents ――

【Featured interview】“People working in an international setting need English ability that gets results and global values”… 2

Kenichi Ohmae, Management consultant, Dean of the Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business

【Special Feature】Use of the TOEIC® test in Asia… 4

China… 5Hong Kong… 6India… 7Indonesia… 8Philippines… 9Singapore … 10South Korea… 11Taiwan… 12Thailand… 13Australia / New Zealand … 14

【Information】・Decision made to adopt slogan and key visual to mark 30th anniversary of the TOEIC® test・The biggest conference for English teachers held in Taiwan. Two professors from Japan make presentations・Conference held in Hanoi, Vietnam for university-level English teachers … 15

As globalization advances in variety of economic, cultural and societal realms, the role of English as an internationallanguage is increasing in importance. In the midst of this situation, Japan is working to revise its school curriculum,and starting in the 2011 academic year, English instruction will become compulsory at the elementary school level.Similarly, in neighboring countries, English education has been introduced at an earlier stage in recent years, amongother changes; and efforts are being advanced to raise the level of English ability in each country. The passion forEnglish learning is on the increase among adults and students alike, and along with this the use of the TOEIC test isexpanding. In this issue we focus on Asian countries, introducing their particular English needs, the situation of their Englisheducation, and their use of the TOEIC test.

【Special Feature】

Use of the TOEIC® test in Asia

―Digest Version―

TOEIC Newsletter®

No.104

“People working in an international setting need English ability

that gets results and global values”

Born in 1943, Mr. Ohmae earned a bachelor's degree

from the Faculty of Science and Engineering at

Waseda University, followed by a master's degree from

the Tokyo Institute of Technology and a Ph.D from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After a stint at

Hitachi, he joined McKinsey and Company in 1972,

eventually heading the Japan office and directing its

Asia-Pacific operations, before retiring in 2005 to

assume his current position. He has published

numerous books, including: The Mind of the Strategist,

The Borderless World and The Next Global Stage.

Management consultant

Dean of the Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Business

Featured interview

Kenichi Ohmae

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Psychological barriers need to be removedif the Japanese people are to truly improvetheir English ability

Looking across the world business landscape,we can see that there has been a sudden increase inthe number of companies that use English as acommon language. And the globalization of thecorporate world has only reinforced this trend.

Among Asian nations, Singapore was thefirst to embrace English, making it one of its officiallanguages around thirty years ago. AlthoughSingapore's version of English, “Singlish,” is abroken, hybrid form of the language, it is still part ofthe English-speaking world and this has led to thecountry's current position as a gateway to Asia.

Similarly, when I deliver speeches inIndonesia, I do so in English and the audiences donot require an interpreter. The great appetite forEnglish in China is also well documented, and it ispredicted that China will have more English speakersthan the United States by 2020.

South Korea has implemented radicalinnovations at its schools. At Korea University andEwha Womans University, where I lecture, it is quitenormal for classes to be conducted in English. I feelthere has been a clear change in the way studentsapproach English, with Ban Ki-moon, the currentSecretary-General of the United Nations, as theirrole model.

When I look at Japanese people's English

Kenichi Ohmae

We spoke to Kenichi Ohmae, a renownedmanagement consultant at the very forefront ofglobal business, about the skills needed by thosewho want to make a global contribution.

graduate study.So, as you can see, my motivation was a

simple one, but strong nonetheless, and it spurredme to learn English in a short period of time. That'swhy I believe schools, caregivers, and the corporatecommunity need to state more clearly that English isneeded and also set targets, such as making Englishskills a clear criterion for promotion at work. Forinstance, only those with a TOEIC score of, say, atleast 860 would be considered for promotion― orsomething like that. Because if you want people toget serious about improving their English skills, youneed to give them some sort of motivation formaking the effort.

A global mindset is a must for any leader

In addition to English skills, people need toacquire globally shared values in order to be able tosucceed in an international setting. Working overseaswould end up being stressful for people, even if theyspeak English, if they have values that only havecurrency in Japan. Understanding the values of thecountry in which they are working and speakinghonestly from the heart would go a long waytowards having their message accepted by localworkers. It is no use trying to lead people by beingsomething you're not. They might understand yourwords but they will not grasp what's in your heart. Aglobal mindset is vital for anyone to acquire a trulyinternational nature.

It is possible, however, to learn those globalvalues in Japan. Becoming friends with foreigners inyour area― such as foreign students or those grewup in different cultures―will help show you thatthe people of the world have a diverse range ofvalues. I urge university students in particular to takesuch opportunities because learning about differentvalues will stand them in good stead in the future.

I believe it is important to improve our skillsand round out our education while still young.That's why I want to administer a university inaddition to my graduate school of business.Businesses want a workforce that comes to workwith purpose and that consistently seeks to learn soas to produce the desired outcomes; and it is my goalto supply them with a stream of graduates who havevalues that are accepted throughout the world andhave the wherewithal to solve problems in English.The“open college”at the Kenichi Ohmae Graduate School of Businessoffers a variety of courses, including Practical English for Global Leaders.For more details (in Japanese), see the course website(http://www.ohmae.ac.jp/ex/pe/).

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abilities in light of the situations in those countriesjust mentioned, I am left to wonder if Japan is indanger of being left behind. I think the system ofteaching English itself in our country has somepoints that merit reconsideration. Many schools haveclasses that concentrate on testing students for rightand wrong answers, whereas they should be strivingto improve students' communication skills. Theupshot is that whenever Japanese people are requiredto communicate in English, they clam up becausethey are afraid their English might have mistakes.

The first thing we need to do is remove suchpsychological barriers.

Strong motivation is essential to achieve alevel of English that“brings results”

These days, a large number of Japanesebusinesses have offices and factories overseas wherethey send their Japanese staff to work. These workersneed English ability as a basic communication tool,and have to build a consensus with local staff andoversee operations so that the desired tasks areachieved. In other words, they need the kind ofEnglish that gets results.

So, how does one go about learning suchEnglish? Well, people need motivation to do so― they need something to put them in the rightframe of mind. For instance, one German companythat staked its future on buying out an US business,put in place a system that prevented people whocould not speak English from being promoted to theposition of department head or higher. For thatcompany to operate factories in the United States, itwas vital that it had personnel with the ability toproduce results in English.

Here's a story from my own experience. Mymotivation to learn English was a desire to buy aclarinet when I was in college. I decided to get a jobto earn the money to pay for it. I'd heard that interpreter/guides earned good money so, after six months oflistening all day to the Far East Network, which wasthe old network of radio and television stations ofthe US military, I became the youngest person at thetime to be granted an interpreter/guide permit.

I served around 6,000 tourists from overseasduring my time as an interpreter/guide, and thishelped to further improve my English. Thanks tothis, I was able to write my graduation thesis inEnglish in my senior year of university. I submittedthis thesis to the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology and was awarded a scholarship for post-

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In line with development of globalization, there has been an expansion in the countries andregions that are administering the TOEIC test, which is accepted worldwide as a standard test ofEnglish communicative skills. Currently, there are some 90 countries and regions that administerTOEIC for a variety of purposes. Here we will spotlight China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea,Taiwan, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand and consider how the TOEIC test is being usedthere, while at the same time looking at the situation of English usages in those places.

Use of the TOEIC test inAsia®

In a globalized society, there is a need for people tohave English ability as a communicative tool that makes itpossible to deepen mutual understanding, establish heart-to-heart dialogue, and build trust with people around the world.The Test of English for International Communication(TOEIC) was conceived in Japan as a common globalyardstick to measure such English skills, and was thendeveloped by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a USnonprofit test-development institution.

ETS is the world's largest organization involved ineducational research, with more than 2,800 in-house andoutside staff members, including educational specialists invarious areas, linguists, statisticians, and psychologists.Based on its mission of “advancing quality and equity ineducation,” ETS has not only been involved in the

development, production and administration of the majorityof public tests in US, but has also been active in a broadrange of activities in the field of education, including surveysand research.

The first Secure Program (SP) of the TOEIC testtook place in December 1979. Now, thirty years later, with theworld becoming increasingly borderless and the importanceof English ability emphasized more than ever, the TOEIC testis the global standard for the measurement and evaluation ofcommunicative English ability. It is now administered in some90 countries worldwide to around five million people annually.Many companies, schools and other organizations, as well asindividuals, are currently utilizing the test as an effective wayto raise the motivation to study, and an opportunity to checkthe English skill levels of their workers and students.

Note (pp. 5-14):・The“Data”about each country is based on data released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.・The time of starting English education, number of English classes, examinees data and spelling regarding names for companies and schools areconsistent with the information supplied by the representative office of each country. ・TOEIC is administered in two formats : the Secure Program (SP) and the Institutional Program (IP). The SP test is administered and operated byrepresentative office in each country, and the test takers are mostly individuals who apply to take the test directly. The IP test is administered bygroups such as companies, universities and other organizations to the people who belong to their organizations. Apart from Japan and SouthKorea, only the IP test is offered; and in each country the Public Test is administered for the general public using the IP test .

EuropeBelgiumCroatiaFranceGermanyGreeceHungaryIrelandItalyLatviaNetherlandsPolandPortugalSpainSwitzerlandUnited Kingdom

AfricaEgyptMoroccoTunisia

North AmericaCanadaUnited States

Latin AmericaArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaDominican RepublicEl Salvador

Countries and regions where TOEIC is utilizedMexicoPanamaPeruUruguayVenezuela

AsiaChinaHong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeSouth KoreaTaiwan

ThailandVietnam

South PacificAustraliaNew Zealand

Middle EastKuwaltLebanonSaudi ArabiaSyriaTurkeyUnited Arab EmiratesWest Bank/GazaYemen

etc.

【Special Feature】

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The TOEIC test was first administered inChina in December 2002. The Public Test iscurrently offered seven times a year, in 25 cities, withthe number of examinees increasing annually by20,000 in recent years. Around 40 percent ofexaminees are adults and 60 percent are students.Of those students, around 90 percent are universitystudents (at both the graduate and undergraduatelevel).

The TOEIC test has been adopted by atleast 300 companies and other organizations,primarily made up of foreign companies like P&Gand Microsoft. The companies and organizations usethe test for hiring and gauging the effectiveness oftheir English training programs, as well as forpromotions and as a criterion for determiningemployee placement.

Compared with that sort of business use, itseems that most students take the test on an individualbasis in order to pursue their desired course of studyor career, rather than taking the test institutionallyadministered by their schools.

In China, English classes begin either in thethird year of elementary school or in the first year ofjunior high school. However, English lessons areprovided to children as early as kindergarten age inmany urban areas, so there is a regional gap withregard to English education.

The earlier start for English education inChina has been fueled by the increased demand forpeople who can speak English. Previously, English

Need for English and current English education

Test utilization

Administration of the TOEIC test

skills were demanded only by overseas businessesexpanding into China, but in recent years Chinesebusinesses have also begun to focus considerableeffort on English training for their employees inorder to maintain a competitive edge in globalmarkets.

English training at the corporate level isintended to improve the overall English abilities ofthe workforce, but some companies are beginning toplace a premium on speaking skills as well.Meanwhile, in addition to English ability alone,there is an increasing emphasis being placed practicalbusiness skills, such as negotiations, presentations,e-mail writing, and telephone conferencing.

View of the China Representative “In recent years, local Chinese companies have

joined their overseas counterparts in setting the goal ofimproving English skills and placing priority on hiringnew employees with a high level of English ability. Thisleads us to believe that the TOEIC test will gain furtherpopularity as a standard for measuring English skillsthat are relevant to the workplace. We also hope thatmany civil servants working at government-relatedinstitutions will take the TOEIC test as well.

“Our view is that the test will gain inimportance at those universities that educate studentswho will enter the corporate workforce, where it will beused for a range of purposes that include earningcredits, gauging curriculum effectiveness, anddisplaying the English ability of graduates who areseeking employment.

“China is also scheduled to hold a number ofinternational events in the near future, including the2010 World Expo in Shanghai and the Asian Games.We hope that the TOEIC test will be a popular wayto assess the English skills of the volunteers and localsupport staff involved with such events.”

20,000 more examinees each year

ChinaLocal businesses keep pace with international competition by enhancing English capacity

DataPeople's Republic of China Land area: about 9,600,000 sq. kmPopulation: about 1,300,000,000Capital: BeijingLanguage: Chinese

China Representative OfficeETS Assessments（Beijing）Limited

TAN Eng HanCountry Manager

English education begins*：3rd year of elementary schoolor 1st year of junior high school

Number of English classes*：Elementary school 2-3h / week(Public school) Junior high school 5-6h / week

High school 6-8h / week*non official survey report

TOEIC adopted by 300 businesses; moststudents take test on an individual basis

Many businesses offer training to improveemployee's overall English ability

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The TOEIC test made its debut in HongKong in September 2000. In 2009, the Public Testwill be held regularly once a month. Most examineesare adults, with 24.8 percent of them involved in theclerical field, 17.9 percent in marketing and sales,and 13.7 percent in customer service. The TOEICexaminees in Hong Kong come from many agegroups, the largest of which is the 20-24 age bracket(25.1 percent); but there are also significant numbersof examinees in the 45-49 and the 50-and-over agebracket (9.0 and 8.4 percent, respectively).

For students taking the test, those in generalsecondary schools make up the largest group (32.5percent), followed by post-secondary andundergraduate school students (25.5 percent) andthose in secondary school for university entrancequalification or equivalent (24.1 percent).

Evergreen Marine (Hong Kong) Ltd., is oneof the companies that uses the TOEIC test as acriterion for promotions, while Englishtown,Modern Education, and Sino College are examplesof schools that use the test to measure theeffectiveness of their curricula. Meanwhile,candidates with a certain level of achievement on theTOEIC test are eligible to receive grants under agovernment plan to promote English study.

English has remained one of Hong Kong'sofficial languages since Great Britain handed backthe territory to China in 1997. Children begin learningEnglish in kindergarten, and universities conduct most


Test utilization


lectures in English. However, there is rising concernin Hong Kong that the introduction of Chinesemedium teaching at secondary schools after 1997handover has resulted in deteriorating Englishabilities.

To enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness asan international centre for business, finance andtourism, the Government launched the WorkplaceEnglish Campaign (WEC) and ContinuingEducation Fund (CEF) in 2000 to heighten publicawareness of the importance of possessing a goodcommand of English in a workplace environmentand to improve the knowledge of English among theworking population in Hong Kong. In the WECprogram, the government subsidize companies forin-house English training, provided that theemployees trained achieve certain level on TOEIC orother specified international business Englishexaminations. In the CEF program, the governmentcovers portion of the English course fees forindividuals to encourage English learning.

View of the Hong Kong Representative “In the Hong Kong business community,

English is more important than Cantonese. In asurvey of 2,030 businesspersons conducted by HongKong Polytechnic University, more than half of therespondents said that they needed to read and writeEnglish e-mails, reports, letters, and otherdocuments at work.

The TOEIC test and the TOEIC Bridge testare well-recognized worldwide to measure Englishproficiency of people working in an internationalenvironment. The government's funding schemewhich encourages English learning also uses thesetests. We expect the number of people taking thesetests will rise in 2009.”

Most examinees are adults; examineesrepresent wide range of age groups

Hong KongGovernment subsidizes corporatetraining and other efforts to improve English

DataHong KongLand area: 1,103 sq. kmPopulation: about 6,890,000 (December 2004)Language: Cantonese, English, Mandarin, etc.

Hong Kong Representative OfficeInstitute of International Education（IIE）URL：http://www.iiehongkong.org/toeic

Winnie WongOperations/Business Development Manager

English education begins：3 years

English increasingly important as an officiallanguage of Hong Kong

Test also used as part of government grants process

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India had its first TOEIC test in January2008. In just the first year, the test was administeredonce a month in seven cities, attracting roughly7,000 adult examinees.

Deloitte Consulting uses the TOEIC test asa criterion for promotions; as a way to gauge theeffect of its English training programs; and as astandard for determining employee placement.

The TOEIC test is still in its infancy inIndia and has yet to catch on among businesses andschools, but the test is expected to come into wideruse given the predicted increase in demand forpeople with strong English skills.

India has many languages, including Hindi,Bengali, Tamil and Telugu, to name just a few of theprimary ones. Because of this linguistic diversity, theIndian government has positioned English as a semi-official language. English is also the language of businessin India.

English is a compulsory subject at schools inmany states in India― starting at the elementaryschool level. After getting a grounding in the language atelementary and junior high school, Indian studentsattend high school, where English is the basic languagespoken. There are some exceptions where classes areconducted in the local language of a state, but mostschools teach classes in English.


Test utilization


India's rapid economic growth has led schoolsto place considerable emphasis on English, as they lookto foster people able to play an active role on the worldstage. English has become an important language forIndian businesses as well. It is particularly relevant in theIT industry, which has underpinned the rise of theIndian economy, because its chief clients are US andBritish companies. Accordingly, demand for personnelable to communicate in English has skyrocketed overthe past decade. As a result, many businesses provideEnglish training to their employees. In particular,business process outsourcing (BPO) for computersystem administration and call-center operations onbehalf of clients place a strong emphasis on Englishspeaking skills. In addition, there are also businesses thatare aiming to help their employees improve theirEnglish writing skills.

There are some Japanese companies whichdispatch employees to India to receive training, giventhe high level of IT-related and English-related skills inthe country.

View of the India Representative “The TOEIC test has garnered attention for

providing a level of reliability and validity that no othertest has offered up to now. As the importance ofEnglish as the global business language continues togrow, so too will the role of the TOEIC test continue toexpand.

“TOEIC test will be used as an index formeasuring English skills by more and more businessesand schools.”

First TOEIC test in January 2008

IndiaSurging IT industry leads toincreased spotlight on English

DataIndiaLand Area: 3,287,263 sq. km (source: Indian

government; includes areas disputedwith Pakistan and China)

Population: 1,027,020,000 (source: 2001 census) Capital: New DelhiLanguage: Federal Official language is Hindi.

India Representative OfficeNIIT LimitedURL：http://www.niit.com

Rohit AgarwalHead-Assessments Practice

English education begins：1st year of elementary schoolNumber of English classes：Elementary school 5h / week(Public school) Junior high school 8h / week

High school 8h / week

High hopes for further expansion

English is a semi-official language in India

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The TOEIC test is administered in at least260 of the 441 counties and cities in Indonesia. In2007, 130,000 people took the test, of whom 15percent were adults and 85 percent students. InIndonesia, many people attend vocational schools,where they can acquire knowledge and skills that areclosely linked to jobs, and 76.9 percent were finalyear vocational school students. The next largest groupwas teachers, who accounted for 10 percent. The mainage groups were 15-19 years old (76.1 percent) and 20-24 years old (9.3 percent).

A total of 98 Indonesian companies andbusiness organizations have adopted the TOEIC test,including Panasonic Manufacturing Indonesia,Exxon Mobil, and several predominantly foreign-owned companies.

In education, TOEIC scores have been usedby 1,247 schools for such purposes as a requirementfor earning credits, measuring the success ofcurricula, as a placement test, or as a criterion forevaluating candidates for scholarships and overseasstudy. At the Widya Mandala Secretarial Academyand Tarakanita Secretarial Academy, for example,students must score at least 400 and 500 respectivelyon their TOEIC tests to graduate.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education(MOE) has administered the TOEIC test forEnglish teachers on a large scale in order to measuretheir English capabilities.

Indonesia pursues the policy of assisting itscitizens to find employment overseas. As part of the


Test utilization


policy, a considerable emphasis is placed on Englishcapabilities. Indeed, MOE has moved to incorporateEnglish language proficiency as a key performanceindicator to measure school-based education in theperiod between 2009 and 2014; and MOE isconsidering teaching science and mathematics inEnglish in some of its schools.

This has led to increased interest in learningEnglish. Indonesian students begin learning Englishat junior high school, but there have been manycases where parents have their children attendEnglish lessons while still at elementary school oreven before they enter school.

View of the Indonesia Representative “Since the 1980s, non-native English speakers

increasingly outnumber native speakers worldwide.Reports suggest a ratio of at least 3 to 1 currently. Yet,few realize the import of such a development orproceed to claim ownership of English as their ownpersonal tool for international communication. As longas we continue to view English narrowly as a‘foreignlanguage’or‘second language,’on a subconscious levelwe will not fully embrace the language nor claim it asour own tool. We have seen a remarkable improvementin the way Indonesians take to English when they makethat small but significant paradigm shift to recognizeEnglish as a tool for international communicationfor their taking. That's why we work relentlessly toconvince people through seminars, programs for schoolteachers, and other opportunities we provide ― thatEnglish is more than just a foreign language: it iseveryone's tool for international communication.

“Within the fast changing English languagelearning (ELL) environment, we have high hopes thatthe TOEIC test will serve the needs of more and moreorganizations as well as an expanding multitude ofindividuals.”

Approximately 77 percent of examinees arevocational school students

IndonesiaImproving teachers' Englishcapabilities and driving innovation in schools

DataRepublic of IndonesiaLand area: about 1,890,000 sq. kmPopulation: about 228,000,000 (2008)Capital: JakartaLanguage: Indonesian

Indonesia Representative OfficePT International Test CenterURL：http://www.itc-indonesia.com

Jenny LeeDirector（Program & Marketing）

English education begins：12-15 yearsNumber of English classes：Elementary school 0h / week(Public school) Junior high school 4h / week


1,247 schools use TOEIC as criterion forgraduation, etc.

Interest in learning English is on the rise

― 9―

The TOEIC test was first administered inthe Philippines, where English is the officiallanguage, in January 2005. That year about 1,600people took the test; and the number of test takerswas predicted to rise to 11,600 in 2008.

Presently, the Public Test is administered infive cities monthly. Of the examinees, 75 percent arestudents, of whom 95 percent attend university andthe remaining 5 percent attend language schools.

Many foreign businesses in the Philippines,including Isla Lipana & Co. (PricewaterHouseCoopers) and China-based Huawei TechnologiesPhils., Inc., use the TOEIC test for hiring,promotions, and as a criterion for overseas businesstrips, postings, and study. In addiiton, thePhilippines has a particularly large number of callcenters for US companies; and there is high demandamong the companies operating the call centers fortests that measure both speaking and writing skills.

The test is also used at schools. Universitieslike Far Eastern University and Assumption College,for instance, use it as a requirement for earningcredits and as an English proficiency test, as well asfor placement and career-related purposes.

Even with English as its official language,


Test utilization


demand for English continues to grow in thePhilippines. The number of multinationalcompanies with offices in the country is on the rise,and there are increasing opportunities for skilledFilipinos to work overseas. All of this leads to agreater need for English.

In the Philippines, children begin learningEnglish at age four in kindergarten. Once they beginschool, classes in some subjects ― between 30 and45 hours per week ― are conducted in English.Considerable effort is focused on training theteachers who teach the classes, with many schoolsproviding teachers with biannual training programsso that they can improve their English skills duringvacation time.

The government has also launched acomputer-aided English study program as anadditional way to support school-based classes.

View of the Philippines Representative “The TOEIC test is internationally

recognized, and we view it as an effective tool formeasuring employees' and students' progress inlearning English, and as a way to improve our abilityto compete internationally. The businesses andschools that currently use TOEIC test scores serve asa model for others who are thinking about using thetest.”

TOEIC debuted in 2005 and the number ofexaminees has increased ever since

PhilippinesEntry of multinational companiesincreases demand for English skills

Philippines Representative OfficeHopkins International Partners, Inc.URL：http://www.toeic-phil.com

Corina UnsonPresident

Businesses use the TOEIC test for hiring andpromotions

Teaching of academic subjects in Englishbegins in elementary school

DataRepublic of the Philippines Land area: 299,404 sq. kmPopulation: 88,570,000 (August 2007)Capital: Metro ManillaLanguage:〈National language〉Filipino,

〈Official language〉Filipino, English


― 10―

In Singapore, where English is one of theofficial languages, the TOEIC test was firstadministered in June 2001; and about 2,000 peopletake the test every year. The Public Test is currentlyheld two or three times per month.

Of the total examinees, 72 percent areadults, of whom 99.9 percent are companyemployees. The remaining 28 percent are Japanesestudents, of whom 92 percent attend high schooland 8 percent attend junior high school.

The primary businesses use of the TOEICtest in Singapore is by multinational companies, whouse the test for hiring, promotions, measurement ofEnglish training effectiveness, as a criterion fordetermining employee placement, and as a standardfor decisions related to overseas business trips,postings, and study. The company Sino Huawei, forinstance, requires its Chinese nationals assigned toexecutive positions in Singapore to score at least 780on the TOEIC test.

The test has also been embraced by highschools for their foreign students. These schools usethe test as requirement for earning credits and forpurposes that include measuring curriculumeffectiveness, placement, ascertaining of English skilllevels, and job hunting.

In Singapore, school education is conductedin two languages: English is the primary language,while the given ethnic language is the second


Test utilization


language. The basic language used in the classroomis English, and all schools provide at least 25 hoursof English instruction per week. In other words, alack of English skills would hinder a student's abilityto learn, so elementary schools spend a lot of timehelping children build up a sound grounding in thebasics of English.

Singapore's educational system is alsounique in that students are grouped into coursesaccording to ability right from the elementary-schoolstage. Students take rigorous examinations uponcompletion of their Foundation Stage (fourth gradeof elementary school) and after the OrientationStage (sixth grade of elementary school), with theresults of those tests determining which courses theywill be placed in. And English is one of the subjectsincluded in the examinations.

Given this educational environment,Singaporean students work very hard to acquire ahigh level of English ability.

View of the Singapore Representative “English has been the language of

Singaporean politics and business since the city-statewas a British colony. There are a large number offoreign companies located in Singapore.Consequently, with the increasing globalization ofthe international community, the city has played amajor role with regard to Asian financial marketsand broadcasting.

“People in Singapore have manyopportunities to speak English on a day-to-day basis,and there are also a large number of foreign studentsin Singapore. The TOEIC test is used as a way togauge the English comprehension and ability offoreign students and other English learners.”

99.9 percent of adult examinees arecompany employees

Singapore Making English an official languagehelps Singapore respond swiftly to globalization

Singapore Representative OfficeConnectere (Singapore) Pte LimitedURL：http://www.connectere.netURL：http://www.toeic.com.sg

Benjamin GohDirector

Multinational companies and foreign schoolsutilize TOEIC

Singapore children's English classes begin inelementary school

DataRepublic of SingaporeLand area: 699 sq. kmPopulation: about 4,590,000Language:〈National language〉Malay,

〈Official language〉English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil


― 11―

The TOEIC test has been administered inSouth Korea since 1982. The Secure Program (SP) isheld twelve times a year, and Institutional Program(IP) tests are also administered. In 2008, there wereabout 2 million test takers in total for both tests, ofwhom roughly 95 percent took the SP test, which is onan upward trend in terms of the number of examinees.

Of the total test takers in 2007, 57.7 percentwere adults and 42.3 percent were students ― androughly 80 percent of the latter were universitystudents.

The TOEIC test has been introduced byroughly 1,000 companies and organizations. Manyof the leading companies in the country, such asSamsung, LG, Hyundai, POSCO, and Korean Air,use TOEIC as a criterion for recruiting, promotions,and measurement of English training progress, aswell as for overseas business trips, postings, andstudy. For instance, when the Samsung Group hiresnew university graduates, it requires a TOEIC scoreof at least 730 from candidates majoring inhumanities and 620 from those majoring in scienceand engineering.

Meanwhile, there are also around 100schools that have introduced the TOEIC test for awide array of purposes, whether as an entranceexamination or requirement for earning credits, orfor placement purposes. Konkuk, Kyunghee, andDongguk universities, which use the test as anentrance examination, give preferential treatment tostudents who score 900 or more; and there are some83 schools in South Korea that intend to use theTOEIC test for an entrance examination in 2009.

TOEIC test is also utilized as one of the testto replace the English test previously used in high-level state examinations and state qualification

Test utilization


examinations.

In South Korea, where more than 75 percentof companies engage in some kind of overseasbusiness, many companies provide their employeeswith English training. There has been an upswing ininterest in speaking ability in recent years, and morethan 150 businesses, including the Samsung Group,assess the English skills of their personnel and havenew recruits take the TOEIC Speaking and Writingtests upon entering the company.

Given this demand for English speakers,South Korea is considering moving up the startingpoint for English education from the third year ofelementary school to the first year. Also underconsideration is an increase in English class time inelementary schools. The country even has plans toprovide 600 hours of English instruction to Englishteachers in 2009.

View of the South Korea Representative “The TOEIC test has a major influence on

English education in terms of, for instance, shiftingthe focus from grammar and reading comprehensionto more practical curricula and teaching methods.Also, providing a highly reliable form of assessmentmakes TOEIC a useful way to raise the Englishability of those who currently work in a globalsetting or of students who aspire to such careers inthe future.

“We fully expect that the TOEIC test andthe TOEIC Speaking and Writing tests will continueto play an important role in English education in thefuture.”


2 million test takers in 2008

South KoreaStrong interest in speaking skillsleads to expanded use of TOEIC® Speaking and Writing tests

DataRepublic of Korea Land area: about 99,274 sq. kmPopulation: about 48,460,000 (2007)Capital: SeoulLanguage: Korean

South Korean Representative OfficeYBM/Si-saURL：http://www.toeic.co.kr

Dong-Hyun LeeExecutive Managing Director

English education begins：3rd year of elementary schoolNumber of English classes：Elementary school 1-2h / week(Public school) Junior high school 3-4h / week


Some 1,000 businesses and 100 schools use TOEIC

Earlier English education and more classtime are under consideration

― 12―

The number of people taking the TOEICtest has increased by between 50 and 70 percentevery year due to the strong demand for people withEnglish skills. In 2007, about 189,000 took the test,with a roughly even split between adults andstudents. Around 85 percent of those students wereenrolled in universities or vocational schools, andapproximately 80 percent of examinees were 20 to34 years old.

The Public Test is held in 18 cities inTaiwan, with frequency differing from city to city.Some cities hold the test as often as once a month, at1 to 5 test sites; and the number of citiesadministering the TOEIC test is on the rise.

The TOEIC test has been adopted by some120 businesses and organizations. The companyUMC, for instance, uses TOEIC scores for its eight-level scale for determining promotions, while AUOptronics Corporation requires a TOEIC score of600 for participation in its English training programfor managers. The test is also used for assessmentand promotion purposes at some governmentagencies.

Meanwhile, 75 schools have also embracedthe test. A TOEIC score of at least 780 is needed tograduate from the National Taiwan UniversityGraduate School of Finance, while National Cheng-Kung University exempts those who score 650 orhigher from taking the English course that isotherwise compulsory for first-year students.Moreover, TOEIC is also utilized in someuniversities as placement purpose.

Test utilization


The rise in the number of TOEICexaminees in Taiwan illustrates the heightenedinterest in learning English. Other indications of thistrend include the fact that some regions haveintroduced elementary-school English instruction atan earlier stage. For instance, English classes begin inTaipei in the first year of elementary school, ratherthan the third year as is the case elsewhere.

This emphasis on English capabilities is notlimited to schools and businesses: the public sectoralso prioritizes English skills. Taiwanese PresidentMa Ying-jeou has spoken about the importance ofbeing able to speak English and indicated that thegovernment considers it necessary to administer anEnglish test for all civil servants in order to raisetheir English abilities.

Given the advance of globalization, Englisheducation in Taiwan will be accelerated further in thefuture.

View of the Taiwan Representative “In recent years, there has been a marked

trend among businesses to shift their Englishtraining programs away from conversation andtowards TOEIC preparation. This has given rise tofurther hopes that the TOEIC test will solidify itsposition as a management tool to improve theEnglish capabilities of personnel.

“Given the expanded use of the TOEIC testwithin the corporate community, more and moreuniversities are adopting it as a placement tool, a wayto measure the progress of students in learningEnglish, or even incorporating it as a prerequisite forgraduation.”


Roughly 80 percent of examinees are 20 to34 years old

TaiwanTOEIC® test widely implemented bybusinesses and government agencies;use by universities expanding

DataTaiwanLand area: 36,000 sq. kmPopulation: 22,980,000 (March 2008)Major city: Taipei, KaohsiungLanguage: Mandarin, Fujian, Hakka

Taiwan Representative OfficeChun Shin LimitedURL：http://www.toeic.com.tw

T J ShaoVice Chairman

English education begins：3rd year of elementary schoolNumber of English classes：Elementary school 2h / week(Public school) Junior high school 2-4h / week

High school 4-6h / week

120 businesses and 75 schools hold the TOEIC test

Taiwanese civil servants required English skills

― 13―

Thailand achieved rapid economicdevelopment through foreign investment, starting inthe late 1980s. The TOEIC test was introduced in1988, when Thailand was still in that developmentalstage. Currently, the Public Test is held once amonth, while tests for companies, organizations, andschools are administered on a daily basis.

In the past few years, the number ofexaminees has constantly increased, reachingapproximately 90,000 in 2008. Roughly half of allexaminees take the test on an individual basis for jobhunting and career changes, while the remaining halftake the institutional test.

Many companies and organizations areusing the TOEIC test as a standard for recruitmentand promotions, as well as to measure progress inEnglish training courses. In addition, the test is usedas a criterion for determining employee placementand for overseas business trips, postings, and study, aswell as to determine eligibility for grants.

Thai Airways International (THAI), forinstance, uses the TOEIC test as part of itsrecruitment process. THAI has been using theTOEIC test to help recruit candidates for flightattendant positions, which is a job that requiresEnglish ability. Previously, candidates were selectedbased on education and skills, and were thenrequired to take the TOEIC test. Those who scoredat least 500 qualified for an interview and additionaltesting. The drawback of this method was that ittook considerable time and effort to process thethousands of applications received, so, following theadvice of the TOEIC representative in Thailand, thecompany decided to improve the process by making

Test utilization


a TOEIC score of at least 500 a prerequisite forapplicants. This move allowed THAI to significantlyshorten the time and number of employees needed toprocess the applications, thus also reducing itsexpenditures on that recruitment process. Theoriginal recruitment score requirement has beenincreased to 600, with additional scores required forinternal promotions and other positions.

The TOEIC test is also a feature of anumber of Thai schools, which employ it as anentrance exam, placement or English proficiency test,as well as for career-related purposes or criterion forgraduation, among other uses.

In Thailand, English is taught from the firstyear of elementary school. Elementary schoolstudents receive two hours of English instruction perweek, while junior high and high school studentsreceive four hours of weekly instruction.

Teachers are also offered English lessons.The Ministry of Education and the Center forProfessional Assessment (Thailand), for instance,have developed a program to provide Englishteachers working at vocational schools with a five-day workshop on English instruction. Participationin the workshop, which is intended to foster aworkforce with skills that can be put to use in thereal world, is contingent on a certain TOEIC score.

In recent years, English ability has becomean increasingly important skill within Thai businesscircles; and use of the TOEIC test has expandedalong with the spread of globalization to a range ofindustries that span from the manufacturing to theservice sector.


About half of examinees take it on anindividual basis for job hunting or careerchanges

ThailandGreater need for English ability in many industries

DataKingdom of Thailand Land area: 514,000 sq. kmPopulation: 63,040,000 (2007)Capital: BangkokLanguage: Thai

Thailand Representative OfficeCenter for Professional Assessment（Thailand）URL：http://www.cpathailand.co.th

Supalak Komarakul Na NagaraExecutive Director

English education begins：1st year of elementary schoolNumber of English classes：Elementary school 2h / week(Public school) Junior high school 4h / week


Businesses use TOEIC for recruiting andpromotions English ability has become an important

business asset

― 14―

English is the mother tongue of Australiaand New Zealand. In those two countries, the TOEICtest has been held since April 2000; and currently thePublic Test is held 13 times a year, with around 9,000examinees in total on average.

Students make up 95 percent of theexaminees, and adults the remaining 5 percent. Mostof the students are from other countries, and havecome to Australia or New Zealand to learn Englishat language schools.

As illustrated by the percentages justmentioned, language schools are the major users ofthe TOEIC test. The test has been adopted by 125schools that have language training programs intendedfor foreign students; and the schools use the test as acriterion for entrance, a gauge of curriculumeffectiveness, or as a placement test or proficiency testof English ability. TOEIC has also been incorporatedby some companies to measure the effectiveness ofEnglish training provided to foreign staff.

The enormous popularity of TOEIC inAsia, particularly as an employment credential,means that many students of English wish toundertake testing before returning home and seekingemployment.

Australia and New Zealand are populartourist destinations, and tourism is one of the mostimportant industries in these countries. Given this,the travel, accommodation, dining, and retailindustries, whose main customers include tourists,are major employers of foreign nationals who can


Test utilization


speak the languages used by tourist customers. Thoseforeign nationals are naturally required to have acertain level of English skills in order to performtheir jobs properly.

Professional Associations in Australia alsouse TOEIC and other alternatives to gauge theEnglish ability of foreign nationals who wish to workin their specialist field in Australia. Nurses, Airtraffic Controllers, and Trainee Pilots would be goodexamples of this.

At present, Australia tests for minimumstandards of English at Immigration but does notrequire subsequent applicants for citizenship toprovide proof of their English-speaking ability. Thegovernment has hinted that it may requireprospective Australians to submit such evidence inthe future, in addition to testing their knowledge ofgeneral Australian history and customs.Consequently, there is an expectation that Englishskills will become even more important in this partof the world in the future.

View of the Australia and New ZealandRepresentative

“Australia and New Zealand are populardestinations for overseas study among foreignstudents because both countries offer safety, arelatively cheap cost of living, and an abundance ofnatural settings to enjoy in parallel with improvinglanguage and/or academic skills. The TOEIC test istaken quite seriously by students and particularly bylanguage schools, some of whom test students everyfour weeks to gauge progress and to provide a basisfor teachers to counsel and develop students.

“We believe the role of the TOEIC test ― asan international standard for ascertaining the overallEnglish skills of people learning the language ―willbecome increasingly important.”

95 percent of examinees are foreign students

Overseas students takeTOEIC® testbefore returning home to demonstrate skills

DataCommonwealth of Australia Land area: 7,692,024 sq. kmPopulation: about 20,630,000 (April 2006)Capital: CanberraLanguage: English

Australia / New ZealandRepresentative OfficePro-Match personal Profiles LimitedURL：http://www.pro-match.com/toeic/

Ken AlexanderManaging director

New ZealandLand area: 270,534 sq. kmPopulation: 4,230,000 (June 2007)Capital: WellingtonLanguage: English, Maori

TOEIC test used by schools offering languagetraining programs

Governments may require proof of Englishability for citizenship

Australia / New Zealand

― 15―

Decision made to adopt slogan and key visual tomark 30th anniversary of the TOEIC® test

The TOEIC test was first administered in December 1979 inJapan, and will thus celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. Thisoccasion is being commemorated by the the 30th anniversary sloganand “key visual” adopted by the Institute for International BusinessCommunication (IIBC). The slogan, “Your Chance Maker” has been adopted with the intention ofexpressing the desire for the TOEIC brand to continue to generate opportunities for test takers in the future.IIBC will be hosting events to mark the historic anniversary, along with promotions and other activities.

※The research conducted by Professor Koike was presented in TOEIC Newsletter No. 100 and in TOEIC Newsletter special issue: TOEIC Scores for New Recruits in FY 2008.

View at entrance to event site

The biggest conference for English teachers held in Taiwan

Two professors from Japan make presentationsIn November 2008, the nation's biggest conference for English

teachers was held by ETA (English Teachers' Association) in Taipei, entitled“The Seventeenth International Symposium and Book Fair on EnglishTeaching.” There were two university professors from Japan who attendedthe event to make presentations. Dr. Ikuo Koike, who is a Professor Emeritusat Meikai University's Graduate School of Applied Linguistics and ProfessorEmeritus at Keio University, made a presentation based on the research hehas carried out in cooperation with IIBC. Meanwhile, Kay Nakago,a Professor at Aichi Shukutoku University offered a presentation on Englishinstruction at his university that utilizes the TOEIC test. Both of the presentations generated a great deal ofinterest among the conference participants.

※ For TOEIC utilization at Gunma Prefectural Women's University, see the TOEIC Newsletter No.97 and 2007 TOEIC Seminar Report.

Conference held in Hanoi, Vietnam for

university-level English teachersIn December 2008, the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and

Training (MOET) together with ETS held the “Conference on EnglishLanguage Education at non-English-major universities.” The conference wasintended as a forum for sharing ideas about effective English instruction forfostering personnel able to use the language to play an active role on theglobal stage, in the specific case of universities that do not offer majors in thefield of English; and ideas about how the TOEIC test can be used to achievethat aim. Mark R. Freiermuth, a Professor at Gunma Prefectural Women'sUniversity, attended from Japan to make a presentation at the conference.

【Information】

●Published by Public Relations DepartmentThe Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC)Sanno Grand Building 2-14-2, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014, JapanPhone: 81/3-3581-5663 Fax: 81/3-3581-9801Official Website: http://www.toeic.or.jp Issued：March 2009

● Printed in Japan

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