tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396360.post2797921796102764768..comments2023-07-22T23:33:58.038+09:00Comments on EFL in Japan: Center Exams, 20085330http://www.blogger.com/profile/11752690938113124517noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396360.post-25864246792431939872008-11-25T15:13:00.000+09:002008-11-25T15:13:00.000+09:00Jonathan,I'm not sure how students are being prepa...Jonathan,<BR/>I'm not sure how students are being prepared for this test specifically, and will guess that most students get some kind of "listening" test preparation at school and lots more at cram schools. My guess is that it also varies from school to school, and from student to student. Lots of kids are going abroad these days, but that is not training specifically geared to the Center test. <BR/><BR/>It'd be great to talk to you about it more with you. If you put your address in a reply to this comment, I will not publish it, and write you. I'd rather not publish mine here, and will be sure not to publish your's here5330https://www.blogger.com/profile/11752690938113124517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396360.post-64877059886143434162008-11-22T01:36:00.000+09:002008-11-22T01:36:00.000+09:00Hi Daniel,fascinating stuff.Do you have any inform...Hi Daniel,<BR/><BR/>fascinating stuff.<BR/>Do you have any information on how the students are being prepared for the listening component of the test? Is there an official curriculum being taught?<BR/><BR/>Would be great to connect directly to discuss this if you are open to it.Jonni Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12305020232823337371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396360.post-38603264267191662902008-01-25T10:09:00.000+09:002008-01-25T10:09:00.000+09:00Thanks again for the comment and answering my ques...Thanks again for the comment and answering my questions. I have loads more that I'd really like to ask, but you may not be possible for you to answer on this forum. And they're mostly motivated by morbid curiosity anyway. <BR/><BR/>According to the employers that I have heard from, any TOEIC score is better than nothing, and a higher one, over 400, is good, so if your school is trying to help the students out by boosting their scores a little, that's great. I don't know what else you are using it for, but you mentioned failing the test. Since the test isn't a pass/fail deal, the school must be using it for something else, probably beyond the parameters of the test. <BR/><BR/>Hang in there and help the students.5330https://www.blogger.com/profile/11752690938113124517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396360.post-3253443668096481952008-01-24T18:06:00.000+09:002008-01-24T18:06:00.000+09:00Yes, TOEIC is administered several times a year. I...Yes, TOEIC is administered several times a year. I think, really, that a lot of staff time goes on coaching students to pass the TOEIC test. If they fail, retaking it is always an option.<BR/><BR/>As for meetings... it seems in Asia it's necessary to have meetings, and meetings about meetings. One part of the meeting was spent on all the invigilators introducing themselves (30 individuals), even though of course you only work with two other people. Team-building seems to be the thing. Apparently, academic staff have to be the ones to unseal all the boxes, count the papers, and reseal them. This can't be a job for administrative staff. And no, we don't get on to the effectiveness of TOEIC. Maybe this is because the test is so widespread, thus accepted, in Japan.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07399749394665210944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396360.post-14845856578090734172008-01-24T09:12:00.000+09:002008-01-24T09:12:00.000+09:00John,Thanks for the comment. You say that you will...John,<BR/>Thanks for the comment. <BR/><BR/>You say that you will be invigilating the TOEIC all this weekend. Are they giving it several times at your place? <BR/><BR/>In these meetings is there any discussion about why they are offering the TOEIC?<BR/><BR/>I agree with you about the fuzzy connection between success on the TOEIC and language ability. One positive thing that can be said about the test is the transparency. There is a mountain of data available on the test on the Internet, and it is more reliable than the Center exams. <BR/><BR/>I'm also not sure why they needed two hours of meetings before the event. If you are proctoring the TOEIC IP test, it's pretty much of a no-brainer to do. It all comes in the box.5330https://www.blogger.com/profile/11752690938113124517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5396360.post-54445911610696651942008-01-23T22:48:00.000+09:002008-01-23T22:48:00.000+09:00I agree with your views regarding the nature of th...I agree with your views regarding the nature of the exams and would like to add that much the same applies to <A HREF="http://ling-n-life.blogspot.com/2007/04/whats-wrong-with-toeic.html" REL="nofollow">TOEIC</A>. I will be invigilating this disaster of an assessment all this weekend and have generally spent the four hours in the exam room and the two hours of meetings wondering why they persist with something that clearly say nothing about language ability. The only positive note about it is the way the whole thing is conducted with military precision.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07399749394665210944noreply@blogger.com