US ETS to Design Business English Test in China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, July 10, 2002

US ETS to Design Business English Test in China

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US Educational Testing Service ( ETS), the world's largest private educational testing organization, will design a standardized test of practical English for businesses in China, officials said on Tuesday.

ETS, the designer of well-known tests such as TOEFL and GRE, signed a partnership with Beijing Topeak International Education Investment Management Co. Ltd. in Princeton, New Jersey, where the ETS is based, on Tuesday for the creation and use of a test of practical English throughout China.

China's State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) will embrace the newly designed test as a standard for English language as part of a broad training initiative. This will be the first standardized test of practical English in China designed especially for Chinese businesses.

"Since China's WTO entry, competition for talent will intensify, and the Chinese government and enterprises will emphasize vocational training, particularly English language training," said Wu Yongke, director-general of the training department of SETC, in a statement.

"The newly created standard shall be authoritative, internationally recognized, and more efficient in helping Chinese professionals improve their ability to communicate in English," Wu said.

The test will include components for listening, speaking, reading and writing. It is being carefully designed to be representative of global measurement standards on the one hand and to be appropriate for the majority of Chinese business professionals on the other, ETS said.

Officials expect to administer the test several times a year or on demand. The test will be implemented in two stages: It will be promoted and used in Chinese business circles in the first stage and will be used in economic management academies and training centers in the second stage.

"With China's entry into the World Trade Organization, and the 2008 Olympics on the horizon, the Chinese government has challenged millions of key industry managers and workers to become proficient in English," explained ETS President and CEO Kurt Landgraf.

He said the SETC selected ETS because of its reputation among Chinese companies as a global provider of high-quality assessments. ETS develops and administers more than 12 million tests worldwide.

Beijing Topeak Education Investment Management Co. Ltd. was founded in October 2001 with a focus on the promotion of international education cooperation and exchange.

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