TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) has issued a statement calling for "fairness and equity" to English as a second language programs. It urges public policy makers and managers of educational institutions to exercise fairness and equity in administering program cuts so as not to disadvantage culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. TESOL further urges institutions and agencies to provide full support to the maintenance of programs that strive to address the cultural, linguistic and academic needs of students who study English as a second language.
S. Korean firms require higher TOEIC score
韩国:本土企业较外企看重应聘者托业成绩
SOUTH Korean companies are looking for job applicants with higher TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) scores than foreign companies, a survey has found. According to Incruit, a human resource company in South Korea, an average minimum TOEIC score required of those looking for jobs at the nation's big firms was 729 while foreign firms asked for 720. Public firms request 715 as the minimum TOEIC score. "Foreign firms focus more on applicants' English proficiency during a job interview than the score," an executive of Incruit said.
Adult British literacy drive faces criticism
英国:成人读写技能培训项目遭诟病
BASIC courses aimed at improving British adult literacy skills are a waste of money, Professor Anna Vignoles, a leading education economist of the Institute of Education in London has warned. Figures from the UK National Audit Office showed ￡5 billion ($7 billion) had been spent on the British government's Skills For Life program since 2001, yet an estimated 20 percent of adults still lack basic literacy skills. However, a spokeswoman for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills maintained that investment in adult learning was "money well spent".
