The Latest News in ELT

May 2008

eigoTown.com Launches Interview Sensei DVD
eigoTown.com has launched a special "Interview Sensei" DVD set. The 35-minute DVD is designed to take non-native speakers through the interview process and includes 20 chapters, 10 where the interviewee acts and answers correctly and 10 where the interviewee acts and answers incorrectly. As well as these scenes their is detailed guidance on what interviewers are looking for and what makes the difference between a good and a bad interview. The CD is in English and Japanese. Russell Willis, eigoTown.com president commented: "This DVD can make the difference between success and failure, the difference between getting the job of your dreams or settling for second best. It is ideal for any Japanese student of English who is faced with an English interview." The DVD set retails for 9,980 yen and includes the "Interview Sensei Master Guide" a special workbook and a title from the McGraw Hill Professional Education Series.

Visit: Interview Sensei DVD (in Japanese) (May 28, 2008 )

Sony Offers NHK English on Mobile Portal
Sony Digital Entertainment has started a new English channel on its popular "Hitokoto" mobile portal site designed for young office ladies. The channel ties in with content from the radio English program "Kiso Eigo 1".

The new channel contains the words and example phrases used in the radio program and in the near future will deliver voice messages by native speakers.

Visit: Sony Press Release (PDF)

(May 26, 2008 )

Shane and Thane Show Their True Colours / Colors
Shane English School has released a new book about the differences between British and American English. The book features Briton Shane Lipscombe, the president of the Shane English School chain and TV celebrity Thane Camus, an American. The title of the book in Japanese is "Thane vs Shane, America to Igirisu, Eigo mo Bunka mo Konnani Chigau!"

According to Shane English School:"Shane and Thane explain the differences between America and Britain in an amusing way. They outline not only linguistic differences such as grammar and idiomatic expressions but also what is regarded in each country as common sense about food, clothing, shelter, education, politics and crime. The book also provides examples of misunderstandings based on stereotypes misunderstandings and prejudices."

The book which includes an audio CD is priced at 1,260yen.

Download: School Press Release (PDF in Japanese) (May 23, 2008 )

Foreign Elementary School Teachers Hired Full Time
In what is said to be a first in Japan, Akita's elementary schools will hire foreigners as full-time teachers from next April. The move is designed as a response to English lessons becoming a compulsory part of the elementary school curriculum.

Visit: Asahi.com (May 21, 2008 )

Language Schools Target Elderly
With over a fifth of Japan's population over the age of 65--a whopping 27 million--and an even larger number over 50, language schools are courting those retired and taking early retirement to fill empty classrooms. Traditionally supported by men and women in their 20s and 30s the schools believe that this new elderly,affluent, demographic is a big part of their future.

Japan Today reports that GABA has set up a course titled "Senior 50 Plus" whilst Berlitz has been running daytime courses for the middle-aged since 2004. Daytime is ideal as many middle-aged people feel uncomfortable keeping up with younger students.

Conversation schools have been looking for ways to invigorate the market since the demise of NOVA. Language schools across the board have suffered as NOVA's collapse has eroded confidence in the industry amongst consumers.

Visit: Japan Today ()

eigoTown Launches Soap Opera on iTunes
eigoTown.com has launched the first season of its popular "Akiko and Tina" podcast series as an audio book on Apple's iTunes site. The audio book collects together the 12 episodes that comprised the first season of the drama series that ran in eigoTown's "Eigo No Hint" podcast series, a series whose cumulative downloads ran into the millions and went to no.2 in the national charts on iTunes.

eigoTown president Russell Willis commented: "The drama centers around Akiko and Tina's experience in a foreign firm in Tokyo and how they deal with the various cultural problems-and opportunities-that arise. Akiko and Tina is amazingly popular with both men and women in their 20s and early 30s. We're pleased to be able to release this deluxe version that allows people to listen to the series in one go."

The audio book costs 900 yen and lasts 50 minutes. It is designed for university students and above.

Visit: eigoTown's Akiko and Tina page (in Japanese)

Visit: iTunes (May 14, 2008 )

Oxford Relaunches Bookworms
Oxford University Press' global relaunch of its 200-plus title Bookworms Library kicks of this month. The series has been rejacketed and updated with the picture size on the front now filling the whole cover. The new editions also includes many pictures of film stars in order to increase student appeal.

This new edition also sees the launch of the World Stories series. This series features stories from around the world illustrated by local artists. The books are written in different "world Englishes". (May 12, 2008 )

Ritsumeikan University Students Publish Kyoto Guidebook in English
Policy Science students at Ritsumeikan University have published an English guide book entitled Kiyamachi Walker designed for foreign visitors. The books is part of the university’s “Decoding Kyoto” program which -- recognizing that Kyoto is an international city -- aims to help break down language barriers. For the book, students collected information about local shops and services, researched the history of the town and interviewed foreign residents. The guidebook examines the history of the Kiyamachi.

The university’s publications are available at local shops and tourist information centers. Their website is also open to the public.

Visit: Kiyamachi Walker

(May 10, 2008 )

TOEIC to Revise Certificate and Scoring Comments for LPI
The Institute for International Business Communication has announced that the official comments on the score certificate are to be revised.

In the revised edition scores for fluency, consistency, connection and length of sentences, vocabulary, grammar, intonation, and listening have been added to provide a more exact analysis of an examinees’ speaking abilities. In addition, vocabulary, grammar, intonation and pronunciation mistakes from the interview are listed and corrections given. There are also comments and advice provided by the interviewer. The revision will be take effect from June 2009.

The Language Proficiency Interview (LPI) is an oral test for advanced students of English conducted by IIBC. Exams are held every month in Tokyo and Osaka.

Visit: The TOEIC Official Website

(May 09, 2008 )

SNS iKnow Starts New Learning Service for Finance and Accounting English
Cerego Japan has launched a new channel on its iKnow service targeting key finance and accounting terms. The channel ties in with the book “Pro no Eigo” published by Nikkei BP

iKnow is a participative English learning service which everyone can use for free. In March 2008 the service claimed to have over 100,000 users. This new release is the third version of its Professional English Series and there are many new words and expressions related to finance and accounting which are used in real business situations. iKnow has 74 learning courses in all.

Visit: Press Release Visit: Nikkei BP

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OUP and CUP Under Attack
Oxford University Press and Cambridge University press have come under attack for, allegedly, taking unfair advantage of their charitable status.

CUP and OUP generate large tax-exempt profits, much of which come from ELT publishing. These profits can be reinvested in publications that compete with commercial publishers. The managing director of Pickering and Chatto is quoted in the Bookseller as saying "I just want a level playing field...they look very much like a commercial business and certainly the US office is more commercial than anything." An OUP spokesperson, again quoted in the Bookseller said: "OUP as a university press and a department of the University of Oxford, furthers the university's objective of excellence in research, scholarship and education by publishing worldwide. The university, of which OUP is a part, has charitable status in the UK." (May 08, 2008 )

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