ETS to Hold TOEFL® iBT Teacher Training Workshop and Seminar

in Beijing and Shanghai

　　Beijing, China (June 17, 2008) - The Educational Testing Service (ETS) China representative office has announced the launch of ETS TOEFL® iBT Teacher Training Workshop and Seminar in Beijing and Shanghai. The three-day training sessions will be offered in Beijing on July 11-13 and in Shanghai on July 14-16, 2008.

Ms. Emilie Pooler, a respected senior expert on TOEFL® iBT research & development and teacher training at ETS headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, will travel to China during the training sessions to offer official and authoritative guidance to English teachers and individuals who engage in TOEFL® iBT training in China.

　　ETS introduced its global TOEFL iBT® teacher development program, the Propell Workshop for TOEFL® iBT, in China in 2006. This teacher training and seminar will be the first specially tailored event offered by ETS for English teachers in China this year. ETS will use this opportunity to conduct in-depth discussions with more English teaching and training institutions in China.

　　The defining factor of the 2008 workshop and seminar compared to the previous one-day TOEFL® iBT training session in 2006 is a shift away from the conventional ‘lecturing and listening teacher training model. The interactive communication method will offer trainees more opportunities to carry out face-to-face communication with a senior expert. This format will also help trainees localize TOEFL® iBT concepts of communicative English language teaching and learning to explore and solve real problems they encounter at work. This will also encourage discussion of various topics concerning the education system and culture. Furthermore the characteristics of the TOEFL® iBT throughout the complete process from test question design to test score assessment will be illustrated.

The ETS expert will also demonstrate and instruct trainees how to use TOEFL Practice Online (TPO), the official TOEFL® iBT simulation tool, during the workshop and seminar. The training workshop and seminar is open to all relevant organizations and individuals in China and ETS will grant certificates for participants who complete this training course.

　　ETS will also use this opportunity to introduce The Official Guide to the NEW TOEFL® iBT 2008 edition to all participants. The Guide is a compilation of the most up-to-date TOEFL® iBT test questions since its launch in September 2005, and will serve as useful preparation and guidance. It will be an essential tool for test takers who wish to achieve excellent TOEFL® iBT scores.

　　ETS has long attached great importance to English language learners in China, and we hope to make our own contribution to Chinas social and economic growth by providing them and their teachers with comprehensive support and guidance, says Eng Han Tan, ETS China office Chief Representative. As a bridge between ETS headquarters and the China education sector, the ETS China office is committed to introducing the most updated and authoritative ETS products and services. ETS China is also committed to enhancing the provision of English teaching materials and teacher development in order to meet the education needs and provide Chinese users more materials and professional services.

Registration for this training workshop and seminar is now open. For more registration information and other questions, please visit http://www.toeictest.com.cn/ or call Ms. Wang of the ETS China office at (010) 8836-0286 ext. 209.

　　ABOUT ETS AND ETS GLOBAL

　　ETS is a nonprofit organization with the mission to advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services for all people worldwide. Founded in 1947, ETS designs, develops, delivers and scores more than 50 million tests annually in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide.

　　ETSs Global Division and its related subsidiaries have offices around the world to meet the needs of non-U.S. based entities in Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. In serving individuals, businesses, educational institutions, government agencies and membership organizations worldwide, ETS offers valid and reliable assessments, research and related services such as customized solutions workforce products and services, and research-based teaching and learning tools.

　　For more information, visit the ETS Global website at www.ets.org/etsglobal.

　　ABOUT TOEFL TEST

　　The TOEFL® iBT test sets a new standard for measuring communicative English skills by simulating actual academic situations. Backed by ten years of research, development and testing, the TOEFL iBT test redefines the way English is learned and measured. It is the first large-scale, Internet-delivered, English-proficiency assessment to measure test takers ability to integrate and use all four language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. The new test also sets the standard for providing fair, unbiased and objective scoring, building on ETSs record and reputation as the world leader in all facets of educational assessment. More than 6,000 colleges and universities in 110 countries rely on TOEFL® test scores to measure the English-language skills of their students. Visit www.ets.org/toefl for more information.