The Worldwide Triumph of English

By GWYNNE DYER LONDON — The second president of the United States, John Adams, predicted in 1780 that "English will be the most respectable language in the world and the most universally read and spoken in the next century, if not before the end of this one." It is destined "in the next and succeeding centuries to be more generally the language of the world than Latin was in the last or French is in the present age." It was a bold prediction, for at that time there were only about 13 million English-speakers in the world, almost all of them living in Britain or on the eastern seaboard of North America. They were barely 1 percent of the world's population, and almost nobody except the Welsh and the Irish bothered to learn English as a second language. So how is Adams' prediction doing now?

TOEIC's popularity on the rise

The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is becoming popular as English is an essential skill for employees as companies expand overseas. The number of applicants in Japan for the TOEIC test, which measures English language skills necessary for international business, in fiscal 2011 increased by about 30 percent to 2.27 million from the previous fiscal year. The figure is close to the 2.3 million who applied to take the Test in Practical English Proficiency (Eiken) in fiscal 2011. Eiken is the most popular English proficiency test in Japan, and its Japanese name literally translates to "English skill test." It is possible that TOEIC will replace Eiken as Japan's most popular English language test. TOEIC has become popular partly because companies have increased their international activities and students face difficult job markets.

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 11

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Clothes ·         How important are clothes and fashion to you? Why? Why not? ·         What kind of clothes do you dislike? Why? ·         How different are the clothes you wear now from those you wore 10 years ago? ·         What do you think the clothes we wear say about us?

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 9

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Entertainment ·         Do you prefer relaxing at home or going out in the evening? Why? ·         When you go out in the evening, what do you like to do? ·         How popular is this with other people in your country? ·         Is there any kind of entertainment you do not like? Why? Why not?

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 8

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Colour ·         What’s your favourite colour? Why? ·         Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were younger? Why? Why not? ·         What can you learn about a person from the colours they like? ·         Do any colours have a special meaning in your culture?

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 7

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Your country ·         Which part of your country do most people live in? ·         Tell me about the main industries there? ·         How easy is it to travel around your country? ·         Has your country changed much since you were a child?

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 6

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Newspaper ·         When did you first start reading newspaper? Why? ·         What different kinds of newspaper are there in your country? ·         How important is it for people to read the news rather than watch it on TV? Why?

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 5

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Your local area ·         Where is your hometown? ·         How long have you lived there? ·         What is there to see and do in your local area? ·         What improvements would you like to see made in your local area?

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 4

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Friends ·         How important is friendship to you? ·         Do you have friends who live in other countries? ·         What qualities do you look for in a friend? ·         What kind of thins do you like to do when you get together with your friends?

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 2

PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Hobbies ·         Tell me about any hobbies you have now or had in the past. ·         Do you feel you have enough free time for hobbies? Why? Why not? ·         How important is it for people to have hobbies at different ages? ·         If you had the chance to take up a new hobby, what would it be? Why?

Subsidy eyed to promote study abroad

  40 universities could receive 5-year grants

The Yomiuri Shimbun - The education ministry plans to establish a new financial support system for universities encouraging students to study abroad, it has been learned. The ministry aims to promote the idea of studying abroad to Japanese students, who are often regarded as being introverted, to foster human resources who will be motivated to actively participate in the nation's domestic and international affairs. The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry is targeting about 40 universities and plans to grant from 100 million yen to 200 million yen in annual subsidies to each institution.

IELTS SPEAKING PRACTICE 1

Travel and Tourism
PART 1

                The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Travel ·         Have you ever travelled outside your country? ·         What do you think is the best way to travel? ·         If you were going on a long trip, who would you prefer to go with? ·         What are some of the benefits of travelling?