Millions of people in Beijing get into training for the 2008 Olympic Games by improving their English language skills.
Preparing for the Games
Cambridge exams are to be a part of the preparations for the Olympics. The Beijing Municipal Government launched its Beijing Speaks to the World project earlier in the year.
By adopting the exams, the Beijing Speaks to the World project aims to ensure that participants gain internationally recognised language certificates, and that the project’s goals will be enhanced by internationally recognised exams.
International certification is essential to the programme as the Beijing Government wishes to have international standards for a truly international city. Since early 2004 the Beijing Municipal Government has been in discussions with University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations to provide English language tests, which are an important and necessary part of the programme.
At the starting block
All successful candidates will receive A1, KET, PET and FCE certificates. The exams are calibrated to the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework Reference (CEFR).
Handbooks for the exams, produced in Chinese, together with teacher training materials were produced in time for a series of teacher seminars to support these exams. An extensive programme of training is taking place; Cambridge ESOL has been training hundreds of Oral Examiners in China in preparation for the evaluation of the Speaking components.
Beijing needs a truly internationally recognised certificate
The exams meet the highest international language proficiency testing standards, meaning that test takers will be gaining an important qualification with long-term benefits to their careers or further studies.
Mr Liu Yang, Director of the Beijing Speaks to the World project, says: ‘In the run up to the 2008 Olympic Games, the Beijing Municipal Government attaches great importance to the Beijing Speaks to the World programme. The programme aims to raise the English language standard of millions of its citizens so that they can welcome the many visitors who will be coming to Beijing for the Olympic Games.’
He goes on to say: ‘As Beijing is an international city we felt the need to have international standards for the programme and central to this is the international certification that Cambridge ESOL examinations have.’
Beijing Speaks to the World
Mickey Bonin, Regional Manager (East Asia and Australasia) for Cambridge ESOL, said: ‘It’s a huge project for Beijing. Anyone living or working in the city can sign up for the exams. This will help people working in areas such as transport, tourism, security and in business to prepare them for the demands and opportunities of the 29th Olympic Games.’
The first candidates to take part in the programme have delivered a remarkable success for the city by achieving a 94% pass rate.