Great news for EIKEN Grade 2 test-takers!
Online English learning program “Study Gear for EIKEN” has added a new learning feauture for the Grade 2 writing test.
September 9, 2016
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Starting this week on September 6th, the Eiken Foundation of Japan, a public interest incorporated foundation (Chairman: Koichi Matsukawa, Location: Shinjuku-ku Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as the “Eiken Foundation”), and the Japan Institute for Educational Measurement, Inc., (President: Daisuke Hojo, Location: Minato-ku Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as “JIEM”), have added a new “feature for writing practice” for Grade 2 to “Study Gear for EIKEN”, a new online-based e-learning service to prepare for the EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency which they jointly manage. |
▼New Feature: Writing practice for Grade 2
With this feature, learners are able to write an argument in English in the same style as the actual Grade 2 writing test and repeatedly practice writing in a practical way while referring to clues and model answers.
●Provides a learning flow consisting of 5 steps based on the process writing framework:
<Brainstorming> → <Outlining> → <Drafting> → <Rewriting/Editing> → <Finalizing>
▼Background of the addition of “writing practice for Grade 2” for test-takers
A writing test was introduced to Grade 2 of the EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency starting from the summer session held in June this year. Many Grade 2 test-takers may be wondering how to prepare for this writing test. Since “Study Gear for EIKEN” has been widely used by English learners to prepare for EIKEN, also providing a free learning service for EIKEN applicants, we determined it necessary to add a writing practice feature provided in the same style as the actual Grade 2 writing test to “Study Gear for EIKEN” and started developing it.
The first stage of the fall session is coming up on October 9th (apply by: September 16th). All test applicants are able to use the basic edition of “Study Gear for EIKEN” for free as usual and Grade 2 test-takers can use the service to practice for writing.
We have also just released a practical writing feature to coincide with the fall session. We will continue to develop the feature further and plan to also provide support for basic skills that help you “learn the basics of writing”. We will make an announcement as soon as it is ready to be released.
▼Study Gear for EIKEN
“Study Gear for EIKEN” is an online learning program developed jointly by the EIKEN Foundation and JIEM which contains “all the necessary learning items in one place” to prepare learners for EIKEN from Grades 2 to 5. It creates an optimized study plan for each learner based on their English level, learning style, and learning period, which varies for each learner and, by studying according to a plan, learners are able to prepare for EIKEN. It has received good reviews from users because each study unit is as short as about 5 minutes, allowing learners to study a little bit at a time when it is convenient, and it also includes the ability to prepare learners for the second stage (interview test) and to help learners study focusing on their weak areas (“NIGATE KOKUFUKU MODE (Weakness focus mode)”). A total of 320,000 people have used it since its release in July 2013.
In addition, according to a survey in 2014 by the EIKEN Foundation, it was found that in the first stage of the Grade Pre-2 test, the pass rate of the applicants who studied for more than 10 days with “Study Gear for EIKEN” was 20% higher on average than those who did not. In response this and other similar results, the EIKEN Foundation made the “basic edition” available to all applicants of EIKEN for free (both “basic edition” and “premium edition” are available), hoping to support the learning of English by allowing more English learners to use “Study Gear for EIKEN”. Please see the following website for more details on “Study Gear for EIKEN”:
https://www.ei-navi.jp/service/studygear.html
In response to the introduction of a writing test in EIKEN Grades Pre-2 and 3 next year, the EIKEN Foundation and JIEM are planning to add more features to “Study Gear for EIKEN” for Grades Pre-2 and 3 as soon as they are ready, similar to the addition of the new writing practice for Grade 2. We will continue to develop optimum learning features with the aim of providing full support for English learners in the future.
＜ The Eiken Foundation of Japan , a public-interest incorporated foundation ＞
The Eiken Foundation of Japan was founded in 1963 with the aim of “spreading and improving practical English”. Since then, they have striven to spread and improve the learning of practical English in a variety of ways including introducing a system of “EIKEN research grants” to support excellent research related to English education as well as running and administering: the Test in Practical English Proficiency, widely known as “EIKEN”; “Jido EIKEN” for children; “BULATS”, which is an English proficiency test for business, and “IELTS”, which is an English proficiency test for those planning to study or move abroad. The name of the organization was changed to “The Eiken Foundation of Japan, a public-interest incorporated foundation” when they received an Approval Certificate from the government in April, 2012.
Eiken Foundation Official Website: https://www.eiken.or.jp/eiken/en/association/
＜ JIEM ＞
JIEM was founded in 2001 with the mission “to contribute to the practice of effective education, which leads to the development of individual ability, through research on accurate measurement techniques (testing) in the field of education and the promotion and distribution of accurate testing methods, which are the outcome of the research.” We strive to not only provide international organizations, governments, businesses, and universities with tests and learning services that we developed, including CASEC, but also develop, analyze, and offer consultation and operation services for a variety of tests in 6 locations in the world (Japan, Singapore, India, China, Hong Kong, and the Philippines).
JIEM Official Website: https://www.jiem.co.jp/en/
