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Contents

【Featured interview】“ Japan needs to restore its substance in order to recover its influence ” 4

Yoriko Kawaguchi, Member of the House of Councillors

【Special Feature】TOEIC® test displays its true value as the Japanese economy evolves 2

Stages in the history of the TOEIC® test and social and economic changes in Japan 6

“ We urgently need a system of English education that addresses the real needs of the corporatecommunity and society ” 10

Junichi Chida, President, ICC, Inc.

“ Teaching English in schools helps minimize international conflict and promotes world peace ” 14Eiji Saitou, Professor at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies and President of the Japan Association of English Teaching in Elementary Schools

Use of the TOEIC® test and changes in school education 17

Story behind TOEIC's birth / Message from IIBC 18

【Data File】30 years of TOEIC® tests by the numbers 19

【Information】Utilization of the TOEIC® test for entrance exams and credit authorization 20

Thirty years after the Secure Program was first held in December 1979, the TOEIC test, which was developed toachieve the mission of promoting global communication in English, has become a truly global examination. Todaysome 1.7 million people per year take the test in Japan, while around five million people worldwide take it in someninety countries. Indeed, the progress of the TOEIC test has mirrored the advance of internationalization andglobalization.In this issue, we look back at thirty years of the TOEIC test: a period of three decades during which the test hascome to be recognized as the global standard for gauging English communicative ability.

【Special Feature】

30 years of TOEIC®

―Digest Version―

TOEIC Newsletter®

No.105

The TOEIC® Newsletter is published quarterly by the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC) in Japanese. It features how the TOEICtest is used effectively within companies, universities and other institutions. We offer the latest case studies of TOEIC test usage to our clients, so theycan take full advantage of the TOEIC test within their organization. In this journal, we also introduce a trend of global human resources development andthe globalization movement in Japan. This issue is a summary of the TOEIC Newsletter No.105 (issued: June 2009) translated into English by IIBC for its readers around the world.

Copyright 2009 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logos and TOEIC are registered trademarks of Educational TestingService in the United States of America and other countries throughout the world.

C

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TOEIC® test displays its true valueas the Japanese economy evolvesThe TOEIC test was devised in Japan and the Secure Program (SP) was first held in December 1979. Atthe time, the creator of the test foresaw an era in which there would be a need for many Japanesepeople to improve their English skills, not just a select few involved in their company's overseasdepartments. Today, 30 years later, that prediction has been borne out, as demonstrated by the 1.7million people who take the TOEIC test per year.So, let's take a look at the 30 years of the TOEIC test, during which it has displayed its true value, whileprogressing along with the internationalization and globalization of the Japanese economy.

Milestones in the history of the TOEIC test Milestones in the history of the Japanese economy1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

●Development of the TOEIC test entrusted to theEducational Testing Service (ETS) in the U.S.

●World Economic Information Services (WEIS) chosen to holdand administer the TOEIC test

●WEIS establishes TOEIC Steering Committee●First TOEIC Secure Program (SP) test held

●TOEIC Newsletter launched

●TOEIC Institutional Program (IP) test begins

●TOEIC test launched in South Korea

●Total number of TOEIC test takers exceeds 200,000●Annual number of IP test takers exceeds 50,000

●Institute for International Business Communication(IIBC) founded

●Annual number of IP test takers exceeds 100,000

●TOEIC used to measure English proficiency of staff at theSeoul Olympics

●Total number of TOEIC test takers exceeds 500,000

●Number of companies and organizations utilizing the IP testexceeds 500

●Total number of TOEIC test takers exceeds 1 million●International Symposium is held to celebrate TOEIC's 10thanniversary

●TOEIC Representative Office opened in unified Germany

●U.S.-Japan color TV Orderly Marketing Agreement signed

●New Tokyo International Airport opened in Narita

●Japanese business management style positively viewedoverseas

●Sony launches its portable headphone-based stereo, the Walkman

●Japan produces its ten-millionth car, becoming the world'smain auto-manufacturing country

●Japan introduces voluntary curbs on car exports to theU.S.

●Production of Japanese cars in the U.S. commences

●Tokyo Disneyland opens

●Tokyo Stock Exchange price index exceeds 10,000 yen

●The yen appreciates against other currencies after signing ofthe Plaza Accord

●Equal Employment Opportunity Law for Men and Womenpassed

●Beginning of Japan's bubble economy

●Tokyo Stock Exchange price index exceeds 20,000 yen●“Black Monday”collapse of the New York Stock Exchange

●Great Seto Bridge opened●Tokyo Stock Exchange price index exceeds 30,000 yen

●Fall of the Berlin Wall●Tokyo Stock Exchange price index reaches a record high of38,915.87 yen

●Japan's economic bubble bursts●Number of Japanese people traveling overseas exceeds10 million per year

●Japan deregulates import of beef and oranges from the U.S.

●Recent graduates face tough job market in Japan

【【Special Feature】】30 years of TOEIC®

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Trend in the number of examinees

* More information on p.6-9 for items in bold type.* Numbers of examinees and organizations administering TOEIC programtests are calculated according to fiscal year.

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

（Unit : thousand persons）1,800

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

03 7

12102

231112

351421

591742

8819

（FY）

SP testIP test

Milestones in the history of the TOEIC test Milestones in the history of the Japanese economy1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2009

●TOEIC Japan Research Committee established; First TOEICInternational Research Meeting held in Hong Kong

●TOEIC test adopted for screening Nagano WinterOlympic Games language volunteers

●Number of universities utilizing the IP test exceeds 100

●Production and worldwide operation of the TOEIC Programoutsourced to the Chauncey Group International (an ETSsubsidiary)

●Total number of TOEIC test takers exceeds 5 million●Official TOEIC website launched

●TOEIC 20th Anniversary Commemorative Symposium held

●Annual number of TOEIC test takers exceeds 1 million

●TOEIC Bridge launched

●Total number of TOEIC test takers exceeds 10 million

●TOEIC program again comes under the jurisdiction of ETS

●New TOEIC test launched

●TOEIC Speaking and Writing tests launched

●Institutional Program of TOEIC SW tests launched

●TOEIC test celebrates its 30th anniversary

2008

●European Union formed

●Kansai International Airport opened

●World Trade Organization (WTO) established●Yen appreciates to a record high of 79.75 against theU.S. dollar

●Housing Loan Administration Corporation established●Multi-channel digital broadcasting begins

●Kyoto Protocol on the prevention of global warming adopted

●Nagano Winter Olympic Games held●Japan undergoes financial“Big Bang”

●Bank of Japan adopts zero-interest monetary policy●Nissan enters capital tie-up with Renault

●NASDAQ Japan listed on the Osaka Stock Exchange●Japan's first exclusively Internet-based bank, Japan Net Bank,opens for business

●Internet Fair 2001 Japan held●U.S. shaken by September 11 terrorist attacks

●Japan Federation of Economic Organizations and JapanFederation of Employers' Associations are combined to formNippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation)

●Roppongi Hills opens●Terrestrial digital television broadcasts begin in Tokyo, Nagoyaand Osaka

●Dispatch of temp worker permitted in the manufacturingindustry

●Chubu International Airport (Centrair) opens●World's Fair (Expo 2005) held in Aichi

●New Companies Act comes into effect●Number of Japanese nationals overseas reaches 1million for first time in the post-war period

●Tokyo Midtown opens●Toyota becomes the world's largest auto manufacturer interms of production units

●Oil prices reach a record high of $147.27 per barrel●Lehman Brothers (U.S.) collapses, sparking a global financialcrisis

●Barack Obama elected President of the U.S.

69

11726

91

15838

120

21852

166

268

63

205

332

76

256

387

100

287

441

129

312

437

141

296

443

147

296

565

193

372

603

223

380

712

831870

1,2801,326

1,423 1,433

679

754

1,499 1,526

1,635

1,718

694 666

711778

805 860924

940

1,092

289

358396

582 622685

514

423 473 474

698704 738

578

Japan needs to restore its substance in order to recover its inf luence

Born in 1941. Graduated from the University of Tokyo

College of Arts and Sciences in 1965 and joined the

Ministry of International Trade and Industry; and in

1972 received a master's degree in economics from

Yale University. Served as envoy at the Japanese

Embassy in the U.S. in 1990 and was appointed

deputy director-general for environmental issues at

the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in

1992, before being appointed managing director of

Suntory Limited in 1993. Appointed head of the

Environment Agency in 2000; Japan's inaugural

Minister of the Environment in 2001; Minister of

Foreign Affairs in 2002; and Special Advisor to the

Prime Minister in 2004. Elected to the House of

Councillors in the 2005 Kanagawa by-election and re-

elected in 2007. Currently serves on the House of

Councillors Committee on the Environment; is the

senior director of the Research Committee on

International Affairs and Global Warming Issues; and

is the Chairwoman of the Research Commission on

the Environment, Policy Research Council, the Liberal

Democratic Party.

Member of the House of Councillors

Featured interview

Yoriko Kawaguchi

English is a necessity for living in a globalsociety

-The TOEIC test has turned thirty. As the worldbecomes increasingly globalized, what role do youthink English plays within the corporatecommunity?

Just as it is now commonplace for anyJapanese person walking down the street toencounter a person from a foreign country, so hasglobalization now become an accepted fact of life.For instance, in the current recession brought on bythe global financial crisis, along with addressing theissue of jobs for Japanese people, we must alsonaturally consider how to support Brazilians andother foreigner residents working in Japan; and weare taking action in that regard. So, from thatperspective, as well, I think the mentality thatJapanese people have towards globalization isbeginning to change.

At present, the world is focusing on thenegative side of globalization, but we must not forgetthe benefits that it has brought us thus far, such asthe expansion of employment opportunities. A goodexample of this is Japan's automotive industry. This

Yoriko Kawaguchi

Yoriko Kawaguchi has close ties with the TOEICtest: when she was at the former Ministry ofInternational Trade and Industry, she was involved inestablishing the Institute for International BusinessCommunication. We asked Mrs. Kawaguchi aboutEnglish and Japan's globalization.

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【【Special Feature】】30 years of TOEIC®

in the 2011 academic year. It is said that children areable to grasp and understand different sounds bythat age, so I hope that the classes are taught bynative speakers of English whenever possible.

Youngsters should seek to fulfill theirpotential wherever in the world it maylead them

-It has been said that in recent years the presenceof Japan has declined. What is your view on that?

In the days of Japan's rapid economicgrowth and during the 1980s, Japan had somethingto draw the world towards it. The country had realsubstance that attracted the rest of the world. Thesedays, however, the world's interest has shifted toChina and other countries. There is a lot ofmovement in China at the moment and, again, theinterest lies in the substance that China offers. That'swhy I believe Japan needs to restore its substance.We need to show the world that we can developtechnologies; that we are making new things; thatour industries are strong; and that the country isgrowing robustly. Fostering people with the ability tocompete in the international arena will also lead tomore interest in Japan. Only with real substance canJapan reestablish its presence; and, if we can improveour ability to use English as a tool forcommunication, I think Japan's influence willnaturally be enhanced.

-Finally, what expectations do you have for Japan'syounger generationーits future leaders?

I think that when people are young it iscommon to be confused about what kind of personwe are and what we are capable of doing. To find ananswer, I think young people need to examinethemselves in a range of settings, not just in Japanbut out in the wider world as well. It is importantthat they develop themselves and expand theirpotential by coming up against, and dealing with,the sorts of challenges they would not be able toencounter in Japan. Also, seeing the world outside ofJapan helps us appreciate how wonderful our owncountry is.

That's why I urge the younger generation totest themselves overseas.

very wide-ranging industry employs many peopleand has driven the Japanese economy forward. Oneunexpected outcome of the current economicdownturn is that it has highlighted the extent towhich the auto industry has created new jobs up tonow.

In the past, people working for Japanesecompanies could largely be divided into two groups,international and domestic. And it was assumed thatonly those involved with international affairs couldspeak English. These days, however, I believe thedistinction between the international and domesticgroups has become blurred, now that English is askill that everyone requires. The ability to speakEnglish is no longer something special; it is aprerequisite for living in a global society.

Successful international communicationdepends on the ability to speak logically

-In addition to English ability, what skills do youthink businesspeople will need in the future?

They will need to be able to explain theirideas logically in order to have people understandthem. In Japan, for instance, a great emphasis isplaced on employment, but it would not be verypersuasive to defend that viewpoint by just saying:“This is the Japanese way.” It would be far moreconvincing to offer the following sort of explanation:“Employing a person is an investment made by thecompany. Given the effort made by the employer tohire someone, it is natural for a company to wantthat employee to stay for a long time in order to geta return on the investment. This is the reason whyworkers are not easily laid off in Japan.” I think thatsuch logical arguments are an integral part ofcommunication.

-What would you like to see in language (English)education in the future?

I think the important thing is to providetraining that instills in people the ability to speak intheir chosen language. At the same time, it is vital tofoster logical thinking, and pronunciation shouldnot be overlooked either. In this sense, I think it isgood that English will become compulsory for fifth-and sixth-grade elementary school students starting

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【【Special Feature】】30 years of TOEIC®

Stages in the history of the TOEIC® test and social andeconomic changes in Japan

The thirty-year history of the TOEIC test has seen a number of distinct periods. In this section, we willtake a closer look at some of the important events over those years, along with some majordevelopments in the Japanese economy and society.

Various stages in the history of the TOEIC test Japanese economic and social milestones

1977Development of the TOEIC testentrusted to the Educational TestingService (ETS) in the U.S.

In 1977, a Japanese man visited the Educational Testing Service(ETS), a test developing institution in the U.S.. The man'sname was Yasuo Kitaoka. He believed that it was not possible toparticipate in international business without the ability tocommunicate in English, so he wanted to create a globalyardstick that could objectively measure such ability in a waythat could provide learning goals for people studying English.

ETS took aninterest in Mr.Kitaoka's idea andagreed to developthe test. Thismarked thebeginning of thecreation of theTOEIC test.

U.S.-Japan color TV Orderly MarketingAgreement signed

In the 1970s, the trade friction between Japan and the U.S.worsened. Exports of Japanese color televisions to the U.S. grewjust as sales in the U.S. were slumping, thus increasing themarket share of Japanese TVs to around 30 percent in 1976.

This resulted in an overt movement towards import restrictionsand in May 1977 Japan and the U.S. entered an OrderlyMarketing Agreement (OMA) regarding color televisions.Subsequently, Japanese color TV manufacturers set up factoriesin the U.S., resulting in a recovery of the market share of U.S.-made televisions to 89.2 percent in 1980. In June of that yearthe OMA was terminated.

Educational Testing Service, a test development institution in the U.S.

1979First TOEIC Secure Program (SP) testheldETS took only two years to develop the TOEIC test.Meanwhile, in Japan, it was decided in December 1978 that theadministration and operation of the TOEIC test would behandled by World Economic Information Services (WEIS). TheTOEIC Steering Committee was established within WEIS thefollowing year. Then, in December 1979, the first SP test washeld in Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka. A totalof 2,773 people took the test (1,929 men and 844 women).Around 70 percent of them (1,848) were businesspeople thatbelonged to companies or other organizations.

Japanese business management stylepositively viewed overseasJapan as Number One: Lessons for America, a book published in1979, became a bestseller in the U.S. as well as a major hit inJapan. Written by Professor Ezra F. Vogel, a research fellow onJapan at Harvard University, the book pursued the theme ofwhy Japan was able emerge on top in competition against theU.S..

The U.S. had reached a low point at the time in terms ofinternational competitiveness, while Japan was developingremarkably into an economic power. Japanese businessmanagement practices such as Toyota's“Kanban System”hadbegun to garner attention around the world. As a result, U.S.companies also began to implement that system along withother Japanese production methods.

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Various stages in the history of the TOEIC test Japanese economic and social milestones

1981TOEIC Institutional Program (IP) testbeginsThe Institutional Program was launched in 1981. Initially, it wasmainly used by companies wanting to gauge the English abilitiesof their overseas staff and new recruits. The number of newemployees taking the IP test reached 10,000 by 1986 and thenumber of companies and organizations using the IP testexceeded 500 by 1989. Around that time, a growing number ofuniversities began to utilize the test as well.

In the FY2007, some 2,700 companies and organizations wereusing the IP test, along with around 800 universities; and thefollowing year around 940,000 people took the IP test.

Japan introduces voluntary curbs on carexports to the U.S.

Japan became the world's biggest producer of cars in the 1980s,which served to increase car-trade friction between Japan andthe U.S. With demand in the U.S. for smaller vehicles risingafter the first oil shock, Japan's exports of cars to the U.S.increased. Meanwhile, the U.S. auto manufacturers, whomainly built large vehicles, saw sales slump, leading to the masslayoffs of their workers.

In reaction, the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union leda boycott of Japanese cars and Japanese auto exports to the U.S.became a major political issue. In May 1981, it was decidedthat Japan would voluntarily restrict exports to the U.S. to amaximum of 1,680,000 vehicles per year.

1982TOEIC test launched in South KoreaIn January 1982, around two years after the first SP test was heldin Japan, the TOEIC test was administered for the first time inSouth Korea. Initially, most of the South Korean examinees tookthe IP test, with major conglomerates Samsung, Hyundai,Daewoo, and Lucky Goldstar using it to their advantage. Sincethat time, the number of examinees has grown steadily. Also theuse of the TOEIC test expanded into Asia, the Middle East,Europe, and South America. In 2007, around five million peoplewere taking the test worldwide, in some ninety countries. InSouth Korea, approximately two million people took the TOEICtest in 2008, with around 95 percent of them taking the SP test.

Production of Japanese cars in the U.S.commences

In the 1980s, Japanese auto manufacturers began in earnest toproduce their cars locally in the U.S. as a way to relieve thetrade friction between the two countries. Honda led the packwhen it set up a plant in Ohio in 1978 and began producingmotorcycles the following year. In 1982, production began atHonda's newly completed car factory.

This spurred the rest of the Japanese auto manufacturers tofollow Honda's lead. Nissan began producing trucks inTennessee in 1983 and Toyota set up a joint venture plant withGeneral Motors in California in 1984.

1986Institute for International BusinessCommunication (IIBC) foundedThe use of the TOEIC test expanded steadily since the test'sinception. In 1985, the cumulative number of examinees reached200,000. In February 1986, the Institute for InternationalBusiness Communication (IIBC) was founded in order toestablish a solid operational foundation for TOEIC and facilitatethe operation and administration of the test; and the TOEICSteering Committee was transferred to the new institute.

The IIBC's charter states that its purpose is to promote thedevelopment and improvement of international businesscommunication skills and thereby contribute to the facilitationof international economic activity and promotion of economicties.

Beginning of Japan's bubble economy

In September 1985, a meeting of G5 finance ministers andcentral bank governors issued a joint statement announcingcooperative intervention to help stem the appreciation of thedollar. This became known as the Plaza Accord and it set off arapid appreciation of the yen.

This initiative, combined with the Bank of Japan's ultra-easymonetary policy, created an oversupply of cash and inflated aneconomic bubble in Japan. The strong yen and the bubbleeconomy were the touchstones for a rapid increase in directforeign investment in Japan and the establishment of overseassubsidiaries by Japanese companies.

Meanwhile, Japan's Equal Employment Opportunity Law forMen and Women was enacted in April 1986. This led to morewomen being hired for career-track jobs, and sparked the rise ofthe“career woman.”

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Various stages in the history of the TOEIC test Japanese economic and social milestones

1990Total number of TOEIC test takersexceeds 1 millionThe 32nd TOEIC SP test, held in May 1990, was the first tohave more than 20,000 examinees, with a total of 21,866 peopletaking the test. Taking the IP test takers into account, thecumulative number of examinees reached one millionーa feataccomplished just ten years after the first test was administered.In November 1990, an international symposium was held tocelebrate TOEIC 10th anniversary, under the theme:“Communication in the Global Era”

Number of Japanese people travelingoverseas exceeds 10 million per yearOverseas travel for Japanese people was deregulated in 1964. Inthat year, 128,000 people traveled overseas and this numbersubsequently grew every year. With the yen so strong after thePlaza Accord, as well as the benefits from the bubble economy,the number of Japanese traveling overseas broke the 10-millionmark in 1990, with some 10,997,000 people visiting foreigncountries that year. The number of overseas travelers peaked in2000 at 17,819,000.

1995TOEIC test adopted for screeningNagano Winter Olympic Games languagevolunteersThe International Olympic Committee in June 1991 choseNagano as the venue for the 18th Winter Olympic Games in1998. In preparation for hosting the games, the TOEIC test was

adopted in 1995 as the method ofmeasuring the English skills of peopleregistering as volunteers. The volunteerswere grouped into two levels:interpreter and general. The target scorewas 730 or higher for interpreter-levelvolunteers, and 470 or higher forgeneral-level volunteers.

Yen appreciates to a record high of79.75 against the U.S. dollarJapan's economic bubble burst and domestic demand cooled in1990 when its stock market crashed. Yet exports remainedstrong and Japan maintained its trade surplus. As a result, theyen continued to appreciate and in 1994 it broke the thresholdof 100 yen to the dollar for the first time. The yen reached itsall-time exchange rate high on April 19, 1995, at 79.75 yen tothe dollar on the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market.

In other developments, the World Trade Organization (WTO)was established in January 1995 to replace the GeneralAgreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), with the aim ofbetter promoting free trade.

The international symposium celebrating TOEIC 10th anniversary

2000Annual number of TOEIC test takersexceeds 1 millionIn FY2000, 1,092,000 people took the TOEIC test. This was thefirst time for the annual number of test takers to exceed the one-million mark, representing a marked increase of 25.5 percent overthe previous year, when 870,000 people took the test. Causes ofthe rise in numbers include cultural factors, such as theadvancement of internationalization; practical factors like theincrease in the number of examinations per year, from three inFY1990 to seven (at some venues) in FY2000 and the expansionin the number of areas where the tests are held from 20 to 56; andthe emergence of new ways of utilizing the TOEIC test, includingcorporate use of TOEIC scores as a standard for promotion andadvancement and for credit authorization at universities.

NASDAQ Japan listed on the OsakaStock ExchangeIn May 2000, NASDAQ Japan, a securities marketconcentrating on emerging companies, debuted at the OsakaSecurities Exchange (OSE). NASDAQ (U.S.) pulled out in2002, leaving the OSE to run the market. The public was askedto come up with a new name for the exchange and the resultwas the decision in December 2002 to call it“Nippon NewMarket, Hercules.”In 2004, the OSE itself was listed onHercules. Together with JASDAQ, and Mothers operated bythe Tokyo Stock Exchange, Hercules has helped forge the wayfor emerging companies to be listed on the market. At present,approximately 170 companies are listed on Hercules.

（Unit : thousand persons）

（year）

20,00018,00016,00014,00012,00010,0008,0006,0004,0002,00001975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

2,4663,909

4,948

10,997

15,298

17,81916,216 16,523

13,296

16,831 17,404 17,535 17,295

Trend in the number of Japanese overseas travelers

Olympic volunteer hopefuls take the TOEIC test

Prepared by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism from Ministry ofJustice data

― 9―

TOEIC Speaking and Writing testslaunchedWith the advance of globalization, there has been an increase inthe need to directly measure the ability to communicate in writtenand spoken English. The TOEIC Speaking and Writing tests(TOEIC SW tests) were developed to meet this demand, and theSecure Program of TOEIC SW tests debuted in January 2007.

The TOEIC SW tests, which are conducted online usingcomputers, are a means ofdirectly gauging speaking andwriting skills. The firstTOEIC SW tests were takenby 370 examinees at 21venues in Japan; in 2008, theywere held in 19 countries.

Various stages in the history of the TOEIC test Japanese economic and social milestones

TOEIC Bridge® launchedThe first TOEIC Bridge SP test was held in November 2001 in12 cities in Japan. TOEIC Bridge was developed to respond toan increased demand for a test aimed at beginner orintermediate level learners that was easier, more accessible, moreappropriate to daily life, and shorter than the TOEIC test.

The first SP test attracted 195 examinees. In FY2008, thenumber of people taking the TOEIC Bridge annually reached170,000.

Internet Fair 2001 Japan heldIn 2001, the Japanese government held the Internet Fair 2001Japan as one of its projects to commemorate the new millennium.

The Association for the Promotion of Internet Culture was setup as a private-sector support group under Chairman HiroshiOkuda who was the chairman of Toyota at the time. The maingovernment portal, which featured content in Japanese, English,Chinese, and Korean, earned high praise for drumming upinterest in the Internet and information technology amongsectors of the population that were not previously so inclined;and for boosting the spread of broadband technology and ADSL.

2006New TOEIC test launchedA redesigned TOEIC test was introduced with the 122nd SPtest in May 2006. The concept of the new test was to be“more authentic,”with the emphasis placed on recreating real

situations in order for the test to be able to assess examinees'skills in the sort of English required for actual communication.Specifically, the new test featured longer passages and a morevaried mix of accents, from the U.S., Britain, Canada andAustralia (as well as New Zealand); and error recognition itemswere removed.

Number of Japanese nationals overseas reaches1 million for first time in the post-war period A 2005 survey on Japanese citizens residing overseas, conductedby Ministry of Foreign Affairs and published in May 2006,revealed that the number of Japanese people living outside ofJapan reached one million for the first time in the post-warperiod, reflecting the globalization of the economy.

According to the survey, 1,012,547 Japanese people wereresiding overseas as of October 1, 2005, 5.3 percent year-on-year increase. The most popular countries of residence are theU.S., China, Brazil, and the U.K..

2007Tokyo Midtown opensTokyo Midtown, a complex including offices, hotels, commercialspace, cultural facilities, residences, as well as a hospital, opened inMarch 2007 on a site in the Akasaka section of Tokyo formerlyused by the Defense Agency. The most striking symbol of TokyoMidtown is the iconic Midtown Tower, which is the tallestbuilding in Tokyo and fourth-tallest building in Japan. Reflectingthe on-going, proactive expansion of foreign hotels into the

Japanese market, Midtown is crowned bythe Ritz Carlton Tokyo on its uppermostlevels. Combined with Roppongi Hillsand the National Art Center, TokyoMidtown has transformed the districtinto a popular commercial and culturalhub with a distinct international flavor.

The launch of the new TOEIC test

Examinees taking the TOEIC SW tests

2001

（persons）

（year）

1,000,000

900,000

800,000

700,000

600,000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

01993 19941991 1992 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

687,579689,895

663,049679,379

728,268763,977

782,568789,534

795,852811,712 837,744

871,751911,062

961,3071,012,547

Number of Japanese nationals overseas

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Midtown Tower, the tallest building in TokyoSource：Tokyo Midtown Management co., Ltd.

― 10―

Let us first take a quick look at the history ofEnglish training at Japanese companies. Theinternationalization of Japanese companies and theirexpansion overseas began in earnest in the 1970s,starting mainly with trading companies. At the time,English training was not systemized; it was the “Ageof Self-study” when most people learned on theirown by concentrating on reading and writing.Similarly, English-related work involved translation-based reading and writing, such as translating telexesand letters from overseas into Japanese or translatingthose to be sent overseas into English.

Around 1975 the “Age of OutsourcedTraining” arrived, with companies sending thoseemployees they planned to post overseas to traininginstitutions, where they received intensive languagetraining. The companies covered most of the costsand the courses focused on conversation skills.

The latter half of the 1970s brought tworevolutionary events: the release of the SonyWalkman in July 1979 and the launch of theTOEIC test in December 1979. The Walkmanenabled people to study while on the move, whilethe TOEIC test was highly rated as an objective wayto measure communicative ability in English. By the

time the 1980s came around, corporate Japan pickedup the pace of its overseas expansion. There wasdemand for training that fostered English skills thatcould be put to immediate use. Spurred on by theburgeoning economy, companies were happy tocover all the costs of English training, thus usheringin the “Age of In-house Training,” when it becamecommon for companies to invite instructors to holdconversation classes on company premises. It wasalso a time when companies aimed to improve theEnglish skills of their whole workforce from thebottom up.

Around the time of the Plaza Accord in1985, there began a dramatic change in thecorporate environment. Economic activity shiftedfrom a bilateral affair between countries to a singleglobal market, bringing an acute change in focusfrom internationalization to globalization.

As a result of these developments, it becameclear that Japanese workers needed more than justEnglish conversation ability: they also neededadvanced listening ability to be able to hear andinstantly understand English spoken by people frommany different countries. It was around this timethat intercultural training became popular. Instead ofjust studying the English language, people learnedabout the cultures of other countries as well.

With the arrival of the 1990s, Japan'seconomic bubble had burst and there was a changein company-led training. Initially, employees

History of corporate English training

Plaza Accord marks shift towardsglobalization

Junichi ChidaPresident, ICC, Inc.

Junichi Chida is a long-time supporter of English trainingat Japanese corporations. We asked him to look back onthe changes in corporate English training and also sharehis opinions on the roles and future of the TOEIC test.

“ We urgently need a system of Englisheducation that addresses the real needs ofthe corporate community and society ”

【【Special Feature】】30 years of TOEIC®

― 11 ―

underwent English training at the company'ssuggestion, but this gradually gave way to theattitude that employees should undergo such studyaccording to their own will and responsibility. Also,many companies began to demand that employeesachieve results from their language training.

As a result of this shift in thinking, the “Ageof Shared-cost Training” emerged around 1995. Thismeant that, in principle, employees themselveswould decide to study, with companies providingfinancial support to those who produced results. Itwas, in a way, a shift from a “bottom-up”philosophy, mentioned earlier, to a “bottom-gets-cut” approach. Also in 1995, the release of Windows95 inspired many companies to get serious aboutinformation technology. Communication withbusiness partners by fax and letters gave way toe-mail, which meant that speed-reading and speed-writing skills became paramount for Japaneseworkers, requiring them to be able to instantly graspthe meaning of e-mails arriving from all corners ofthe earth and reply just as quickly.

Whereas once employees would translateEnglish letters into Japanese, then translate intoEnglish the Japanese replies to be sent, the inventionof e-mail ushered in an era of speed. This meant

Japanese employees now had to read and write inEnglish, without first translating it into Japanese forcomprehension.

The dawn of the 21st century gave rise to thenew “Age of Mixed Training Styles,” where acombination of the previous English conversationtraining and self-study styles became the norm.Given the difficulty of reaching the required level ofachievement through conversation training alone,employees were expected to spend their own timethrough self-study.

One significant change occurred around2000, as some companies began to use English astheir official in-house language and many adoptedTOEIC scores as a criterion for recruiting and/orpromotions.

This was also the period when Japaneseworkers began to encounter people from countrieswho speak English with their own distinctiveaccents, which could be called the “Age of WorldEnglishes.” For this reason, in recent years Englishtraining has focused on helping learners deal with a

Evolution of corporate English training Year

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

Evolution of training

Age of Self-Study(For employees to be posted overseas)

*Costs basically borne by employee

1995

2000

2005

Training requirements Social trend・Major milestonesMajor TOEIC milestones

Translation-based reading, writing

Conversation training

Speed reading, speed writing

Communication skills(Presentation, negotiation, conference participation,

debating, logical thinking, etc.)

Age of Outsourced Training(Prior to overseas posting)

*Costs borne by company

Age of In-House Training(Bottom-up improvement)

*Almost all costs borne by company

Company requirement

↓

Age of Shared-cost Training(Bottom-gets-cut)

*Self-study, self-training

Age of Mixed Training Styles(Self-study plus traditional training)

Age of Systemized Training(score-specific, skill-specific training)

(Self-improvement)

Based on employee's own will

●TOEIC test launched (1979)

●TOEIC's 10th anniversary (1989)

●TOEIC test becomes popularamong universities and high schools

●TOEIC score adopted by businessesas hiring criterion

●MEXT allows universities to authorizecredits based on TOEIC scores (1999)

●TOEIC's 20th anniversary (1999)

●Use of TOEIC scores as criterion forpromotion

●TOEIC Bridge launched (2001)

■Internationalization (Japanese companiesexpand overseas)

●Yen floated (1973)

●Sony releases the Walkman (1979)

■Globalization●Plaza Accord (1985)■Bubble economy●Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

■Into the“Borderless Age”●Economic bubble bursts (1990)●EU launched (1993)

■IT revolution●Windows 95 released (1995)■Internet use becomes widespread■E-learning materials appear

■Businesses make English the official in-houselanguage

●Action Plan to Cultivate“Japanese with EnglishAbilities”launched (2003)

●TOEIC Speaking and Writing Tests launched (2007)

●TOEIC's 30th anniversary (2009)

●Listening test incorporated into nationaluniversity entrance examinations (2006)

●Lehman Brothers (U.S.) collapses (2008)

●TOEIC Institutional Programlaunched (1981)

■Headphones become hugely popular●ALC launches its“hearing marathon”(1982)

↓

Speed listening

Intercultural training↓

“Heartware” that motivates learners isimportant

variety of English accents without difficulty. At thesame time, there has been an increase in the demandfor the sorts of communication skills required bycorporations. As a result, training has begun to focusmore systematically on developing the ability toparticipate in meetings, negotiate, makepresentations, and debate in English.

Having briefly covered the history ofcorporate English training, now let's take a look atwhat is required for such training. Needless to say,training requires a tangible infrastructure, such asteaching materials and equipment, as well as theintangible infrastructure consisting of learningmethods. This is just like a computer requires bothhardware and software. However, I think that themost important aspect is what I call “heartware”ーinother words, expertise and a system that motivatelearners. Many students of English are not sure oftheir skill level and do not know how they shouldlearn or which tools are needed. It is important toprovide guidance to those lost souls wanderingaround in the darkness so as to shed light on theappropriate path. In other words, English studyshould be made more visible because this expertise,which I call “heartware,” is surely what will motivatepeople to learn.

I think that the TOEIC test, if usedjudiciously, can serve as a torch to light the way ofthe learners searching for direction.

The TOEIC test has served to make thefollowing five areas more visible.

First, it clarifies the examinee's currentposition. Thanks to its ability to accurately gaugeEnglish skills, the TOEIC test has been widelyadopted as an objective standard for corporate hiringand promotions.

Second, the test brings realistic goals intoview. The broad use of the TOEIC test has made iteasier for people to set goals for where they want tobe in six months or a year.

Third, it clarifies the amount of hoursrequired for training to be successful. Dataaccumulated over the years means we now have ageneral idea of how long it takes to reach certaingoals.

Fourth, it makes training and study resultsmore visible. The results of the effort invested inlearning English are shown in the form of a TOEIC

test score, thus numerically illustrating whether ornot goals have been met.

Finally, the test clarifies appropriatematerials and methods. As a means for objectivelymeasuring the results of training and study in anumerical form, the TOEIC test has made itpossible to gauge the efficiency of materials andmethods.

I think the TOEIC test can perform thefollowing five roles in the future.

First, it helps to set goals in line withobjectives, which serves as a word of caution to thosewho think the sole purpose of taking the TOEICtest is to achieve a high score.

Second, it helps in terms of level-specificcounseling. The TOEIC test is sure to attract evenmore attention once more people realize that itsscores are an ideal foundation on which to basetraining systems and provide advice on studying.

Third, it motivates learners. It is importantto use the test in accordance with each student'sgoals and abilities, and to establish a system(“heartware”) to encourage learners based on theirrespective concerns. The TOEIC program has thepotential to be a core part of such a system.

Fourth, it gives hope to learners. LearningEnglish takes time, but the TOEIC test providesdirection and encouragement for those who feeldiscouraged. This was one of the original ideasbehind its development, and this role of the TOEICtest will no doubt be significantly reappraised in thefuture.

Fifth, and finally, the test improves Englisheducation in Japan. This is the area in whichexpectations are the highest. The TOEIC test wasoriginally developed as a means of gauging ability tocommunicate in English. First adopted bycompanies, then universities, the emergence ofTOEIC Bridge has seen that trend spread to highschools as well, resulting in a significant impact onEnglish education in Japan.

The final destination of English education isnot the university, nor should the goal of theeducational system simply be to reach that point.Rather, the objective should be related to the realworld, which is why we need an English educationsystem that addresses the real needs of society.

I believe the TOEIC test, together withTOEIC Bridge and the TOEIC SW tests, will play a

― 12―

Roles of the TOEIC test

TOEIC test has made five areas clearer

Reappraising the original ideas of theTOEIC test

significant role in systemizing English education inJapan.

Finally, I would like to talk about what isneeded for a company to have its employees improvetheir English skills.

First, it is vital to remove allmisapprehensions and repeatedly emphasize thatlearning English takes time.

Second, we must eliminate myths. It is notuncommon for people to take the TOEIC testimmediately before and after their English training,and then celebrate or regret the ups or downs intheir average scores. But comparing average scoresalone does not give an accurate picture of the resultsof training. It is important to eliminate all the mythsabout average scores and also pay attention to “yieldratio,” which is the percentage of people thatextended their scores by 50 points or 100 points.Also, I recommend that companies give the TOEICtest not just before and after their training, but alsoin interim periods as a mid-term motivational tool.

Third, a self-study support system must becreated. The need for a system to assist those whoengage in self-study has long been talked about, butno one has come up with a suitable model yet. Thus,it is urgent for us to create a system and foster an

― 13 ―

atmosphere to encourage learners to study accordingto their own will and under their own responsibility.In doing so, I recommend incorporating not onlythe TOEIC test, but also TOEIC Bridge and theTOEIC SW tests, in line with the students' level ofability.

Fourth, it is important to develop“Communicative ability.” Before worrying about“English ability,” it is better to start by ensuring thatemployees have the ability to communicate well inJapanese.

I consider communicative ability to be theability to make friends. To do that, you must be ableto speak casually to people. The ability to starttalking to people can be developed through readingaloud. Indeed, ability reading aloud is the very originof communicative ability and also the foundation ofEnglish ability. This is one reason that I like the factthat the TOEIC SW tests start with reading a textaloud.

Finally, we must realize that persons incharge of planning and administrating trainingcourses are the key to successful English training.Improving employees' English depends largely onhow many times the person has successfully ledstudents towards their English-learning goals. Themost convincing persons in charge of trainings areoften the “English-language refugees” who hadstruggled to learn English but managed to raise theirlevel through their own training systems. I believesuch persons provide the strongest motivation foremployees to work hard at their English studies.

Born in Iwate Prefecture in 1948. Graduated from Fukushima University, Faculty of Economics and BusinessAdministration in 1971. After working for Time-Life Educational Systems, AIU Insurance Company, andInternational Communications Inc., in 1990 he established and assumed presidency of ICC, Inc., an Englisheducation consulting company. As a leader in English training method instruction, Mr. Chida lectures widely atbusinesses, universities, as well as junior and senior high schools. Since 2003, has served as an instructor onEnglish-teacher training for prefectural boards of education, based on a concept put forward by the Ministry ofEducation, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Author/coauthor of numerous books, including titles in thebest-selling Eikaiwa Zettai Ondoku series (Read aloud for English conversation), which has sold more than500,000 copies.

Junichi Chida

Ingredients for improved English ability

A self-study support system is urgentlyrequired

― 14 ―

I would like to talk about three key eventsthat have occurred in relation to the current state ofeducation, particularly with regard to Englisheducation.

The first is the change in the direction ofJapan's Course of Study to focus more on improvingstudents' academic abilities, in the wake of thedeterioration of those abilities in recent years. It usedto be the case in Japan that if you went to a goodhigh school and university, and then got a job withthe government or a major corporation, then youwere basically set for life. Because of that socialguarantee, Japan boasted one of the top levels ofacademic ability in the world for the elementary andmiddle-school levels.

Japanese children's academic abilities beganto decline when the country's economic bubbleburst and effectively ended the guarantee justmentioned. It was a major shock when Japaneseelementary and middle-school students lost their topranking according to the assessment of worldwideacademic performance of the Organization forEconomic Co-operation and Development(OECD), and then rapidly slid lower and lower.

In recent years, new Course of Study forelementary, middle, and high schools have beenannounced. In response to concerns about the

deterioration of Japanese children's academicabilities, the Course of Study for elementary andmiddle schools now emphasize learning the basics;integrated study periods (for general subjects) andelective subjects at middle-school level have beenreduced; and more time is to be spent on theprimary subjects. Middle-school students now haveone extra hour of English lessons per week, for atotal of four hours, and the vocabulary they mustlearn has increased from 900 to 1,200 words.

Similarly, the high school Course of Studyannounced in March 2009 also increased Englishvocabulary from 1,300 to 1,800 words.

The second key event is the introduction ofcompulsory English classes in the fifth and sixthgrade of elementary school, starting in the 2011academic year.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,Science and Technology has indicated that whileschools may enlist outside help (in the form ofassistant language teachers and local people who areskilled in English), it would prefer for classes to betaught primarily by the elementary school teachers.However, Japan's elementary school teachers havenever taught English classes before, and the prospectof having to do so has caused a sharp increase in thenumber of people who do not want to teach the fifthand sixth grade.

Middle-school and high-school Englishteachers will be trained, but they number less than

Eiji Saitou

How has English education in Japanese schoolsevolved? What kind of challenges does it face? We asked Professor Eiji Saitou about the future roles ofEnglish education.

“ Teaching English in schools helps minimize international conflict and

promotes world peace ”

【【Special Feature】】30 years of TOEIC®

3 key events for English education atschools

Professor Kyoto University of Foreign Studies

President The Japan Association of English Teaching

in Elementary Schools

― 15 ―

50,000 in total. If elementary-level teachers wererequired to teach English classes, English teachertraining would have to be provided for some400,000 teachers.

We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact thatteaching English in elementary schools is going toraise major problems in terms of teacher training.

The third major event I want to mention isthe movement to revise the educational system inresponse to the changing roles of schools.

One simple example of this change is theappearance of integrated schools offering elementary,middle, high school, and university educationーwithsome even offering post-graduate level education.Partnerships between elementary and middle schoolshave also become increasingly common over the pastyear or two.

Since the end of World War II in 1945,Japan has had a “6-3-3” educational system, with sixyears of elementary school followed by three yearseach of middle and high school. But the world haschanged dramatically in the intervening 60 years,and I believe the traditional 6-3-3 system is feelingthe strain.

All educational systems must be continuallyimproved, but given the fact that education in Japanis said to have a “100-year plan,” surely the time hascome for a real change, rather than incrementalimprovements.

Japan's Course of Study requires thatEnglish classes instill a basic academic ability andteach students how to express themselves. However,the reality is that Japan is producing students whoare unable to properly speak their minds because agradual approach has been adopted that places thepriority on basic academic ability.

I call this approach that emphasizes thefundamentals ahead of expression the “OrderedTheory.” I believe that we need to revise ourapproach and switch to what I call “ParallelTeaching,” where the basics are taught at the sametime as self-expression.

Adopting that new approach is not difficultat all. When students learn the word “apple,” theteacher might ask them if they like apples. Thestudents will have to think about whether they do ornot, and this is the first step towards teaching themhow to speak their minds.

We face problems as a result of traditional

teaching methods that focus on grammaticalstructure. We used to teach students the expression“This is a pen” and then replace the noun with othernouns such as “desk” or “chair” in patterned drills.But this method did not enable students to expresseverything that they wanted to say. In fact, we werepracticing phrases that were unlikely to crop up inactual conversation. Imagine what kind of reactionyou would get from those around you if you handedsomeone a pen and declared: “This is a pen.” Theresponse would likely be: “Yes, I can see that.”

Similarly, students were once taught thequestion: “Do you like English?” Regardless of whatthey actually felt, the student was supposed toanswer: “Yes, I do.”

Language is a means of communicating ourfeelingsーour joy and sorrowーand it is best learnedby expressing ourselves. The English education ofthe future, particularly when it debuts as a compulsorysubject at elementary schools, must not bring alongthe baggage of past methods that focused ongrammatical structure.

Over the past decade or so, the Englishteaching community has emphasized the importanceof building communication skills. But somewherealong the way, communication came to beconsidered the goal of English education. In otherwords, communication has become the end, ratherthan the means.

We need to consider why we work todevelop communication skills. I believe we must askourselves what lies beyond communication in orderto set a clear direction for English education, becausecommunication is supposed to be the means, not theend.

The subprime mortgage crisis that began inthe U.S. and subsequent collapse of financialengineering is an issue that concerns the entireworld. These days, the world is interdependent, notonly in the realm of economics but in politics, theenvironment, energy, and a range of other fields aswell. Ours is an age in which the survival of thehuman race depends on people cooperating witheach other. This cooperation requires language,which is why we need Englishーthe world's commonlanguage.

It has thus become imperative to be able tofoster people who can take their place at thenegotiating tables in realms that include politics,

English education needs to discard theprevious focus on grammar

Communication should be the means, notthe end

― 16―

Based on the aforementioned GreetingEnglish and Conference English, I would like toconclude with some thoughts about the kind ofEnglish abilities we should foster in the educationalperiod from elementary school to university.

English taught at elementary school shouldbe Greeting English; its aim should be to encouragechildren to enjoy English and make them feel morecomfortable in the presence of people from othercultures. The goal should be to enable students touse simple English expressions, such as expressingthanks, asking for something, or greeting someone,while also helping them to perform everydayfunctions in English such as introducing themselves,asking for help, or shopping.

At middle school, English should still dealwith Greeting English, but it is important tobroaden the scope of English that students can electto learn, in addition to their compulsory classes.Students who take elective classes should at least bethere voluntarily, which would free teachers from thedreaded situation of having to force-feed lessons tostudents who are not interested in English and haveno desire to study it. Indeed, the opportunity toteach English to students who actually want to learnis every English teacher's ideal situation. This iswhere we should build the foundation for studentsto later progress to the level of Conference English.

High-school English classes should be basedon Greeting English, but also prepare students forConference English. I believe the outcomes achievedthrough the lessons provided at high schoolsdesignated Super English Language High Schools(SELHi), which focus on presentation, discussionand debate, should be put to wider use.

At the university level, English classes shouldconcentrate on Conference English, while stillretaining some aspects of Greeting English. I believeone university in each region of Japan should bedesignated a Super Language Learning University.Such institutions should incorporate a largerproportion of elective subjects, with the aim being toproduce a workforce with the skills necessary toparticipate in international negotiations.

The faculty members of the Super LanguageLearning Universities should primarily consist ofpeople with experience in diplomatic and businesscircles. Classes could deal with world politics andhistory, the history of diplomacy and negotiation, orresearch on notable speeches; and the focus of the

economics, diplomacy and business, and then useEnglish to achieve their aims there.

I use the term “Conference English” todescribe English skills of a level high enough for thespeaker to take full part in internationalnegotiations. In contrast, I call a basic English abilitythat is just about enough to communicate withpeople from other cultures “Greeting English,”which, as the term implies, is the ability to saysomething like: “Good morning.”

There is no doubt that Greeting English canhelp build up little circles of friends. In the periodfrom 1994 and 1998, when I was principal of KyotoJunior High School Attached to Kyoto University ofEducation, we entered a “sister school” arrangementwith a middle school in Ayutthaya, Thailand, andbegan student exchanges. English was the commonlanguage used between the exchange students, so thestudents strove to use their halting English tocommunicate to the best of their ability.

I remember when one of our students visitedThailand, he fell ill on the second day of hishomestay and the host father took the boy to thehospital. When the boy apologized to the wholefamily for causing them such worry, he was almostmoved to tears by the host father's reply: “Not at all.You're my son, too, you know.”

From this experience, the boy was exposedto the warm hearts of the Thai people and helearned a lot from his experience in that country.

In such interaction, both sides are broughttogether through Greeting English. Needless to say,these sorts of exchanges form the basis of relationsbetween countries and bolster international ties thesedays. More than top-level talks, it is that sort ofgrass-roots interaction binds countries together.Thus, even if Japan and Thailand were to becomepolitically opposed to each other, there would belittle chance of a military confrontation as long asclose bonds existed between the people of bothcountries.

In that sense, it is no exaggeration to say thatGreeting English has the power to help preventinternational conflicts and bring about world peace.

Here at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies,our founding philosophy is Pax Mundi Per Linguas(World Peace through Language); and I believe thatEnglish education does indeed lead to world peace.

An integrated approach to English skillsfrom elementary school to university

Grassroots interaction using English forgreetings is very important

― 17―

Born in Fukushima in 1937. Graduated from the Faculty of Education of Fukushima University. Received amaster degree from the University of Hawaii in 1972. Served as an elementary school teacher, middle schoolteacher, and high school teacher; and worked at the Fukushima Prefectural Education Center. Served asprofessor at Sakura no Seibo Junior College and Kyoto University of Education; and as professor and head of theKansai University Graduate School of Foreign Language Education and Research. Currently a professor at KyotoUniversity of Foreign Studies; professor emeritus at Kyoto University of Education; special advisor to the EnglishLanguage Instruction Network Center of Kansai University; and chairman of the Japan Association of EnglishTeaching in Elementary Schools. Specializes in practical English education. Author of numerous books onEnglish teaching and lesson improvement, including: How to Improve Students' Basic Ability in English, ImproveYour English Lessons: Answering Teachers' Questions and Concerns, Practical Steps to Make Your EnglishLessons Successful, and How to Improve Your English Lessons: the Basics.

Eiji Saitou

Thirteen percent of the examinees thattook the inaugural TOEIC SP test were universitystudents. By 1992, this number had exceeded 30percent.

The increase can be attributed to therising level of interest in the test among universitystudents as more and more companies had theirnew employees take the TOEIC test. Anotherfactor is the increase in internationalizationfollowing the 1991 revision of the UniversityEstablishment Standards to include a curriculumfocused on developing English communicationskills and the reform of the credit authorizationsystem.

Subsequently, as the job market becamemore difficult for university graduates, the numberof students taking the TOEIC test increased, asgraduates sought a good TOEIC score to impressprospective employers.

Starting in March 1999, universities wereofficially allowed to grant credits based on TOEICscores. This caused a sudden increase in thenumber of universities implementing the IP tests.

In recent years, a large number of universities andjunior colleges are using the TOEIC test forentrance exam and credit authorization (details onp.20).

In March 2003, the Ministry ofEducation, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology released an Action Plan to Cultivate“Japanese with English Abilities,” which setlearning targets for fostering people with practicalEnglish skills.

Given these trends and the growth in theuse of the TOEIC test by universities, there hasbeen an increase in the use of the TOEIC testamong high schools as well. This, coupled withthe incorporation of a listening test into theforeign language section of the national universityentrance examination starting in 2006, has led toan increase in the number of high schoolsintroducing the TOEIC test and TOEIC Bridge.

In this way, the TOEIC test is playing amajor role not only in the business world, but alsoin terms of education at high schools anduniversities to develop tomorrow's leaders.

Use of the TOEIC® test and changes in school education

university, has important value. Surely it is theresponsibility of our generation to carry out suchpreparations for the benefit of the youngergeneration.

classes would be on developing presentation,discussion, and debating skills, while requiringstudents to work hard in order to graduate.

I believe that each phase of Englisheducation, from elementary school through to

― 18―

The TOEIC test is the brainchild of Yasuo

Kitaoka, who in 1977 visited Educational Testing

Service (ETS), a U.S. non-profit institution for test

development, to request that they develop a test for

him. There he met the director of all of ETS's

language programs, Protase Woodford, who was

excited about Mr. Kitaoka's idea. The concept of a

test that could serve as the global standard for

measuring English language skills in the business

world was extremely interesting and exciting.

Mr. Woodford was fully supportive of the

request for a new test, but developing it would be

costly, so the idea was the subject of thorough debate

within ETS. Someone argued that it was improper

for a non-profit organization to develop a test for a

private company, and based on that view ETS

initially turned down the idea. In response to the

initial rejection, Mr. Kitaoka managed in just a few

Concept world-standard test inspires ETS

months to gain support for his idea among public

institutions in Japan.

Mr. Woodford eventually became the first

director of TOEIC and led the development

project. “I thought the test warranted development,”

he recalls, “even if only a few people took it and it

did not cover the cost of development. I remember

telling my colleagues that we absolutely should take

a chance on the TOETC test.”

Because the test was to be a global standard,

experienced teachers of English in Japan, Thailand,

and Europe and elsewhere were brought into the

development team.

The name “TOEIC” was Mr. Kitaoka's idea.

He suggested that the use of the “TOE” from the

TOEFL test, which was also developed by ETS, so

that everybody would know that the test was

developed by ETS.

StorybehindTOEIC'sbirth

TOEIC STORY & IIBC MESSAGE

Messagefrom IIBC

The first TOEIC SP test was

implemented in December 1979 and this year

TOEIC celebrates its 30th anniversary. During

those three decades, the internationalization and

globalization of the Japanese economy has been

the backdrop to the broad acceptance of

TOEIC within the business community, as it

has become a widely used tool in personnel

departments. There has also been a marked

increase in the utilization of the TOEIC test for

school education, with 821 schools utilizing the

test in the FY2007.

A total of 1,710,000 people took the

test in during the FY2008; and the cumulative

number of examinees, as of the 30th year of the

TOEIC test, is around 20 million. The use of

the test has also spread overseas, with around

five million people now taking the TOEIC test

in some ninety countries around the world.

We remain grateful as always that the

TOEIC test has been so well accepted by

society. We hope that the test will continue to

play a role to help improve communicative

ability in order to better foster understanding

and improve relations between people

throughout the world.

We at the IIBC remain dedicated our

mission of further promoting global

communication.

The Institute for International Business Communication

A dedication to promoting global communication

― 19―

30 years of TOEIC® tests by the numbersNumber of examinees and average scores for the SP test

Number of new employee examinees and average scores

Number of student/adult examinees

【Data File】

700,000

600,000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0

700

600

500

400

300

200

1001979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

1,600,000

1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

01990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

80,000

70,000

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

1501981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Average scoreNumber of examinees

（FY）

ListeningReadingTotal scoreNumber of examinees

（Unit : persons）

IP adultSP adultIP studentSP student

（FY）

Average score

Listening (L)Reading (R)Total score (T)Number of examinees

（FY）

2008T Average score:456

2008Number of examinees:55,375

2008L Average score:250

2008R Average score:206

（Unit : persons）

Number of examinees（Unit : persons）

●Published by Public Relations DepartmentThe Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC)Sanno Grand Building 2-14-2, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014, JapanPhone: 81/3-3581-5663 Fax: 81/3-3581-9801Official Website: http://www.toeic.or.jp Issued：November 2009

Number of schools utilizing TOEIC scoresfor entrance exams

Number of schools utilizing TOEIC scores for credit authorization

2003 2004 2005 2007 20082006

400

450

500

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

550

600

2003 2004 2005 2007 20082006

400

450

500

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

550

600

3131

161161

4242

2

236236

31

161

42

8181

185185

5151

322322

5

81

185

51

101101

212212

5353

374374

8

101128128

268268

6464

488488 2222

134

212

268

53

64

2

236

322

374

203203

4141

2222

236236

203

41

22

266

230230

5050

3131311311

230

50

31

264264

5353

3535

264

58

35311

357

321321

7171

4343

435435

321

71

43

435

331331

7676

4747

435435

331

76

454

289289

6262

3737

388388

289

62

37

3885

8

488 22

128128

284284

7878

536536 1515

149

284

78

536 25

128128

242242

5858

443443 1515

128

242

58

443 1547

Taken from“TOEIC® Test Utilization for Entrance Exams and Credit Authorization”(Issued between 2003 and 2008)

Utilization of the TOEIC® test for entrance exams and credit authorization

The document entitled, “TOEIC® Test Utilization for Entrance Exams and Credit AuthorizationーGraduateSchools, Universities, Junior Colleges, and Technical Colleges 2008,” has been released. The document isavailable on the official TOEIC test website (http://www.toeic.or.jp/toeic/). * Available only in Japanese.

（Schools)

（FY）

（Schools)

（FY）

Technical CollegesJunior CollegesUniversitiesGraduate Schools

Technical CollegesJunior CollegesUniversities

【Information】

From TOEIC®

Printed in Japan

The 30th anniversary slogan,“Your Chance Maker” has been adopted with the intention ofexpressing the desire for the TOEIC brand to continue to generate oppotunities for test takersin the future.