English Language Teachers from the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Israel met in Hanoi for the six-day Propell Teacher Workshops in the various components of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC). Jennifer Sakano and Elizabeth Park, Assessment and Program directors respectively of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) flew in from Princeton, New Jersey to conduct the workshop in the posh Pullman Hotel.

SOUTHVILLE LED THE PHILIPPINE DELEGATES

The Philippine contingent made up of Language teachers from Southville International School and Colleges, Lyceum of the Philippines (Batangas, Cavite and Laguna), Mapua Institute of Technology and De La Salle University of Dasmarinas was sponsored by Hopkins International Partners Inc. Mr. Rex Wallen Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Hopkins, believes that educating the educators must always be a priority.

WORKSHOP FOCUS/ACTIVITIES  

The workshops focused on Listening and Reading, Writing and Speaking and the Bridge Tests.  Park and Sakano gave an overview of the importance of English in the Global workplace and the necessity of equipping the students (workers) with communicative competence and proficiency in the accomplishment of task-based workplace texts.  They likewise explained in on the different claims and objectives of the assessment.  More importantly, the pair discussed the types of assessment and how they could be used in different types of classes. Part of the workshop is the teacher demonstrations of what they have learned from Ms. Park and Ms. Sakano.  These demonstrations, the written assignments and the overall participation of the teachers will determine whether they get certified as TOEIC trainers.

INSIGHTS OF PARTICIPANTS

Dr. Imelda An, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of Lyceum of the Philippines, lauded the workshop for its possible impact on student achievement. Dr. An said, “This training will allow us to help our students do better in our English classes and in their performance in the TOEIC examinations.”
Ms. Ailene Fulgencio, Basic Education-ESL Coordinator of Southville International School and Colleges, agrees with Dr. Lan. She believes this workshop will improve the kind of instruction she can give to ESL students.

Ms. Josephine dela Pena, College TOEIC Coordinator from SISC, believes that the workshop will help her provide effective intervention for students who are underachieving in English classes and in the TOEIC examination as well.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan and Bach Linh Trang, lecturers at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Ho Chi Minh  University of Pedagogy respectively, admit that the workshop gave them more than just Language training. Attending the workshop gave them friends from all over Asia:  from Manila, Hanoi, Israel and Cambodia.

The workshop also gave the teachers opportunities to work in pairs and in groups.  These activities provided an avenue for sharing of resources and expertise and for forging of friendships and partnerships.

The training was co-sponsored by IIG Vietnam, the authorized representative of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Certiport, CGFNS and Sanako in Vietnam and the Indochina region.