English Speaking Board (International) Ltd

Author: Liam Morton

  • ESB announces partnership with The Noisy Classroom

    ESB is proud to announce its partnership with The Noisy Classroom, a website and training organisation dedicated to supporting speaking and listening across the curriculum.

    The director, Debbie Newman, is a qualified English teacher, a former President of the Cambridge Union Society, a world champion debate coach and a former assessor for the English Speaking Board.

    She has gathered together a band of associate trainers whose experience includes working at the English-Speaking Union, the National Theatre and the City Lit.

    These trainers run workshops for students and CPD events for teachers in debating, public speaking and drama. The organisation works with Linklaters to run debating in Hackney primary schools and with the PiXL club to run a national secondary debate programme called “Up for Debate”. The website is full of free to access videos and resources for the classroom.

    Debbie explained the ethos:

    The Noisy Classroom is passionate about helping children to become articulate and confident adults.

    All of our lives we will be judged based on our ability with the spoken word. Whether it is going for a school, university or job interview, delivering a pitch or a presentation, arguing in court or working in telesales, our speaking powers can help us achieve our goals.

    The organisation places particular emphasis on debating; she explained:

    Debating is Oracy Plus. That is because as well as teaching the skills of public speaking, it also develops critical thinking. These skills in turn improve essay writing and examination performance.

    She added:

    That is why The Noisy Classroom is delighted that the English Speaking Board has added debating to its suite of excellent qualifications in oral communication.

  • An ESB qualification shows employers that you can communicate, says CBI’s North West Director

    ESB improves employability skills

    Damian Waters, Director of CBI in the North West said that his ESB qualification “most definitely” gave him employability skills. He said:

    My ESB examination was my first experience of public speaking, but I think one of my key strengths now is public engagement and presentations.

    Damian says that ESB played a key role in his personal and professional development:

    ESB started me off on the right track and gave me that initial confidence to find my voice.

    He added:

    An ESB qualification is great to have and be able to show employers that you can engage with colleagues, clients and customers.

    He recalled his experience of taking his ESB exam over 30 years ago:

    I remember that I had to make a speech to a panel of assessors and other pupils from my school and recite a poem that was committed to memory. I can still remember the poem today!

    I can clearly remember the feedback I received from the assessors; they spoke about the importance of being myself, engaging with the audience and presenting in a professional manner. I make dozens of speeches each year and I still try to stick to those words of advice.

    Damian passed on some words of guidance to youngsters preparing for presentations:

    Prepare properly, but don’t learn a script as it can come across as a bit fake. Always remember that the audience wants to enjoy the experience – they are willing you on!

  • Bolton benefits from English Speaking Board’s teacher-training

    How ESB helps Bolton schools

    English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. ran a teacher-training session for primary and secondary school teachers from Bolton and the surrounding region at Bolton School on Wednesday 3rd February.

    This event was designed to give teachers an insight into the way that ESB’s qualifications are mapped to the National Curriculum and demonstrate how they give students vital skills for further education and employment.

    Alison Coates, ESB’s Business Development Adviser for Graded Exams led the session. She said:

    ESB offers bespoke training and workshops for teachers and students at all levels. We had a fantastic day at Bolton School coaching teachers from the local area. We wanted to create a forum for discussion about the recent change in terminology from Speaking and Listening to Spoken Language and the impact this has had in the classroom.

    ESB’s ethos is to allow learners to develop their speaking and listening skills in a supportive environment focusing on personal growth and confidence; the delegates were inspired by the day and will take this approach back to their own classrooms.

    ESB’s training resonated with the English Department at Bolton School, Boys Division. They tweeted after the event:

    Plenty of food for thought for whole school oracy projects, curricular and extracurricular.

  • ESB in action: students from Belfast raise money for Romania

    Raising money for Romania! (Belfast Met)

    Students from Belfast Met have raised £150 for a church-based enterprise as part of their ESB Entry Level Award ‘Developing Independent Communication Skills’.

    The group auctioned a Valentine’s Day hamper to raise much needed funds for the initiative which carries out valuable work in Romania. Course Administrator, Linda Clarke has close involvement with the charity and shared photographs and stories about the work the charity is doing to help children in a remote Romanian village to get an education.

    Tutor, Ian Patterson uses such charity ventures as the means by which to meet the essential criteria of ESB’s qualification specification.

    He said:

    Such activities provide great opportunities for group discussion thereby developing learners’ speaking and listening skills. The students can further practise their telephone skills by making phone calls to charity organisers, gaining information and passing on short messages. Delivering ESB ‘in context’ provides a meaningful and enjoyable experience for the learner.

    Belfast Met also offer ESB’s employment qualification, Inspiring Confidence in Employability (ICE). Ian added:

    The students who do ESB’s ICE qualification are very proud of their portfolio of evidence to date and look forward to displaying their speaking and listening skills to the ESB assessors.