English Speaking Board (International) Ltd

Category: Learning

  • In the spotlight: Epsom College Malaysia

    Epsom College in Malaysia

    Hundreds of schools, colleges, training centres, universities and prisons deliver ESB qualifications every year. We want to highlight the incredible work our centres do by putting them ‘In the Spotlight’ on our website. The centre we are going to feature this month is Epsom College in Malaysia.

    An international boarding school for students from ages 3-18 based near Kuala Lumpur, Epsom College in Malaysia runs the English National Curriculum, GCSEs and A levels. Head of Drama, Sophie Hill told us more:

    Epsom College in Malaysia is the ‘little sister’ of Epsom College UK and was founded by old Epsomiams including Tony Fernandes. Opened in September 2014, the College now hosts pupils from the UK, America, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea as well as Malaysia itself.

    The prestigious organisation has been working with ESB for two years and teachers have been really impressed with the results. Sophie said:

    As the only centre in Malaysia to offer ESB qualifications, this represents a significant investment by the College to subsidise the cost of bringing an examiner out here but, for the second year running, we feel it is well worth the investment due to the significant benefits to our students.

    Those who take part rapidly gain in confidence and develop a range of skills vital for the world of work and for the higher levels in the college. Students who participate are able to extend their skills in public speaking, performance, memorisation and research which benefits them right across the curriculum and beyond.

    The department has now decided to extend its ESB portfolio to include EAL qualifications. Sophie explained how this is integrated into Epsom’s Academic English Programme:

    We offer a one year language focused course which offers biweekly speech and drama lessons focused on the skills and language confidence assessed in the ESB EAL qualifications and this is supported by the specialist EAL teachers.

    As our first year entering EAL candidates, we are hugely proud of the achievements so far. Probably one of the best examples of this is Arata Mabuchi who arrived at the College in September with almost no English and low confidence. His achievement of a Distinction in March represents a huge rate of progress for this student.

    Sophie added:

    Seeing the students work towards ambitious performance challenges has been incredibly rewarding and the growth in confidence from their successes has really paid off for us.

  • Are you looking for an ESOL Skills for Life qualification?

    English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. (ESB) assess ESOL Skills for Life from Entry 1 to Level 2 in all modes. Our assessments are funded by the SFA.

    All ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are based on the ESOL Core Curriculum and are accredited by Ofqual.

    What can ESB do for your students?

    1. External Assessment

    • All assessments are examined externally by ESB leaving you free to teach
    • Reading and writing papers are marked and moderated by ESB markers
    • Speaking and listening learners receive a personal written report

    ​2. Quick Turnaround

    • Dates for the assessments are chosen by you so you can organise assessment dates around your timetable
    • Speaking and listening assessments can be booked up to 4 weeks before the assessment date and Reading and Writing assessments can be booked up to 2 days before the assessment date, so you can enter your learners when they are ready
    • Results will be issued five working days after the assessment date or, in the case of Reading and Writing, five days after receipt of papers to the office

    3. Online Resources

    • Examples of assessments at every level are available on our website: Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3, Level 1, Level 2
    • Speaking and listening videos are available on the ESB website for practice and mock examinations

  • Inspiring confidence in employability at Belfast Metropolitan College

    Inspiring confidence and employability at Belfast Met!

    English Speaking Board (ESB) launched an Entry Level 1 qualification in employability last academic year.

    Inspiring Confidence in Employability is aimed at learners with learning or physical difficulties and designed to give them skills for entry into employment.

    Craig Bennett, Deputy Head Teacher at Calthorpe Academy, who developed and piloted the qualification for ESB said:

    The development of [ICE] is groundbreaking and helps fill the niche that currently exists for people working on this level.

    Belfast Metropolitan College have just added ICE to their taught portfolio. Ian Patterson, tutor at their Centre for Supported Learning said:

    We are delighted that Inspiring Confidence in Employability is now being delivered to adults at our centre. The student cohort have completed other accredited courses and the progression route to ESB is a positive next step.

    Although ICE is currently offered at Entry 1 and students may have completed programmes at Entry 3, the skill set is very different with the inclusion of spoken criteria in the mandatory unit, Interview Skills. Staff view this as a very useful component in equipping learners for the world of work.

    Clearly defined criteria and concise worksheets greatly augment the students’ work based practice and meaningfully enrich the learner experience. The staff teaching on the programme value the materials and report using them as a framework on which to base lessons.

    Not only are the teachers impressed, the learners love it too. Ian added:

    The students on the course are very proud of their portfolio of evidence to date and look forward to displaying their speaking and listening skills to the ESB examiners.

    Find out more about Inspiring Confidence in Employability (Entry 1).

  • English Speaking Board pioneers new Debating qualification

    Improve debating skills with ESB

    English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. has produced the first ever accredited qualification in debating.

    Awards in Debating are aimed at 10 to 18-year-olds and are designed to give youngsters an opportunity to improve their debating skills and endorse their talent for public speaking.

    Alison Coates, ESB’s Speech Business Development Advisor, who developed the suite of qualifications in conjunction with schools, said:

    We are very proud to be the first awarding organisation to offer a qualification in this essential expertise. It’s an excellent time to introduce the qualification as there’s such an emphasis on debate in the National Curriculum.

    Debating is an essential life skill and a fantastic aid to developing soft skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and leadership. We are excited to have developed a qualification suitable for candidates working at a variety of different levels in a diversity of educational contexts.

     

    The candidates will be examined in groups of eight: four in favour of the motion and four against. As with all of ESB’s Speaking and Listening assessments, the Awards in Debating will be assessed externally.  Experienced assessors will take into account content, style, structure, listening and response.

    ESB worked in conjunction with various education centres to create the Awards in Debating including Ibstock Place School in Roehampton.

    Kevin Darlington, English teacher at Ibstock Place said,

    ESB’s Awards in Debating are a groundbreaking set of qualifications. I would highly recommend them to any school looking to increase attainment in speaking and listening and to boost pupils’ confidence in public speaking.

     

    If you would like to find out more about ESB’s Awards in Debating then have a look at the syllabuses at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.