Sunday 14 December 2008

TOEIC

Dears,

In the last week one friend of mine questioned which is the best certification for proving your English proficiency to the companies or employers.
First of all, after tons of researches on English job offer website, I never come across a job offer which absolutely demands TOEFL or IELTS or TOEIC.
I concern that they ask you to master English, if you prove your competencies with a certificate it's even better of course, but it's not strictly needed.
I might say that TOEFL and IELTS are required mainly for university purposes (e.g to enrol at university).
Yet, you have to take into account that after two years the certificate expires.
What hell does it mean that you no longer speak English?
I don't think so.
If you had a work experience with foreign clients you could state in your cv "I'm confident in English because I worked abroad or because I dealt with non Italian speaker partners or customers. A real experience, surrounded in an English environment is a commodity more important than a certification, I guess.
Whether you're really interested in getting one certification, maybe the best one for non native English speaker that wants to give a proof of their English skills is The Test of English for International Communication™ (TOEIC).
Indeed it seems a specific and reliable test to qualify your English competencies in a work setting.
What I wish to ask you is:
1) Do you think that a (long term) work experience in an English speaking work environment is more worthy than a certification such as TOEIC?
2)Have you ever been asked to prove your English proficiency to your company by showing a certification?
3)If I'm compelled to get a certification which I should to choose ? TOEIC?
Thank you in advance for your consideration !
please lurkers answer the question...I really need a feedback

7 comments:

Zax (Andrea) said...

hi,

a very interesting post; for me it's the same: after 30 (circa) job interview no one ask me if I have a certificate. I think the same of you, TOEFL and IELTS are important for the university ! about your questions:
1-yes
2-no
3-yes

my 2 cents,
see you

Andrea

Anonymous said...

Scrivi semplicemente :

English : fluent in writing, speaking and listening

Tanto poi se ti chiamano per una interview la fanno in inglese e capiscono. Poi metti i periodi che sei stato fuori e va bene cosi. Personalmente se metti i corsi fatti sembra piú che non lo sapevi ed hai dovuto studiare... impressione personale.

p.s. scusa se ho risposto in italiano ; )

Puntino said...

ok Gatto,
thank you for your advice :)
I'll take it
Don't worry, you can speak in Italian too

TopGun said...

le cazziate me le fai solo a me quando non scrivo in Inglese...:P

Zax (Andrea) said...

ha ragione TopGun: come sarebbe a dire -don't worry- ??
E io che mi faccio sempre un c..o così per scrivere in inglese :-)

see you

Andrea

Puntino said...

@Zax and Top
I can't force people to write in English ! Obviously I' d lieke to receive comments only in English.
Feel free to write as you wish :)

@Top
When I want you to write in English is only to practice together, we could learn from each other.

Charles Roring said...

Your article is very good. It's true that TOEIC is meant to measure our communication skill. I have an English learning website which also discusses about TOEIC in http://englishland.or.id/05-toeic_preparation/toeic.htm.

 

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