Surprised by the spoken word. The situation described by Sava Mounange-Badimi on the Voice of America Student Union blog is not uncommon: "When I came to the United States, I was barely fluent in spoken English, although on paper I seemed competent." (She goes on to provide lots of great advice for learners in this thoughtful piece.) If you're testing only with paper-based tests, expand to include the easy-to-administer TOEIC Speaking test and get the full picture. Contact us today to learn how.

Best of the blog. "Cold Cash Reasons to Test Workplace English Language Proficiency" provides solid research on the importance of assessing language skills in terms of an organization's bottom line. These facts can promote your own training too, so share them with decisionmakers today.

Let us do the work. Think your organization may benefit from TOEIC but need to set score minimums? We have the expertise to support you and will provide recommendations for your individual situation with no commitment on your part. Read more and contact us today.

2013 TOEIC Speaking & Writing test dates. Dates and expected locations for public TOEIC testing are now up on our site along with information on testing on your own schedule. Have your trainees/employees register for public testing, or contact us to benefit from testing at your site.

English Language Site of the Month. The Guardian Weekly's "Learning English" section is a great source not only of lessons but also the latest news related to English language learning and teaching worldwide. In December, the section leaves the print issue to go online only (with e-mail alerts on updates available to readers). We can only hope the current high quality will continue....