Preparing for the English Speaking Test: Tips and Tools for Elementary and Junior High School Students

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology announced that they will be surveying how well elementary and junior high school students speak English in April 2023. The survey will cover three subjects: "national language", "arithmetic/mathematics", and "English". This will be the second time that all junior high school students will take a survey about their English skills. The survey will be conducted online using a computer system called "MEXCBT" by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology.

To prepare for the English speaking test, teachers should create activities to help students speak English as much as possible ( pair work activities, or simply reading text aloud). Students can also practice at home using the simple web app on this site called ' Dictation Memo ' . This app is free to use and will work on any device using the Google Chrome browser. The app uses various technologies to listen to the student's speech and provide instant feedback.

By using Dictation Memo, students can boost their confidence in speaking English with a computer, which can be helpful for the speaking portion of the English test. Regular practice using this app can improve students' speaking skills and help them feel more confident when taking the English speaking test. On April 18, the survey will take place at about 500 schools chosen by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The results will be announced as national values. The remaining 9,000 schools will take the survey on a date assigned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology between April 19 and May 26. The results will be returned to each school and student as a reference value.