Last of the Summer Wine - Tokyo training

Two clocks, two scales...two candidates

I ran my final 2025 Speaking Examiner training session for Kawaijuku (JP026) recently in Tokyo, for B1:Preliminary and B2:First levels. 

Some of the trainees were completely new to Cambridge Assessment, so it was a balancing act with other recruits familiar to another level 'joining in'. Although the exams are similar in design and task types, each level is unique and needs to be administered in its own way - to script, within time parameters and levels of examiner participation (or not!).

Practicing with fellow teachers is somewhat unrealistic, but a necessary short-cut given the time & logistal issues of going to a school, for example & using 'real' students. The main focus is on making sure procedures are standardised, and that interlocutors realise they have to pay attention to what is, or what is not, happening bewteen the two (occassionally three) candidates in front of them. Must be familiar with the speaking test process to recognise & react to non-verbal clues across the table. Need to encourage? Need to provide support? Need to prevent collusion?..and need to consider overall candidate performance as well. Remember names? Watching the clock (only need one, by the way!)...

What do you think? Why?!

Every single recruit comes to training with unique teaching experiences and in-work roles. Only through open, honest and varied discussions with peers and (some gentle guidance from the side) can we all align our assessing around Cambridge's criteria. Everyone tunes in to different "bits"...its making sure we tune in to 'all the bits' without comparing or applying personal bias which is the learning!

It's always a professional pleasure to meet so many English language teachers who are keen to deliver, and assess, globally recognised standardised speaking tests - and who after a long weekend "Can Do". I love the diversity of our team, the camaraderie & trust established....and adding to SE Team a fresh group of enthusiastic 'newbies'!

Applying the Standard

I'm already looking forward to enhancing my training sessions in 2026 with lessons learnt this year. Stay tuned ;)

An away day with Cambridge - Jim on the job in Kyushu

Fukuoka cadre B1 & B2 Speaking examiners

 My apologies for not being 'at work' once or twice recently. I know it looks like I was only having fun ridinng the shinkansen, eating Hakata ramen or climbing hills looking for castles...the side-benefits to being asked to do a really important role for Cambridge Centre JP026 (Kawaijuku) which is to train English teachers to become speaking examiners.

In late August I was asked to train a group for B1:Preliminary & B2:First levels, with the number of candidates likely to rise significantly in Kita-Kyushu. The weekend was the culmination of months of recruiting. A group of teachers, some of whom had met in 2024 training for A2 Key, but also 60% 'new' teachers to the Cambridge team. Blending previous learnings with wide-eyed "what's this all about" is tricky, but fun...made all the easier by the ample preparations by JP026 and a proper interview & induction process avoiding unecessary disappointments or FAQs slowing us down.

Hakata headaches? A2 team

Needless to say, a lot of hard work involved by all participants, but a team we did construct after a follow up certification process on the Sunday. This group will be heading out to high schools in northern Kyushu later this autumn to deliver speaking tests cheerfully to nervous first-time exam takers, encouraging a lot of 'can do' and applying universal assessment criteria for valid, globally accepted results. I'm really looking forward to seeing this group of professionals in demonstrating their skills soon, and to welcoming their debuts in-person (yes, another weekend away - I know you won't miss me, as Kazumi will again be entertaining my students!). 

Games in the young learning environment - vital!

Picture-based vocabulary review

 As I keep reminding our teachers, if you have a good idea, see how much you can adapt it to fit other classes/situations. We do this a lot with Wordwall and Quizlet at Luna with online learners in group/collaborative work, which we also set as homework assignments for independent use. 

As described in a post last month, we wanted to get "hands on" for face-to-face young learners, now that we have relaxed the barrier requirements. (Of course, masks on, and all moving parts disinfected after use.)

Ideal game for groups x3

With first-time, younger players we paired up & helped each other out, sharing tips and tactics loudly! The board was colour-coded to make play more obvious, and laminated; memo, mount the photocopy on something stiffer to make it less vulnerable to nudges! Teacher's scissors & glue have been in the cupboard too long; nice to get creative again.

"Homework" last week was to take each of our personalised games out at home, and challenge family members. Distinct homefield advantage here, as each of the students made the games from vocabulary sets (glossaries) in the graded readers they have already read!

We can re-cycle these games in the coming months, as each students has a different version of the same content...which makes for ideal revision when we have 10-15 minutes up our sleeve at the end of a lesson or want to avoid getting into something 'new' just yet.

As a twist, Hana & I "flipped" our new

Hana head-to-head!

Read & Imagine readers by picking out words we were not sure about/wanted to learn and pronounce correctly before we got into them...smart girl still beat the teacher!

Another exciting pay-off was exploiting the word list at the back of the text book (Everybody Up in this case) for self-access revision; diving into dictionary skills and finding the 'hard' word in-context, and after searching for the same word three or four times, fixing it in memory for longer than usual!

Dictionary diving

To anyone who thinks 'games' have no place in the language learning environment, we think you are fundamentally wrong! Guess we'll have the proof of this little pudding when these Cambridge YLE takers sit down for A2:Key, B1:Preliminary & B2:First before they leave school in the years to come :)

(Adapted from a Mark Hancock pronunciation game)

Masato's Big Day Out - gone camping

 I had a really great day out. The weather was so good and I went camping with my friend.We took a tent, a sleeping bag, charcoal and so on. We were going’s to camping.

We set a tent and made a fire to do BBQ at dinner. During this, it has begun raining. We hurried up to prepare for camping. It was little hard, but we did with cooperation each other.

My friend said taught me how to make a fire, so we could do that easily. According to him we can make fire easily to set charcoal square.

After a camp, we went back by train.
We felt so tired but we enjoyed a great camping

Speaking Examiner training sessions - announcement

Jim is going to be running the following Cambridge Assessment English Speaking Examiner training sessions for A2:Key & B1:Preliminary levels (which also includes the 'for schools' versions) on the following dates (all sessions are 09:30 - 17:30 unless indicated otherwise):

• 
  April 24 in Ikebukuro, Tokyo (already fully booked)
  
• May 1 in Sendagaya, Tokyo (A2:Key only, am)
• May 2 in Sendagaya, Tokyo (A2:Key only, am
• June 12 in Nagano city, Nagano (09:00 - 17:00)
• June 19 in Chikusa, Aichi
• June 26 in Yotsuya, Tokyo
• July 17 in Yotsuya, Tokyo
• Sept 18 in Yotsuya, Tokyo

Obviously looking for a lot of qualified & experienced classroom operatives, resident in Japan and available to actually examine mostly on weekends. Obviously limited travel currently. 

All SEs need to certify after training (and thereafter annually). Most of these follow up sessions are next morning, same venue. 

All of these professional development sessions are free. 

So, who's got the chops?! Contact Jim by email to apply

Professional Development in Nagano with Luna International

April 25th, Nagano city - free (Ts & Cs apply).

Day-long PD session to train experienced and qualified teachers to be become Speaking Examiners (SEs). This workshop will cover the speaking tests for the A2:Key and B1:Preliminary, of Cambridge Assessment English examinations for adults.



The aims of the training session are: to make trainee examiners aware of the general responsibilities of a Cambridge Assessment English SE, likely problems/issues that may arise and how to manage them effectively; to familiarise trainee examiners with the procedure of the A2:Key and B1:Preliminary Speaking tests; to give trainee examiners the opportunity to conduct practice Speaking tests; to standardise the assessment of A2:Key and B1:Preliminary candidates: ensuring familiarity with Cambridge Assessment English criteria, with standards set by standardisation videos, and making sure SEs are able to carry out accurate assessments in accordance with these; to give trainee examiners the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about all aspects of the above.

Need a degree &/or teaching qual + recent, relevant FT experience. Must have visa (to work in Japan).

Contact Jim oyajim@gmail.com for an application form & further details/requirements. All enquiries welcome.