GESE goes desi

Good communication skills in English are now a highly sought-after power, needed by all young job-aspirants, whatever be the qualifications they possess. HR departments and recruiters of all companies find that good English skills among the youth are becoming rarer and rarer. A recent Mckinsey report states that only 30% of our graduating fraternity is employable. The balance fall by the wayside on account of a lack of these simple skills.

This issue has been noted and is being addressed by the central and state governments on a fire-fighting mode. There is a scramble to introduce spoken English courses, language labs, etc. right across the country. These special courses are required because there is an under-emphasis of listening and speaking skills in the usual school curriculum when contrasted with reading and writing skills. Another hurdle is the Indian student’s tendency to memorise but not internalise information.

The globally conducted and internationally recognised ESOL examinations offered by Trinity College, London is particularly suited to address these problems. Through, Orient Longman, its national manager in India for ESOL examinations, Trinity College, London offers Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) and Integrated Skills in English [ISE] examinations to assess one’s proficiency of English.

The examinations were introduced in late 2004 and have now become very popular with students of all ages. Institutions and students have realised that what Trinity offers is not just examinations, but a system within which they can learn and master the language. Trinity examinations are now being taken by students not only from major cities, but also from very remote cities, which are a recognition of the benefits the system provides. It is also indicative of the extent of the rush to address the problem by institutions in every part of the country.

The GESE is unique in several ways: these graded examinations offer various levels to accommodate candidates of different linguistic ability. The tests are conducted face-to-face by trained native examiners from the UK. Beginning right from grade 1 (which is meant for beginners) through grade 12 (meant for advanced users of the language), the exams provide an opportunity to a wide variety of learners. The stress is completely on spontaneous speaking, so the tests do not require any special books, nor do they deviate much from the usual school curriculum. The grades that are awarded are aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference, hence providing international standardisation.

Encouraged by the success of the exams and keeping in mind the special requirements of the state boards, GESE India has also been recently introduced. Local examiners – trained by Trinity College, London – will conduct these examinations for GESE grades 1 to 3.