The Cambridge English story began in 1913 when three candidates in the United Kingdom took the first Cambridge English exam. It took 12 hours and included translation, dictation and phonetic transcription. All the three candidates failed! Today, over four million candidates a year take Cambridge English exams to prove they have the English language skills needed for immigration, study and work.
This year marks 100 years since Cambridge English began providing the world’s leading range of qualifications for learners and teachers of English. Cambridge English language assessment has organised celebrations to mark its anniversary at offices across the world, including India, where the department supports State Governments, educational institutions and corporate houses in developing and assessing the English language proficiency level of students and teachers.
The Cambridge English Centenary celebrations are focusing on a series of special centenary events in Chennai and New Delhi from Tuesday to Thursday. As part of these celebrations, the Cambridge English Language Assessment department organised a conference on ‘Strategies for Developing English Language skills to enhance graduate employability’ in Chennai on Wednesday.
Speaking to press persons during the conference, Michael Milanovic, chief executive of Cambridge English Language Assessment said that education in Tamil Nadu had a significant focus on technical skills. “One of the things that can impact Indian economy is that there is inadequate communication and soft skills,” he said. Milanovic also launched ‘Cambridge English — The India Connection,’ a book of case studies from Cambridge English Language Assessment’s partners in India.
Cambridge English Language Assessment trains over 1,200 teachers in India annually.. The centre in Tamil Nadu is currently working on a pilot programme with Corporation school teachers to bring them on par with global standards. “Our idea is not to create colleges and schools of excellence but to take English to a higher level,” said T K Arunachalam, regional manager - South Asia. Cambridge English Language Assessment Exams are offered in 130 countries every year in 2,500 test centres globally.