Importance of the OPIc Test for the English education market in Korea

[OPIc 가이드]

English tests are changing!

Getting a Job in a Korean Company

In order to enter a well-known company, students often had to get high or even perfect scores in TOEFL or TOEIC.  These tests have been one of the decision-making points as to whether to fail or pass a person into a position within a company. However, Middle schools and high schools have changed their English education teaching system and now companies and universities are changing.

Tests Like TOEIC Being Used Less to Rate Company Employee’s English Ability

TOEIC is no longer a tool to measure one’s English ability.    Rather than the TOEIC test, companies are focusing more on the speaking ability itself and are providing a special program to improve their employees’ English communication ability.  It is not a TOEIC score that workers need in order to be promoted, but it is their communication skills in English.

Samsung’s New Direction – English Proficiency Testing

Samsung, one of the biggest companies in Korea, discovered many problems with the current English system in Korea, and they will no longer use TOEIC as a tool to test their workers’ speaking ability.  They are in the process of escaping from an old system which only tests English ability to testing a speaker’s “English proficiency.” Samsung will introduce the Oral Proficiency Interview – computer (OPIc) test as their English proficiency test.  This means that workers of Samsung will no longer rely on a TOEIC score to distinguish a smart worker from others, but will use a more reliable tool.  Times are changing!  This will create a new English market trend in Korea, and it will be a change that will benefit a lot of students who wish to learn English properly, that is – to really communicate!

Dramatic decrease of stock market share of YBM-Sisa Language Institute

YBM-Sisa Language Institute is the certified TOEIC testing center in Korea.  However, the day before SDA LI and Samsung credu signed the contract, the stock market share decreased by over 3,000 won.  Also, one of the politicians announced that TOEIC is no longer considered as a tool to measure one’s English Proficiency.