08/09/2014
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education is using the Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) from Cambridge Assessment English to evaluate the skills of specially selected teachers prior to their departure for training in the US and Australia. TKT is being used to help raise skill levels among Tokyo’s English teachers, thereby improving the language ability of their students. The overseas teacher training project will also contribute towards the Metropolitan Government's goal of raising students' English language proficiency ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
TKT is an internationally recognised qualification from Cambridge English which gives formal recognition of teaching experience while also helping teachers to develop new skills and build confidence. The 140 selected teachers will be taking TKT Module 3, focusing on how to manage the teaching and learning process, and some will also take a practical TKT course. The teachers will travel to the University of California, Irvine, and to the University of New South Wales, for three-month training courses scheduled to take place between September 2014 and March 2015.