TOEIC Test DS Training

Publisher: Obunsha
Components: Nintendo DS software
Reviewedby: Kelly Quinn

Summary: The Nintendo DS game system provides a unique platform to review and study skills and strategies tested by the TOEIC test.

Review:

The Nintendo DS is a game platform introduced in 2004.  Since then it has proved wildly successful, selling more than 25 million units in the United States alone and over 80 million worldwide.  While the target of most gaming platforms is teenage boys and young men, the DS appeals to such non-traditional players as women, the middle aged and even the elderly.  One of the factors driving the popularity in these new markets is the availability of software that appeals to them.  The DS offers cooking software with recipes, sudoku, crossword puzzles and a number of educational titles.

In addition to being the home of the DS, Japan is also famous for its dedication to education and educational testing in particular.  English and English tests are favorite topics for local publishers and software manufacturers.  The Japanese homepage for the DS software lists over 16 titles that deal with English training and education.  While IELTS software is not available, several other major tests, including TOEFL, STEP and TOEIC are listed.  The Educational Testing Service (ETS) test TOEIC is very popular in the Japanese English testing market with over 1.5 million people taking it every year.

Because of TOEIC’s popularity, teachers are often asked to recommend textbooks that will help students improve their scores.  The DS offers a new possibility to teachers looking for TOEIC materials.  The publishing house of Obunsha has developed a DS version of its TOEIC training materials –TOEIC Test DS Training.

The cover of the Obunsha materials claims that the software is intended for students of English with scores on the TOEIC ranging from 300 – 900.  Considering that a score of 300 on the TOEIC represents basically zero proficiency and 990 is the maximum score, this is a considerable range.  Still, TOEIC represents itself as a single test designed to be suitable for all levels and abilities so in this context, Obunsha can be said to be simply matching its materials to the test.

As appropriate for a test that deals with such a wide range of levels and abilities, the Obunsha software begins with a diagnostic test.  The initial test consists of a series of TOEIC style questions for listening comprehension and reading comprehension.  Once the students’ level is determined, the software provides a series of drills.  Many of the drills are modeled on TOEIC questions.  For listening there are questions about pictures, short conversations, and announcements.  Reading questions are grammar exercises and generally short reading passages of a general business type.  Translation, interpretation, and explanation of the testing point are provided in pop-up windows in Japanese.

In addition to the TOEIC style questions, the Obunsha software provides a series of drills and activities based on the basic 2,000 English word list.  The drills take the form of matching and fill in the blank exercises as well as a number of arcade style games where players choose the correct answer by blasting it out of the sky.  The arcade games while simply dressed up matching exercises offer a welcome break from text-based drills and are more fun than one might originally suppose.

One attractive point about the DS software is that all scores and answers are automatically recorded.  Test points which were incorrectly answered earlier are repeated until mastered.  Grades are recorded in a graph and students can review their progress.  Another good point is that the pronunciation of all target words is recorded and students can listen and practice pronunciation.

While the Obunsha DS TOEIC training software offers no strikingly original improvements in teaching test taking strategies, there are still reasons for teachers to consider recommending it.  The first attractive point is the software’s price.  The software sells for 3,800 yen- around 38 US dollars.  While this might seem expensive, it is cheap when compared to textbooks which would cover the same material.  The Obunsha software includes over 500 TOEIC questions, equal to five complete tests, as well as 8,000 vocabulary problems.  To buy a textbook and CDs for the same amount of material would easily cost twice as much.  Also, the software can often be found used for less than half the retail price.

Another advantage is the DS’s portability.  Several PC software titles are available for similar prices, but for students riding trains, nothing could be more convenient or easier to use than a DS.  The DS is about the size of a large cell phone or PDA and easily fits into a backpack or purse.  Students can take advantage of few free minutes to improve their vocabulary or TOEIC test taking skills.

In short, the range and variety of material, the portability of the DS game system and the attractive price of the software, combine to make the Obunsha TOEIC Test DS Training an attractive product for students and teachers in Japan.