IR News｜News

 Benesse Corporation, subsidiary Berlitz Japan, Inc. and AOL Japan, Inc., today launched the second part of a joint business initiative with the start of a demonstration service for Benesse's Global Test of English Communication (GTEC). Called GTEC English Study Navigator, this service will be offered via the Berlitz dedicated webpage. This webpage can be accessed through AOL International (http://international.aol.co.jp/).

In conjunction with AOL Japan, Benesse has developed GTEC English Study Navigator, an innovative tool aimed at promoting wider usage of GTEC. GTEC is a new type of online testing system for English language ability jointly developed by Benesse and Berlitz that comprehensively measures English communication skills for business environments.

GTEC English Study Navigator includes an English language ability questionnaire, the chance to take a demo version of GTEC, test score evaluations, and advice on how to further improve business English communication skills. All these services are offered online, free of charge. GTEC English Study Navigator is also designed to provide testing and advice tailored to the abilities and needs of individual users, making it the ideal English language study coach for beginners or students thinking about advancing to a higher level.

While employing GTEC English Study Navigator to raise the visibility of GTEC in the marketplace, Benesse and Berlitz are also considering the use of this service as a sales tool to encourage prospective students to sign up for Berlitz language courses. AOL is seeking to use the service to increase traffic to its sites and further expand its subscriber base, particularly in customer segments where interest in English language study is high.

(Overview of GTEC English Study Navigator)
Key features:
1. The service is powered by a proprietary system that uses "item response theory" to match test questions with individual student abilities in real-time, thereby giving users a realistic demonstration of GTEC's capabilities.
2. Based on a pre-test questionnaire that ascertains the user's study objectives, interest level, motivation and other characteristics, test content covering four categories-listening, reading, writing and speaking-is automatically tailored to specific user needs.
3. Advice on future English language study is given based on test results.

URL:http://international.aol.co.jp/


Since February 2004, Benesse, Berlitz and AOL Japan have been cooperating in line with a comprehensive business alliance. GTEC English Study Navigator is part of this tie-up, and is available exclusively on the AOL network. Going forward, all three partners will seek to develop similar joint businesses to generate synergies among their existing customers and offer high value-added services to a common base of potential customers.


(About the Global Test of English Communication (GTEC))
GTEC is a comprehensive English proficiency test of business-level communication skills that was jointly developed by Benesse and Berlitz. This new type of testing system measures student skills in the four key areas of communication - listening, reading, writing and speaking - over a comparatively short time of 80 minutes. GTEC is currently only available at Berlitz language centers.
(Launched: September 2003; Test fee: individual- 9,500yen; Business/Group test/Berlitz student- 7,500yen)

*GTEC English Study Navigator is more than just a pared down version of GTEC; it has been designed and developed in-house as an easy-to-use English language study assessment tool incorporating the key features and characteristics of the actual GTEC product.

(About AOL)
America Online, Inc. (AOL), a division of Time Warner, is the world's largest provider of Internet online services, with a global membership of 35 million users. AOL Japan, Inc. provides AOL services in Japan. For more information, visit the AOL Japan website. (http://www.jp.aol.com/)