Experience the speaking and careeristic guide

by Martin Austin B1 speaking and listening

The non native speakers of English needs to prove their eligibility in certain basic areas of English namely speaking & listening for qualifying in B1 ESOL Examination in the UK. In a very conducive environment the entire exam takes place with special emphasis being laid on communicative aspect.

From 28th October 2013, it has been made mandatory for all applicants wishing to apply for settlement or naturalisation as a British citizen will need to meet the knowledge of language and life requirement by passing the life in the UK test; and having a speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 CEFR or higher, or its equivalent. To make the process more professional and transparent, Trinity College London has announced that their Graded Examination in Spoken English (GESE) Grade 5 in Speaking and Listening skills which will count as a benefit for Settlement (or ILR) and Naturalisation applications made on the above mentioned date.

Level B1 is an intermediate level qualification and is designed to show that a successful candidate has the ability to use English language skills to deal with everyday written and spoken communications, e.g. reading simple books and articles, writing simple personal letters, making notes during meetings. Trinity’s GESE and ISE exams remain on the list of Secure English Language Tests (SELTs) approved for visa and immigration purposes by the UK Home Office. An individual can opt for various Trinity College London exams if he/she needs to prove English Language ability foe visa. CEFR A1, B1 and B2 are levels of English language proficiency that have been mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). We first of all should know the following full forms which are mandatory requirements for certain type of visa processing:

CEFR = Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
SELT = Secure English Language Test
GESE = Graded Examinations in Spoken English

The students who seek to appear for B1 & B2 levels are normally considered as Independent users. In order to prove their knowledge of English with a SELT exam, they will need at least CEFR level B1 in Speaking and Listening. Basically, Trinity’s GESE Grade 5 exam is equivalent to CEFR B1. GESE Grade 5 includes 10 minute speaking and listening test. The candidate will be given Provisional results on the same day and Certificate within 7 days. The test is conducted only for Speaking and Listening exam.

As Trinity ISE is a recognised SELT therefore all UK universities and colleges accept ISE where the course is below degree level especially when Tier 4 visa is required. ISE I includes 4 skills English assessment; besides, it can be taken in 1 day and the Certificate is issued within 2-4 weeks. The ISE I format includes three components: Portfolio, Controlled Written Exam & Interview. For Tier 1 work visa, one needs at least CEFR level B1 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. If a person seeks to take the ISE exam for visa purposes, he must take it at a Trinity SELT centre. This year we are having 12^th November and 3^rd December as test dates in the following centres namely Birmingham- Lucas House; Barking- Essex; Slough- Berkshire; Coventry- Park Rd; Birmingham- Nicholas House; Sheffield- London Rd; Manchester- King Street.