GlobalEnglish Expands Portal With New Courses, Tools and Services to Meet the Needs of Every English-language Learner, Beginner to Advanced

Business Wire, March 16, 2000

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

DALY CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 2000

Site Now Offers Multiple Beginner and Advanced Courses and

the First Online TOEIC(R) Practice Test,

Plus an Offline Study Option, a Daily Online Magazine, and Traveling Translator(TM), a state-of-the-art Web Translation Tool

GlobalEnglish(TM) Corporation, the leading solution for learning English online, today announced the launch of its newly expanded portal at www.GlobalEnglish.com.

The popular site provides everything the user needs to learn English, from comprehensive multimedia courses to online learning games and community chat. With today's launch, GlobalEnglish.com now offers 10 courses -- including two new beginner courses and one new advanced course. These ten courses provide more than 450 total hours of instruction for learners at all levels. Other additions to the site include the first online practice test for the TOEIC(R) (Test of English for International Communication), an offline study option, a daily online magazine and Traveling Translator, a state-of-the-art Web translation tool. With these new features and services, GlobalEnglish.com continues to provide the latest and most effective online learning solutions to the millions of non-native English speakers around the world.

"Online English language instruction is an exciting and rapidly expanding new category in the English language education market," said Fred Grainger, president and CEO of GlobalEnglish. "Today's launch reflects our commitment to providing every learning solution the non-native speaker needs to become proficient in English, at whatever level he or she seeks -- from brushing up on basic skills to test preparation and strategy for mastering complex business communications."

New Beginner and Advanced Courses

For learners just beginning their English language study, GlobalEnglish.com now offers two entry-level courses, Beginner Level Courses 1 and 2. The courses provide more than 80 hours of instruction and equip students to take full advantage of the entire GlobalEnglish.com site, including live chat and the online magazine, GlobalEnglish Today(TM). GlobalEnglish.com has also added Advanced Level Course 10, the most advanced course in the Service. With these additional courses, GlobalEnglish.com now offers the most complete multimedia coursework for every level.

Online TOEIC(R) Test Preparation

GlobalEnglish.com offers the first online TOEIC(R) Test Preparation Center that includes a TOEIC(R) practice test. The world's most recognized English language proficiency test, the TOEIC(R) uses authentic written materials and dialogue to measure users' business English skills.

The GlobalEnglish TOEIC(R) Test Preparation Center provides general strategies for taking the exam and a two-hour practice test. This allows students to assess their current English skills and then monitor their progress. "Many of our users are focused on career advancement," said Dr. Martin Rice, internationally recognized expert in technology-based language learning and GlobalEnglish cofounder and vice president of product development. "For these students, we're proud to offer the online TOEIC(R) Test Preparation Center, which complements our coursework and provides a convenient and effective way to prepare for this important exam."

Study Offline and Save Money

GlobalEnglish.com users can now download course assignments to their personal computers. The offline study option -- available for both the free sample lessons and the subscription courses -- allows students to work at their own pace without the high cost of maintaining an Internet connection. In addition to cost savings, offline study gives GlobalEnglish.com users greater mobility. With a laptop, users can study virtually anywhere. All completed assignments can be automatically uploaded to GlobalEnglish.com the next time students visit the site, so students can easily keep track of their course progress.

Fun, Relevant Content for Practicing Reading Skills

The new online magazine, GlobalEnglish Today, provides articles and other features that are exciting, relevant and educational. Users can practice their reading skills daily while catching up on world news and the latest in entertainment, sports and more. "The ultimate measure of success occurs when the student transfers what he or she has learned in theory from course instruction and successfully applies it in a real-world context," said Dr. Martin Rice. "Our magazine enables students to apply and test their reading skills with fun and engaging content."

State-of-the-Art Translation Tool

GlobalEnglish Traveling Translator is a powerful, innovative translation tool that students can use on any Web site to translate unfamiliar English words into their native language. "While the Web offers incredible educational opportunities, many are inaccessible to millions of non-native speakers," said Ellen Fetty, vice president of marketing for GlobalEnglish. "With our variety of learning solutions and useful tools like Traveling Translator, we're working to break down that barrier."