Interview with Zhivko

Introduction:
Learning a foreign language with dictation practice can help you develop all four language skills in an integrative way. At English-dictations.com you can access originally produced and published high quality dictations in English. You can try new dictations because the database and list of new dictations on the site is regularly updated. Our team wants to build the largest selection of dictations in English.
The site is focused only on dictations as a language learning tool - users can select them by language level (from beginner to advanced). There is also a special software that shows the errors to the user.
Today we are talking to Zhivko, one of the founders of English-dictations.com

Torsten:
When did you start your site and how did the idea emerge?

Zhivko:
The idea for a site with dictations emerged several months ago. I was searching for dictations in the Internet, and found out that they are always attached to other learning resuorces, and somehow underestimated. That is why english-dictations.com appeared.

Torsten:
What is your professional background and how long have you been involved in ESL?

Zhivko:
My ESL teaching career started in 2001. Since then I've been developing many educational products, such as audio activities, tests, language evaluation programs and software, etc. In 1998 I graduated political science and worked one year in college administration (international relations office).

Torsten:
So you have been providing ESL learners with tools and materials that enable them to improve their language skills faster and with greater effect. How do you view the importance of the English language in today in the future?

Zhivko:
The English language is already an international language. English is the language of the IT revolution and the information age. I believe that this could hardly be changed in the near future.

Torsten:
How do you come up with new ideas for your dication texts?

Zhivko:
Usually I hire esl teachers, native speakers who write and read the dictations. I request contemporary and clean texts, without many names and other difficult to write words. About 10% of the dictations are excerpts from British and American writers, but not classics because I put emphasis on modern everyday language.

Torsten:
Who is taking care of the technical side of your project?

Zhivko:
We've got a developer and designer for our website. Two audio professionals take care about the dictation sound quality.

Torsten:
How many new dictations are you planning to add in 2006?

Zhivko:
100 new dictations will be added in January 2006. The plan is to add new dictation content every 2-3 months.

Torsten:
How are you promoting your site?

Zhivko:
English-dictations.com is a relatively new project. Currently, we popularize it through links from other sites, some of which are very popular. A smaller part of the traffic comes from search englines and software products that we sell and distribute offline. In the next several weeks we plan to pay for advertisement in some websites and search engines.

Torsten:
What kind of software programs do you sell?

Zhivko:
All of our products are education oriented — interactive and multimedia cds, language evaluation tests, dictation software, TOEFL and GMAT training programs.

Torsten:
What countries are the users and customers of English-dictations.com from?

Zhivko:
Most of our customers are form the United States. They are mainly students or professionals of non-american descent, who need English language training for their study and work. We've got also users from India and Southeast Asia.