The exercises are made up of reading and listening comprehension tasks that are served in bite size increments of five parts so as to not overwhelm a new student. Six levels of English language comprehension are tested by the software - for example, a male or female voice recites a word which has to be written out and spelled correctly on the touch screen. As each letter is written out, it appears on the top screen in sequence to serve as visual confirmation that the DS software is keeping proper record of what you're writing and what has been registered. After the word is completed, the speaker uses the word in a sentence. pass the test, write out the words that make up the sentence. Upon writing each letter, it disappears from the screen to make way for the next letter. Some examples of words and sentences used in the game:

Cook
I'll cook for you tonight.

Anyone
Did anyone call while I was out?

Reduce
You should reduce your living costs.

Handsome
The man at the door is very handsome.

To repeat the saying again, tap the red button on the upper right corner of the touch screen and the announcer dutifully repeats it again. Successful completion of the exercise elicits applause from the NDS and Japanese text at the bottom translates the English phrase once you're finished so you know what it means.

Another exercise asks the test taker a question, such as "What time is it now?" which must be answered with the correct answer.

Once the test taker has reached a certain level of proficiency, more complicated sentences are spoken and must be written out with the English alphabet. For example:

"Mr. Ford owns this land"
"I forgot to mail this letter"
"I am looking for books on Roman history"
"The rich man buys whatever he wants"
"What he has just said represents our feelings"
"She is a member of an association for protecting birds"

View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.

NCS Product Notes
* A test taker who completes the exercises in the software successfully will have a English proficiency and vocabulary of an average junior high school student.

* The handwriting recognition is fairly good and even chicken scratches and physician-like scrawls were recognized, for the most part.

* Thanks to the portable nature of the NDS software, it's a perfect tool for busy citizens who might not have time to go to a TOEIC practice session or sit at a computer for an hour. While commuting or sitting around waiting for an appointment, simply whip out the NDS and learn some English.

* A calendar and scheduler keeps track of your English lessons and skills and a graph keeps track of your scores and improvement as practice eventually makes perfect. Up to four learners may also save their personal data and records on the NDS cartridge.

* Multi-player English learning exercises may be enjoyed by up to 8 people for group participation.

This product is also known as Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Zuke.

This document is ©NCSX 2006. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.