English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. (ESB) is a UK-based organisation that delivers teaching and examinations in oral communication and the language arts.
English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. (ESB) was founded in 1953 as a charitable organisation by Christabel Burniston, a pioneer of a new approach to developing speech and listening skills.
Breaking away from the traditional ‘elocution’ classes and exams of the era, ESB’s approach was to enable individuals to learn and be tested on their communication skills in a supportive group.
[1][2] Education journalist Susan Elkin noted in The Stage's 2006 obituary of Christabel Burniston that the ESB had anticipated the GCSE and National Curriculum approach to speaking and listening by more than 40 years.
Its qualifications are recognised and mapped to the relevant National Core Curriculum requirements and it works in close partnership with educational centres across the UK, Europe and the Far East.