courses for language testing
Introductory Course in Language Testing
This course introduces core principles guiding the assessment of language abilities. It relates theoretical issues both to the language classroom and to large-scale institutional, national and international assessments. The course provides the essential foundations for language assessment practice and for further study in this field.
What knowledge and/or skills will I gain from this course?
The course will provide extensive opportunities for hands-on practice, including in-test design, item writing, scoring and quality assurance processes. Participants will learn:
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Principles that inform the decisions that individuals and organisations responsible for language assessment systems have to make about their design, content, implementation and use
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The qualities of language assessments that contribute to their usefulness
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Approaches to the assessment of the skills that language learners need for communicative success
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How to connect tasks found on assessments to the tasks involved in real-world language use
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Practical applications of theoretical and conceptual frameworks in the development and validation of assessment.
How is this course delivered?
Participant will be invited to join a Microsoft Teams group where all the activities and interactions between participants and tutors will take place.
The course is structured in 12 separate sessions and the Microsoft Teams group will reflect this structure with 12 different areas. All 12 sessions will have the same order of activities:
- Questions or points to consider, before you begin any tasks or reading
- Pre-session reading
- A simple quiz based on the reading
- Reflective questions for discussion to be completed post reading
- A recorded lecture
- An individual task
- A live wrap-up session incorporating a group task
This is an intensive, full-time course that requires:
- A minimum of four hours of independent study each day (reading, completing tasks, watching lectures)
- 90 minutes of course meetings each day (discussions and group tasks) from 11.00 - 12.30 UK time / 12.00 - 13.30 CET time.
- All the activities of each session must be completed before the live session. Please note that the Session 1 and Session 2 pre-reading and tasks must be completed before the live meeting on the first day.
- A significant amount of time working on course-related tasks on the two weekends before the official start date and in the middle of the course.
To help you to prepare, the core text will be sent to you and the Microsoft Teams platform will be opened two weeks before the start of the course.
Who are the course tutors?
The course will be presented by Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment). and Tony Green (CRELLA, University of Bedfordshire) .
Jane Lloyd is Senior Research Manager at Cambridge English. Her main responsibilities are leading on standard setting for Cambridge exams, working on large-scale educational reform projects with ministries and NGOs, and working for ALTE. Her work for ALTE is to support other national language test providers. This includes: statistical analysis of items, analysis of rater performance, research into exam and language use at regional and national level, courses and training in assessment, preparation for audits, and training for item writers, test designers and raters. She has a degree in Linguistics, a DELTA, an MA in Linguistics and TESOL, and an MA in Language Testing. She is currently studying for a PhD in Language Testing at CRELLA.
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Tony Green is the Director of CRELLA and Professor of Language Assessment. He was the President of the International Language Testing Association (ILTA) in 2015-16 and is an Expert Member of both the European Association for Language Testing and Assessment (EALTA) and the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE). As well as leading projects researching many aspects of language assessment, he has extensive experience as a teacher, materials writer and teacher trainer and has worked in all areas of practical test development and delivery including as a test designer, item writer and examiner for tests of speaking and writing skills.
Testimonial
"The course was excellent. I have a much better idea of how to develop a test and check its validity, along with the principles behind statistical analysis. Jane and Tony were patient teachers, and it was lovely to study alongside other educational professionals from around the world.
When is the next course?
The next ALTE Introductory Course in Language Testing will take place online in March 2025. The exact date are yet to be confirmed.
How can I register?
The registration is not yet open.
Expression of Interest
If you would like to express your interest in this course, or any other ALTE course, please click here.
Can several people from the same organisation join this course?
For group bookings, ALTE advises to book a maximum of three places per organisation.
How can I pay?
Full payment is required on registration. We strongly recommend that payment is made online using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express. However, if it is not possible to pay with a credit/debit card when registering, please contact the ALTE Services Unit (servicesunit@alte.org) to request an invoice with bank transfer payment instructions.