Language Assessment
The ISLC at the University of Reading runs the Test of English for Educational Purposes (TEEP) and other tests, and offers consultancy services in language test creation and administration.
Language testing has had a long association with the International Study and Language Centre. This dates back to the time when, as the Centre of Applied Language Studies (CALS), language assessment activities were managed by the Applied Linguistics department. Language testing scholars in this department have included in the past:
Don Porter
Arthur Hughes
Cyril Weir
Barry O'Sullivan
At present, expert members are John Slaght and Bruce Howell. In addition, three other academic members of staff with a wide range of expertise and experience work with John Slaght and Bruce Howell in the testing team, continuing and developing the same rigorous interest in testing.
Tests currently produced by the ISLC testing team:
- TEEP
- Pre-arrival placement: the Foundation English Language Test (FELT) and the Provisional Assessment Test of English (PATE)
- Placement tests for Pre-sessional students on arrival, covering Reading Writing Listening and Speaking
- Mid-course and end-of-course tests for continuous assessment on the Pre-sessional programme
- dedicated assessments for University of Reading programmes, e.g. English for Food Science
- commissioned tests e.g. 'Progress' for the University of the Arts London
Consultancy for Language Assessment Projects
As well as producing commissioned tests, we run testing workshops for various institutions. For example, a series of workshops at the Colleges of Applied Science in Oman led to the development of the Higher Education Test of Educational English in Oman. A similar workshop in Sri Lanka led to the creation of the University English Language Test (UELT). We also run workshops in item writing, text searching, item analysis etc. at various institutions in the UK, for example at the University of the Arts (London), the Institute of Education (London) and Oxford Brookes University.