Peggy Garza Associate BILC Secretary

For Testing Programs

Standardization Initiatives

• Language Testing Seminars • Assistance to National Testing Programs• STANAG 6001 Testing Conferences

Standardization Initiatives

• Language Testing Seminar (LTS)

• Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

BILC Testing Seminars

LANGUAGE TESTING SEMINAR(LTS)

Language Testing Seminar(LTS)

• Developed and conducted by BILC testing experts• Background: A BILC initiative aimed at promoting a

common interpretation of STANAG 6001 and consistency in language proficiency testing

• Specific objective: To give NATO/PfP language teaching professionals the opportunity to practice developing test items based on STANAG 6001

Language Testing Seminar(LTS)

• Held since Autumn 2000 at the Marshall Center, Germany• Two-week graduate-level seminar• Offered three times a year (February, June, November)• More than 325 graduates from NATO/PfP/MD nations

• Each seminar is conducted by BILC testing experts from two or more different BILC member nations

• Faculty from Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, the Netherlands, Slovak Republic, UK, and USA

Language Testing Seminar(LTS)

ADVANCED LANGUAGE TESTING SEMINAR

(ALTS)

Advanced Language Testing Seminar(ALTS)

• Need for continuing professional development for test developers identified

• Stakeholders’ meeting in September 2008

• Result: Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

• Validated in 2009

• Target audience: LTS graduates who continue to work on STANAG 6001 testingSTANAG 6001 Edition 3 standardization sessionsFocus on Level 3 for practical exercisesOpportunity to exchange best practices

• Modular approach

to seminar

Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

LTS ALTS• Introduction to the scale: . STANAG 6001, Edition 3

• Standardization exercises: . ...STANAG 6001, Edition 3

• Focus on L2 • Focus on L3• All four skills integrated • Modular structure• Practical, interactive small . group exercises

• Practical, interactive small . group exercises

• Emphasis on test . ...development process

• Moderation of already- … . …developed items

• Limited statistics • BAT and other BILC ...efforts to standardize testing

• Three-week seminarModule 1: Receptive Skills: Listening and Reading (one week)Module 2: Productive Skills: Speaking and Writing (one week)Module 3: Test Analysis (3 days)Module 4: Managerial Issues (2 days)

Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

• 2009 Development Team Canada, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Slovenia, USA

• 2009 Validation TeamBulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Latvia,

Lithuania, Romania, Spain

Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

• 2010 ParticipantsBosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Georgia,

Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia

Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

• Hot TopicsBAT results ---now what?Need for periodic renorming sessions and

professional development BILC bridge to inform decision makersBILC website and Community of InterestLevel 4 conundrum

Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

• Recommend STANAG 6001 Toolbox for Testers Samples of listening and reading items at Levels 1-3Samples of speaking and writing tests at Levels 1-3,

including plus levelsSelf-Study Guide on Receptive Skills Testing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Self-Assessment Checklist for STANAG 6001

Testing ProgramsListing of national testing organization POCs

Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

• Bosnia-Herzegovina2008-presentWorkshops and assistance visits

• Georgia2009-presentWorkshops and assistance visits

• Azerbaijan (planned)

Assistance to National Testing Programs in Partner Nations

• Bosnia-Herzegovina and Georgia Cooperative Event on STANAG 6001 Testing

Forum for sharing best practices and lessons learned

22-28 June at the Marshall Center

Assistance to National Testing Programs

in Partner Nations

• Zagreb, 2009Focus on standardization, moderation, and validation

• Sarajevo, 2010Dates: 31 August – 2 SeptemberTheme: Standardizing Approaches to Testing

Emphasis on building Partner testing programsInvitations

See Peggy Garza or Jana Vasilj-Begovic

STANAG 6001 Testing Conferences