Placement tests and development of English

[Stew.t.]

hi all

What kind of test as a student did you take before commencing a course?
Do you think it was accurate and up to date?

How can trainers stay abreast of the game, and create accurate placement tests?

Are you concerned with determining your level?

Is there a framework in your home country?
Does America have something similiar to the CEF? www.britishcouncil.org/morocco-english-general-european.htm

The levels of students can be quite hard to determine at the offset, so we need all the help we can get ; )
_________________
Please meet Stewart Tunncilff

[Jamie (K)]

The US has several tests that are similar to the CEF, including the TOEFL, the MTELP, the ESL Compass, the SPEAK test, and maybe a few others.

I find that the TOEFL is a pretty good predictor of proficiency. The ESL Compass isn't as good, because it tends to place some people too high or too low, depending on how familiar they are with the culture, so a guy with terrible English who has lived in the US for five years can score too high, whereas someone from China who speaks impeccable English but has only been in the US for a week can score too low.

[Stew.t.]

Hi Jamie K

Thanks for that. I am not so aware of TOEFL, what is the scale, how does it break down?

Is it based on abilities, and does it have definitions?

The CEF basic level descriptions are too broad, such that A1 and B2 for example encompass way too wide and diverse abilities.

Do you follow the TOEFL as a good benchmark, and what emphasis do you place on a balance between spoken and written?

The CEF is a guideline, can you write TOEFL approved tests like we can with CEF?
_________________
Please meet Stewart Tunncilff

[Yankee]

Hi Stew

The TOEFL is a test that American universities have historically required nonnative speakers to take prior to being accepted for admission. Universities usually establish their own minimum score requirements. The TOEFL is produced by the ETS.

Here is something I found online showing "equivalent scores" of various tests. I'm not really sure how accurate it is, though: