English Language Testing

WHAT IS THE LANGUAGE TESTING

Definition 1
"Language Testing is the practice and study of evaluating the proficiency of an individual in using a particular language effectively."

Priscilla Allen, University of Washington.
(Winning entry from the 2009/10 "definition" competition run on this website)

Definition 2
"The activity of developing and using language tests. As a psychometric activity, language testing traditionally was more concerned with the production, development and analysis of tests. Recent critical and ethical approaches to language testing have placed more emphasis on the uses of language tests. The purpose of a language test is to determine a person’s knowledge and/or ability in the language and to discriminate that person’s ability from that of others. Such ability may be of different kinds, achievement, proficiency or aptitude. Tests, unlike scales, consist of specified tasks through which language abilities are elicited. The term language assessment is used in free variation with language testing although it is also used somewhat more widely to include for example classroom testing for learning and institutional examinations."
Alan Davies, University of Edinburgh.

Definition 3
"In the context of language teaching and learning, 'assessment' refers to the act of collecting information and making judgments about a language learner's knowledge of a language and ability to use it."
Carol Chapelle and Geoff Brindley, Universities of Iowa State and Macquarie.

Definition 4
I have to say that this is my personal favourite.
"It is a species of sortition infinitely preferable to the ancient method of casting lots for honours and offices."
Sometimes complex phenomena like language testing are explained in relation to their roots. It is often said that modern language testing dates to 1961, because this was the date of the publication of the first book on language testing by Robert Lado, and a paper setting out the scope of language testing by J. B. Carroll. Below are two PDF documents. One is a short extract from the beginning of Lado's Language Testing, and the second is Carroll's Fundamental Considerations in Testing for English Language Proficiency of Foreign Students.

definition is enclosing a wilderness of idea within a wall of words." Samuel Butler (1835-1902)

Wikipedia has an entry on language testing. This is its current definition:

"Language Assessment or Language Testing is a field of study under the umbrella of applied linguistics. Its main focus is the assessment of first, second or other language in the school, college, or university context; assessment of language use in the workplace; and assessment of language in the immigration, citizenship, and asylum contexts

Language Testing Scenarios

Definitions and key texts are useful to understand a topic. Perhaps even more powerful are scenarios where language testing is an important ingredient in decision making. Below are six scenarios, each of which provides information on the language issues at stake, and presents questions for discussion, debate, and further study

I.        What is IELTS (ELTS - International English Language Testing System) IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication. Since 1989, IELTS has been proven and trusted worldwide to provide a secure, global, authentic and customer-focused test which measures true to life ability to communicate in English. Over 3800 educational institutions, government agencies and professional organizations across 120 countries around the world recognize IELTS scores as a trusted and valid indicator of ability to communicate in English. With over 500,000 tests taken every year, IELTS is one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world, and sets the standard in integrity, research and innovation. Course Structure A comprehensive Preparation course covering all four language skills – Listening, speaking, reading & writing. • All materials used are updated and directly from U.K • Conducted by experienced foreign qualified lecturers

Complete the preparation course and do the examination at ICBT • Free Gift Pack with a CD for Listening • Video Presentation for Speaking Skill

II.       Business English Certificates (BEC) BEC  is a suite of three exams - BEC Preliminary, BEC Vantage, BEC Higher - designed to test English language ability used in the context of business. They are suitable for adults who are either preparing for a career in business or already in work. The exams cover the same range of language skills as the Main Suite exams, but with the emphasis on activities that are common in business. After completion of the course students have the option of sitting for the PET Examination conducted by the British Council. (An internationally recognized qualification from Cambridge University)

III.         Spoken English

Spoken English - For individuals to be competent in their speaking ability/speech so that they are able to: Fluently converse| gain confidence with associates, friends & subordinates | acquire a range of vocabulary | build up personality with a positive attitude towards life| This is designed for | - School leavers looking to proceed to certificate level | - Working adults Course Content : Syllabus will be from City & Guilds that will include: o Grammar and writing skills o Speaking and listening o Pronunciation, fluency and key features of Spoken English o Role-play, reading and adaptation of the modern methods of communication Dual Qualification After completion of the course students have the option of sitting for the Spoken English for Speakers of Other Languages (SESOL) Examination. An internationally recognized qualification from City & Guilds - UK. Successful candidates will be awarded a “Certificate in Spoken English” after completion of the program A.      How does texting influence the English language? With the increased use of new technologies such as laptop computers, tablets, and mobile phones, the textese language (also known as txt-speak, chatspeak, txtspk, texting language, SMSish, txtslang, txt-talk, and others) has become very popular, but media and scholars have voiced their concern about the English language being overwhelmed by SMS (Short Message Service) language. - The changes we see taking place today in the language will be a prelude to the dying use of good English (Sun, April 24, 2001) - Appalled teachers are now presented with essays written not in standard English but in the compressed, minimalist language of mobile phone text messaging (Scotsman, March 4, 2003) - The English language is being beaten up, civilization is in danger of crumbling (Observer, March 7, 2004) - Texting is penmanship for illiterates (Sunday Telegraph, July 11, 2004) It's a well-known fact that language is in a constant state of evolution. The question is whether texting language should be considered a language change or a language decline. There are quite contrary opinions about it. a.   The Cons Teachers are usually intolerant of texting language. They claim using symbols and/or abbreviated words or sentences in order to save space and time distorts the students' ability to express themselves eloquently through writing, and it distorts their ability to use words appropriately in context. There have been many reports about poor punctuation, bad grammar and inappropriate abbreviations in exams and papers. Students sometimes do not realize they are using chatspeak in their academic writing. Baroness Greenfield, the neuroscientist, is worried that sending text messages may cause young people to have shorter attention spans. (The Telegraph, Aug 12, 2009) b.   The Pros On the bright side, there have been studies with surprisingly unexpected conclusions: A 2006 study by two professors at Coventry University in Britain found that 11-year-olds who used the most textisms were actually better at spelling and writing. A command of texting seems to indicate a broader facility for language. And these students seem to switch easily between text messaging and Standard English. (The New York Sun, January 23, 2008) Besides, some educators think that whatever can get students to write is a positive influence. Indeed, the internet and texting have made writing return to importance. Modern teenagers spend hours every day tapping out thousands of words. The generation of the 70s and 80s would spend hours on the telephone, instead. c.   A neutral view? Some people believe texting has no effect on Standard English whatsoever. They compare textese to some sort of modern jargon. Since every generation has its own jargon, and English grammar is still changing, the influence of chatspeak on English grammar should not be exaggerated. It's just a temporary phenomenon that will either fade (unlikely) or develop into a new language used primarily in electronic communication among those who can "decode" the abbreviations. Learning another language doesn't influence anyone's ability to use proper English as long as students have learnt the grammar rules and therefore know the difference between slang and correct English. Whether it is regarded as a separate language or not, chatspeak can never be considered literate. Can you understand the following sentence? "AAR8, my Ps wr :-) - they sdICBW,&tht they wr ha-p 4 the pc&qt." The "translation" can be found in the end of this article. Incidentally, speaking and writing correctly in daily communication is not as difficult as it may seem. You only need to know about 2 000 different words. Examples of texting English: b4 - before bc - because 10q - thank you bk - back d8 - date w8 - wait ez - easy l8tr - later 2l8 - too late qt - cutie a3 - anyplace, anytime, anywhere asap - as soon as possible laff - laugh bau - business as usual brb - I'll be right back btw - by the way fyi - for your information cwof - complete waste of time hand - have a nice day ltns - long time no see urok - you are okay 2m2h - too much to handle 2mi, tmi - too much information yoyo - you're on your own @wrk all wk - at work all weekend k - OK luk@dis - look at this pos - parent(s) over shoulder gnblfy - got nothing but love for you AAAAA - American Association Against Acronym Abuse

B.      What are your own thoughts about texting English? How often do you use it?

^{Answer for the chatspeak sentence:
"AAR8, my Ps wr :-) - they sdICBW,&tht they wr ha-p 4 the pc&qt" means "At any rate, my parents were happy, they said it could be worse and that they were happy with the peace and quiet."}

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England nor French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 mees e? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you comb through annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people , not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible? And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it? English is a silly language - it doesn't know if it is coming or going.

C.      How the English language was born?

The English language has been shaped by a number of other languages over the centuries, and many English speakers know that Latin and German were two of the most important. What many people don't realize is how much the French language has influenced English.
Without going into too much detail, I want to give a little bit of background about the other languages which shaped English. It was born out of the dialects of three German tribes (Angles, Jutes, and Saxons) who settled in Britain in about 450 A.D. This group of dialects forms what linguists refer to as Anglo-Saxon, and at some point this language developed into what we know as Old English. This Germanic base was influenced in varying degrees by Celtic, Latin, and Scandinavian (Old Norse) - the languages spoken by invading armies.

Bill Bryson calls the Norman conquest of 1066 the "final cataclysm [which] awaited the English language." (1) When William the Conqueror became king of England, French took over as the language of the court, administration, and culture - and stayed there for 300 years. Meanwhile, English was "demoted" to everyday, unprestigious uses. These two languages existed side by side in England with no noticeable difficulties; in fact, since English was essentially ignored by grammarians during this time, it took advantage of its lowly status to become a grammatically simpler language and, after only 70 or 80 years existing side-by-side with French, Old English segued into Middle English.

D.   How many tenses are there in English language?

was told that there are twelve tenses in English:

1: Simple Present Tense

2: Present Perfect Tense

3: Present Progressive Tense

4: Present Perfect Progressive Tense

5: Simple Past Tense

6: Past Perfect Tense

7: Past Progressive Tense

8: Past Perfect Progressive Tense

9: Simple Future Tense

10: Future Perfect Tense

11: Future Progressive Tense

12: Future Perfect Progressive Tense

E.    ESL, How to speak and learn English language

How to speak and learn English language!

      Here are some tips which may help you to master the English Language!
Speak without Fear

The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry that they won't say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don't talk at all. Don't do this. The fastest way to learn anything is to do it again and again until you get it right. Like anything, learning English requires practice. Don't let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.

Use all of your Resources

Even if you study English at a language school it doesn't mean you can't learn outside of class. Using as many different sources, methods and tools as possible, will allow you to learn faster. There are many different ways you can improve your English, so don't limit yourself to only one or two. The internet is a fantastic resource for virtually anything, but for the language learner it's perfect.

      Surround Yourself with English

The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin thinking in English

.
Listen to Native Speakers as Much as Possible

There are some good English teachers that have had to learn English as a second language before they could teach it. However, there are several reasons why many of the best schools prefer to hire native English speakers. One of the reasons is that native speakers have a natural flow to their speech that students of English should try to imitate. The closer ESL / EFL students can get to this rhythm or flow, the more convincing and comfortable they will become.

Watch English Films and Television

This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective. By watching English films (especially those with English subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors. If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.

Listen to English Music

Music can be a very effective method of learning English. In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension. The best way to learn though, is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings. There are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and reading at the same time. And if you like to sing, fine.

Study As Often As Possible!

Only by studying things like grammar and vocabulary and doing exercises, can you really improve your knowledge of any language.

Do Exercises and Take Tests

Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun. However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really improve your English. One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that they give you a benchmark to compare your future results with. Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday with one you took a month or six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned. If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing. Start now by doing some of the many exercises and tests on this site, and return in a few days to see what you've learned. Keep doing this and you really will make some progress with English.

    Record Yourself

Nobody likes to hear their own voice on tape but like tests, it is good to compare your tapes from time to time. You may be so impressed with the progress you are making that you may not mind the sound of your voice as much.

Listen to English

By this, we mean, speak on the phone or listen to radio broadcasts, audiobooks or CDs in English. This is different than watching the television or films because you can't see the person that is speaking to you. Many learners of English say that speaking on the phone is one of the most difficult things that they do and the only way to improve is to practice.

      Finally
Have fun!

F.    English influence on other languages?

It would be interesting to hear from nonnative speakers of English in particular what influence English exerts on other languages nowadays. What English words and expressions are used in your language? Does English grammar or syntax have an influence on your native language? Where is this influence seen or heard? Books? Journalese? Advertising? Conversation?

Are Anglicisms frowned upon in your language or generally accepted? Of course I welcome replies from native speakers as well, anything you think worth mentioning.

English and Finnish are not related and thus the idea of English grammar exercising an influence on Finnish grammar is all but inconceivable. In advertising, some English expressions are commonly used, for example happy hour is often seen in bars and pubs and some people use it even when they speak Finnish.

Café is the word often seen outside coffee houses or cafeterias, but no one uses the word when they speak Finnish. Finnish is a highly inflected language and café just doesn't lend itself easily to our inflection patterns, which may be the reason people never use the word in conversation.

Some yongsters have adopted the non-Finnish way to read decimals: two point five. I don't mean they say it in English, they just use the Finnish word for point, which is incorrect in Finnish. We don't have a decimal point, we have a decimal comma (2,5). Pocket calculators and computer programmes are probably chiefly to blame for this phenomenon.

There is at least one Finnish Eurosport tennis commentator who uses the English word order when he says thirty all. In Finnish the numeral should come last.

G.  Texting helps language evolve

all of these are now synonymous with texting, a vehicle used to shorten spoken language into manageable bite-sized pieces. Recently, there is a rising fear that texting is slowly but surely killing the English language. Though some critics may say that all of the abbreviations and shorthand are hampering our ability to converse intelligently, texting as a language should be considered an evolutionary step in the English vocabulary.

Over the course of its evolution, language has become increasingly complex as we progress with our innovations in technology. Texting is an example of the complexity in any language because the acronyms and initialisms only make sense to those who already know what they mean and understand the technological dialect, which excludes other groups from using them.

These acronyms also allow us to communicate with efficiency so that we no longer need to waste time typing entire phrases. Though some critics also say that texting kills language via emotional stagnation, this is false due to the fact that there are hundreds of “emojis” that can convey any emotion. Texting can also allow recipients to understand their emotions because they have to type out or use symbols to explain how they feel instead of people being able to read their facial expressions or listen to their voice inflections.

Texting can also be as complicated as the people in the conversation want it to be. Texting and shorthand are not mutually exclusive — it may be appropriate to use shorthand in a conversation with your friend, but for other conversations, it would be highly inappropriate, such as with your boss. This makes texting more difficult because it forces people to change their writing styles as they switch between conversations.

There is also the misconception that texting creates barriers of communication outside of our phones and computers. However, in reality, we are able to remain more connected to people all over the world through those devices. By changing the language on your keyboard with a few simple clicks, you can communicate in almost any language. Texting offers people the opportunity to forge relationships across many divides.

The increased use of texting outside of technological devices signifies a greater emphasis being placed on communicating with efficiency and helping the English language to evolve. There is no reason that there should be any talk of destroying languages, because languages must change along with the culture. Like most technological changes, the people that were raised before any alterations in tradition will try to resist the modifications in any way they can, but there is no way to stop this change, as texting does not automatically deprive us of anything. It allows for more options to be explored, and it allows for us to maintain our current language while adding new words to the mix

H.   Is Text Messaging Ruining English? Absolutely Not

With every generation come cries that teenagers are destroying the language with their newfangled slang. The current grievance harps on the way casual language used in texts and instant messages inhibits kids from understanding how to write and speak “properly.” While amateur language lovers might think this argument makes sense, experts say this is not at all the case. In fact, linguists say teenagers, far from destroying English, are innovating and enriching the language.

First of all, abbreviations like haha, lol, omg, brb, and btw are more infrequent than you might imagine, according to a 2008 paper by Sali A. Tagliamonte and Derek Denis. Of course, 2008 is a long time ago in terms of digital fluency, but the findings of the study are nevertheless fascinating. Looking at IM conversations of Toronto-based teenagers, Tagliamonte found that “the use of short forms, abbreviations, and emotional language is infinitesimally small.” These sorts of stereotypical markers of teen language accounted for only 3 percent of Tagliamonte’s data. Perhaps one of her most interesting findings is that older teens start to outgrow the abbreviation lol, opting for the more mature haha. Tagliamonte’s 16-year-old daughter told her, “I used to use lol when I was a kid.”

Tagliamonte, who now is exploring language development in texting as well as instant messaging, argues that these forms of communication are a cultivated mix of formal and informal language and that these mediums are “on the forefront of change.” In an article published in May of this year, Tagliamonte concludes that “students showed that they knew where to use proper English.” For example, a student might not start sentences with capital letters in IMs and text messages, but still understands to do this in formal papers. Tagliamonte believes that this kind of natural blending of conversational registers employed by teens would not be possible without a sophisticated understanding of both formal and informal language.

It was once trendy to try to speak like people wrote, and now it’s the other way around. For the first time in history, we can write quickly enough to capture qualities of spoken language in our writing, and teens are skillfully doing just that. John McWhorter’s 2013 TED Talk “Txting is killing language. JK!!!” further supports the idea that teens are language innovators. He believes their creative development of the English language should be not mocked, but studied, calling texting “an expansion of [young people’s] linguistic repertoire.” He singles out the subtle communication prowess of lol. Teens are using it in non-funny situations, and its meaning has expanded beyond just “laugh out loud.” Now it can be used as a marker of empathy and tone, something often lacking in written communication. This is an enhancement–not a perversion–of language. There’s also evidence to suggest that lol sometimes carries a similar meaning to wtf (and furthermore, the abbreviation wtf is more functional and sophisticated than it seems).

Teens aren’t the only ones opting for abbreviations in written communication. The first citation of OMG in the Oxford English Dictionary is from a 1917 letter from the British admiral John Arbuthnot Fisher to none other than Winston Churchill. He writes, “I hear that a new order of Knighthood is on the tapis–O.M.G. (Oh! My God!)–Shower it on the Admiralty!!” Clearly, to give young people all the credit for spreading new abbreviations would be shortsighted, though this letter does bring up the question of where Admiral John Fisher first encountered OMG. Perhaps he picked up this colorful expression from his grandchildren.

1.   Texting Language?

Answer

Texting language is a way of speaking through text messages. The way of speaking is much shorter because there is a maximum character limit that one can use in one message. The limits for most phones is 160 characters. Because of this, many people have adapted to the limitation by using acronyms in text messages. This way one can say phrases with three to eight letters. For example, instead of typing the words, 'I don't know,' you would type IDK in text.

2.   What Is Text Language?

Answer

Text language refers to the combination of letters and words that are commonly used in text messages. Usually, this language is made of slang and abbreviations that can be understood by a particular community.

3.      What is the ISF Marlins English Test?

The ISF Marlins English Language Test is a online assessment tool, which tests seafarers' understanding of both written and spoken English.

Use of the ISF Marlins English Language Test allows ship operators to demonstrate that seafarers, of whatever nationality, have been assessed on their ability to communicate in English, a necessity that has been given additional emphasis by the ISM Code and the revised STCW Convention.

4.   What are the main features of the ISF Marlins English Test?

The new online version of the test features a completely fresh database of questions as well as several new question types. Test users get the chance to practice each question type before they start the test and help information is available in 11 languages. A certificate of the user's result can be printed out at the end of the test. officers and ratings (including catering and hotel personnel) and focuses on the seafarers' understanding of English as opposed to their "seamanship" skills.

The online test also allows larger companies with several test sites to manage the purchase and distribution of tests through one central account. A powerful new reporting feature allows reports to be compiled on purchase history, test balance, test results and enables searches for individual test results.

Price and Availability

The test costs just 14 USD per test and can be purchased directly from the Marlins Test Centre. There is no minimum order and discounts are available for buying in bulk. These will be kept in credit in your online