Achieving transparency, assuring quality, sustaining diversity – Proceedings of the ALTE Berlin Conference May 2005
This Studies in Language Testing volume explores the impact of
multilingualism on language assessment. It considers ways of describing
and comparing language qualifications to establish common levels of
proficiency, balancing the need to set common standards and at the same
time sustain linguistic diversity. Three broad themes are explored.
Quality and diversity are addressed via avenues such as the quality of
examinations and codes of practice, as well as the research on impact
in various state certification projects. In relation to ethics and
diversity, several papers focus on the complex relationships between
linguistic identity and diversity on one hand, and immigration and
citizenship policy on the other, as assessment increasingly interfaces
with language proficiency requirements for citizenship and for active
participation of newcomers in social, occupational and democratic
processes. Transparency and diversity are examined through the
relationship of examinations to the Common European Framework from a
number of different perspectives.