If you’re an English teacher, Director of Studies or school owner you’ll know the importance of putting students in the right group. Whether it’s a business English class, exam prep or general English – a placement test is essential. Without one, you’ll teach classes with such varied levels and needs, it’ll be hard to plan an effective lesson.
Placing students at the wrong level will not only lead to unmotivated learners, but it may also cost your institution money.
But how exactly do you design a reliable, accurate and easy-to-use test? In this post, we’ll examine the key questions you need to consider before making your own placement test. We’ll also explore what features you need to achieve your goals.
Most private language schools (PLSs) and higher education institutions offer new students the opportunity to take a placement test before starting a course. However, these are often just a multiple-choice test, a short interview, or a combination of the two.
While this does act as a filter helping us group students into similar levels, there are a number of downfalls. Students can guess the answers to multiple-choice questions – and while they might give us a rough idea of their grammar knowledge, these tests don’t consider the four skills: speaking, writing, listening and reading.
Oral interviews, on the other hand, can give us an indication of the students’ spoken level. However, they also raise questions of objectivity and consistency that even specially trained teachers will struggle to avoid.
Another big issue with traditional tests is the amount of time they take. Multiple-choice exams are often graded by hand and interviewing every new student uses valuable resources that could be used elsewhere.
Before you re-design your current test completely, we’ve put together a series of questions to help you think about your objectives, define your needs and explore the challenges you may face.
Taking a few minutes to think about these things can make the process of finding the right English placement test go more smoothly and quickly. Once you know what you’re looking for, you’ll be ready to make a checklist of the most important features.
Is this different from what you use your current test for? How soon are your needs likely to change?
Does it measure speaking, listening, reading, writing, or all of the above? Are all of these skills measured in separate tests — or in one test?
If you can test your students weeks before the start of the school term, you may have time to wait for results. However, if you are continuously testing students, or have students arriving just before the term begins, you may need to get results much more quickly.
Are there things in your current test that you also want in your new test? Is anything missing, or anything that you don’t want your new test to have?
Some English language tests require students to have the computer skills needed to take the test online. You may also need a testing lab that has the following:
Once you’ve got answers to the questions, you can use the checklist below to make sure your placement test has the features you need. It may also be useful for comparing products if you decide to use an external placement test.
What features do you need to achieve your goals?
Now that you've analyzed how you want to use your new English Placement test, create a checklist of the features that you need to achieve your goals.
As the holiday season approaches, learners often struggle to stay motivated and focused on their studies amidst the festive cheer and distractions. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of the holidays, but maintaining consistency in language learning is crucial for making progress. To help you stay on track during this joyful yet potentially distracting time, here are some effective strategies and tips to keep things going.
As December approaches, people around the world prepare for the festive season as the chilly winds of winter set in. Amidst the various traditions and celebrations, one particular festivity is Nikolaustag. This day is dedicated to Saint Nicholas and is predominantly celebrated in German-speaking regions.
Nikolaustag, celebrated on 6 December, in ode to Saint Nicholas, a Bishop in Myra in the 4th century. He was known for his kindness and generosity.
In Germany and neighboring countries this day is celebrated with various customs. Children clean and polish their shoes or place them outside their doors, hoping to receive gifts and treats from Saint Nicholas. Adults, on the other hand, enjoy festive markets filled with seasonal delights.
This day is a reminder of the importance of kindness, compassion and generosity towards others, especially those who are less fortunate. It is a time to come together with family and friends, exchange gifts and enjoy the warmth and joy of the holiday season.
The German language, celebrated for its precision and rich literary heritage, holds a significant place in the global linguistic landscape beyond the festivities of Nikolaustag.
German is an official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and certain communities worldwide due to historical migrations and cultural exchanges.
In recent years there has been a noticeable surge in the popularity of learning German worldwide. In 2020 it was reported that were learning German.
The importance of the language in various sectors, including technology, science and commerce, has contributed to its popularity. Germany provides abundant opportunities for German language exchanges through institutions such as the and .
German has significantly impacted intellectual debates and discussions worldwide, spanning various fields such as literature, philosophy, music and science. The works of great writers like and , influential artists like and , and the philosophies of and are some examples of the profound influence of German culture.
German language and culture have played a significant role in shaping scientific research and development. Many renowned scientists, such as and , have made notable contributions in their respective fields. German has also been a prominent language in academia, with numerous universities worldwide offering German language courses and conducting research in various fields.
The undeniable impact of German culture on the world continues to inspire and influence various aspects of modern life.
Learning languages such as German not only provides personal and professional growth opportunities but also promotes cross-cultural understanding and respect.
And if you needed another reason to pick up German, the Global Scale of Languages (GSL) has added German to its list of languages. This gives German-language educators and learners a highly detailed level of support to fast-track their progress on their journey to fluency in German.
The GSL uses the same proven learning design principles for German as it does for its other languages (English, French, Italian and Spanish), giving you world-class support.
With the holiday season approaching, it’s good to add some fun into teaching to keep your students engaged and motivated. We’ve created 12 simple classroom activities and tips that you can carry out with your primary class to encourage them to be good.
