Via Lingua is pleased to announce its exciting, innovative and unique partnership agreement with the International Test of English Proficiency (iTEP), a development that will further enhance the quality of its CTEFL program and the teaching skills of its graduate teachers.
Under the agreement, the Via Lingua CTEFL program will now offer its trainee teachers the opportunity to take a customized iTEP diagnostic test, a version of the iTEP Academic-Plus examination. Taking the test, combined with the chance to engage in guided post-test discussion and analysis, will enable trainee teachers to:
- Become familiar with the language learner’s experience of taking diagnostic tests;
- Be better informed about the use of the iTEP as a tool for student placement;
- Experience the use of standardized testing;
- Consider the test-taking skills needed by language learners;
- Gain a deeper understanding of how such tests can help identify the specific learning needs of language learners and guide the development of customized learning plans;
- Become familiar with strategies that more effectively engage language students in the learning process, thus encouraging them to take responsibility for meeting their own learning needs;
- Evaluate their personal proficiency levels and awareness in relation to listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar awareness skills.
Introduced in 2008, iTEP was created by Boston Educational Services and has gained international credibility in a relatively short time. It is currently supported numerous institutions around the world, including California State University and the governments of Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Colombia. There are around 500 iTEP test centers around the world, with over 100 in China alone.
iTEP provides a variety of tests, each geared towards a specific purpose. For example, the iTEP Academic test is designed for higher education application purposes, while the iTEP Business test measures English competency in the context of the language skills needed for employment.
iTEP Academic scores are used by colleges and universities for admission and placement, student and course progress assessment, and eligibility for scholarship and exchange programs.
There are two versions of the iTEP Academic. The iTEP Academic-Core tests reading, listening, and grammar skills through multiple-choice questions. The iTEP Academic-Plus tests reading, listening, grammar, writing, and speaking skills through multiple-choice questions and writing and speaking samples.
Having thoroughly acquainted myself with the features of iTEP® and considering its merits in comparison with the other English tests we recognize, I added iTEP to our list of approved English language proficiency tests in summer of 2009.
Gideon Malone, International Manager
UCLA Summer Session