Assessment and Certification

Assessment and TEFL Certification

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In order to be awarded the Via Lingua Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, all trainees must commit themselves to meeting the following requirements:

• Attend all required workshop sessions
• Complete all assignments required by the trainers
• Successfully complete a teaching practice program
• Demonstrate a prescribed level of competence in relation to each of the five components (pedagogy theory, language awareness, teaching skills, cultural awareness and life skills) as measured against the Via Lingua Framework for Personal and Professional Standards (FPPS)

At Via Lingua, we seek to gain an accurate picture of each trainee's skill levels, achievement levels and progress. In order to realize this objective, we have developed a range of assessment strategies and tools, all of which involve a combination of self assessment, teacher assessment and peer assessment.

There are six formal assessment activities in which all trainees are required to participate (accompanied by an indication of weighting in relation to certification):

• Observed and assessed teaching practice with groups of EFL students
• The Individual Student Teaching Project
• The final test
• The personal and professional portfolio
• The Group Project
• Attendance 

The personal and professional portfolio acts as a progress log and is a very significant element in the assessment process.

All trainees who spend time in a Via Lingua Study center are required to establish and maintain a personal and professional portfolio. The portfolio acknowledges and celebrates previously developed skills, talents and achievements, as well any additional ones developed during the stay at the center.

Through reference to the set of standardized statements, contained in the Via Lingua Framework for Personal and Professional Standards (FPPS), the portfolio enables the individual to record achievements, as well as to identify "growth points". It is the basis for each student to negotiate an appropriate study program when s/he arrives at the study center. In addition to its primary use as a record of achievement, certain sections of the portfolio may be used for assessment purposes when determining whether certification will be recommended.

A student is responsible for demonstrating his / her competence in relation to the statements contained in the FPPS, through the medium of the portfolio.

Assessment Activity	Coverage of strands	Weighting	Credits available	Grade Scale
Observed and Assessed Teaching Practice with groups	Teaching skills Pedagogy Theory Language Awareness Cultural Awareness Life Skills	36%	0-36	31-36 Distinction 23-30 Merit 16-22 Pass 10-15 Refer 0-9 Fail
Individual Student Teaching Project (assessed assignment)	Teaching skills Pedagogy Theory Language Awareness Cultural Awareness Life Skills	24%	0-24	20-24 Distinction 15-19 Merit 10-14 Pass 6-9 Refer 0-5 Fail
Final Test	Language Awareness (sections 1-5) Pedagogy theory (section 6)	24%	0-24	20-24 Distinction 15-19 Merit 10-14 Pass 6-9 Refer 0-5 Fail
Portfolio	Life Skills Teaching Skills Pedagogy Theory Cultural Awareness Language Awareness	8%	0-8	7-8 Distinction 5-6 Merit 3-4 Pass 2 Refer 0-1 Fail
Group Project	Cultural awareness Life Skills	4%	0-4	4 Distinction 3 Merit 2 Pass 1 Refer 0 Fail
Attendance	Life Skills	4%	0-4	4 Distinction 3 Merit 2 Pass 1 Refer 0 Fail

When calculating the final overall grade, there are five possible categories of award: distinction, merit, pass, refer and fail. The overall grade is calculated in the following way.

Award	Descriptor	Total Credits	Grade equivalent
Distinction (80-100%)	Outstanding	80-100	A
Merit (60-79%)	Excellent	73-79 67-72 60-66	B+ B B-
Pass (45-59%)	Meets requirements	52-59 45-51	C+ C
Refer (30-44%)	Meets most requirements (bare pass) Fails to meet a number of requirements (bare fail) Fails to meet many requirements (fail)	40-44 35-39 30-34	C- D+ D
Fail (0-29%)	Fails to meet most or all requirements	0-29	E