The Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE)
The Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) was initially formed by the Universities of Cambridge and Salamanca in 1989, and at the first meeting of the association in 1990 there were eight founder members. Since then membership has grown to 31 members, representing 26 European languages plus over 30 Institutional Affiliates.
The principal objectives of ALTE
- To address issues of quality and fairness related to the exams which the members provide.
- To establish common standards for all stages of the language-testing process and adhere to those standards: that is, for test development, task and item writing, test administration, marking and grading, reporting of test results, test analysis and reporting of findings.
- To adhere to the common levels of proficiency established by the ALTE members. Levels are aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in order to promote the transnational recognition of certification in Europe.
- To engage in activities for the improvement of language testing and assessment in Europe through collaboration on joint projects and in the exchange of ideas, know-how and sharing of best practice, especially through the medium of special interest groups.
- To provide training in language testing and assessment.
- To raise awareness on issues related to language assessment by:
- holding two meetings of members per year, lasting for three days, the last day of which shall be an open conference day
- holding a forum for discussion with a wider audience of language testing and assessment issues in Europe.
- To provide leadership in the field of language assessment globally by:
- holding an international conference on language testing and assessment every three years
- holding other open events in Europe to enable an exchange of ideas and sharing of best practice.
Cambridge ESOL remains an enthusiastic and active member of ALTE, and hosts the ALTE Secretariat from its head office in Cambridge.
ALTE International Conference 2008
In April 2008 Cambridge ESOL hosted the third ALTE International Conference at the University of Cambridge.
The conference theme, The Social and Educational Impact of Language Assessment, made this key, multilingual event form a bridge between the world of language assessment and educational, social, cultural and economic environments and contexts.
Language assessment has an impact on the whole of society: the plenary speakers — leading experts in language assessment — delivered a series of keynote presentations drawing these elements together.
Visit the ALTE 2008 site for further information.
