In 1992, Language Testing International (LTI) was founded as a way to bring reliable proficiency testing to a wider audience, and so began our close partnership with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Twenty-five years and almost three million assessments later, LTI is still proud to be the official testing office […]
Continue readingFour Critical Questions To Ask When Choosing a Selection Test
Pre-employment selection tests can be valuable tools, providing vital information about candidates’ applicable knowledge, skills, and abilities before they are offered employment. Ideally, this information will save you time and money by increasing the likelihood that candidates will perform well and stay on the job. To reap these rewards, however, you must carefully weigh your […]
Continue readingACTFL’s Martha G. Abbott Appointed to National Security Education Board
ALEXANDRIA, VA — ACTFL Executive Director Martha G. Abbott has been appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Security Education Board. “It is truly an honor to be appointed by the President to serve in this capacity on the National Security Education Board advising on the important work of building our nation’s linguistic and […]
Continue readingIs Texting Killing the English Language?
Texting has long been accused as being the downfall of the written word, “penmanship for illiterates,” as one critic called it. To which the likely response is LOL. Proper testing is not writing at all — it’s actually more like the spoken language. It’s a “spoken” language that is evolving and becoming more complex as time passes. But […]
Continue readingACTFL Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with University of Guadalajara
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO — Earlier this month, The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) announced a strategic international partnership to expand and enhance foreign language collaboration at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico. ACTFL and the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades (CUCSH) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation initiating a new educational […]
Continue readingWorld-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages
The World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages define the central role of world languages in the learning career of every student. The five goal areas of the Standards establish an inextricable link between communication and culture, which is applied in making connections and comparisons and in using this competence to be part of local and global […]
Continue readingSuperior Social Skills Tied To Bilinguals
It’s well-known that being bilingual has obvious advantages. Some of which are that it allows you to take advantage of new experiences new conversations. But in recent years, psychology researchers have demonstrated some less obvious advantages of bilingualism, too. For instance, bilingual children may enjoy certain cognitive benefits, such as improved executive function — which is critical for problem solving […]
Continue readingIIE Releases Open Doors 2015 Data
The number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities had the highest rate of growth in 35 years—10%, to a record high of 974,926 students in the 2014–15 academic year, according to the 2015 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released last month. Enrollments in intensive English programs grew even faster—13.3% (from 43,456 students […]
Continue readingEmployer Demand for Multilinguals Is Rising
Today’s job market is desperate for graduates who speak multiple languages. “Languages are always good for us,” says Julia McDonald, head of talent acquisition for EMEA at Infosys. English is the company’s common language, “but our clients often want people that can speak their local language,” Julia says. Mark Davies, employer relations manager at London’s Imperial College Business School, […]
Continue readingThe English Dialect: An Adverse Effect On Global Business Success
Languages evolve, that’s nothing new. However, the English language has its own subset of terminology that native English speakers have adopted and put into use practically on every level – when speaking casually and in business settings. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult for people abroad to understand the “real” English. A Spanish student in Denmark remarked to […]
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