American Sign Language, or even simple gestures are processed by deaf people in the part of the brain that is used for spoken language, according to a recent international research study headed up by a neuroscientist from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Aaron Newman, Associate Professor with the […]
Continue readingProtests Spark at U.S. Colleges Over Micro-Aggressions
In recent months there have protests at college campuses across the nation calling attention to a previously little-known term: “micro-aggressions,” commonly defined as routine verbal and non-verbal slights and harassment (often based on race and gender but also including age, sexual orientation and disability) that is typically unintentional but nonetheless hurtful. Calls for colleges and […]
Continue readingTalking Toys: Helping or Hurting Young Language Learners?
A new and very interesting study in JAMA Pediatrics discovered that toys marketed as language promoters don’t prove to be so in most cases. In fact, the study found that these toys in fact, hindered the language learning process in young children. Professor Anna Sosa, of Northern Arizona University, led the study and provided participating families three different types […]
Continue readingWill the US Become a Bilingual Country?
In the U.S., speaking more than one language fluently is not very common – except in Los Angeles, California.The city has one of the largest populations in the U.S. of young people between the ages of 18 and 34. This generation is often called millennials. More than half of millennials in Los Angeles are bilingual, which […]
Continue readingMeasuring English Proficiency in Real-World Situations
Trust — but verify. We trust that English language learners are gaining something through their studies, but how do we verify what they actually can do with their language skills? We may believe that a job candidate has the language ability to take a certain position, but where is the proof? The answer comes through […]
Continue readingGroundbreaking Study from ACTFL Measures Listening and Reading
Fifty years ago, John B. Carroll undertook a landmark study analyzing the oral proficiency of students in language programs in the United States. The often-cited article on his research, “Foreign Language Proficiency Levels Attained by Language Majors Near Graduation from College,” appeared in Foreign Language Annals in 1967—the first year of the journal’s publication. The impact on […]
Continue reading6 Jobs for Bilingual Job Seekers
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than half of the total U.S. population growth between 2000 and 2010 was due to the increase in the Hispanic population. From 1980-2007, the percentage of people whose first language is not English grew by 140 percent, while the nation’s overall population grew by 34 percent. As these […]
Continue readingLanguage Testing and Assessment
There are four major categories of language testing and assessment that Language Testing International provides. As the exclusive test producer for ACTFL, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, LTI has been producing tests that maintain stringent levels of rigor and validity required for over two decades. Any company that offers a second language service […]
Continue readingLanguage Proficiency Exams
Over 20 Years of Experience with Language Proficiency Exams Language proficiency exams are generally considered the best way to measure an employee or teaching candidate’s ability to effectively use a language in a professional setting. Many individuals, both those employed and those seeking employment, list multi-lingual skills as one of their employment assets. It is […]
Continue readingLanguage Proficiency Assessments
Valid and Reliable Language Proficiency Assessments Language proficiency assessments from Language Testing International – whether of reading, speaking, writing or listening – are the pinnacle in language proficiency testing. Our exams focus on language proficiency rather than knowledge, and meet all of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) requirements. As such, […]
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