The 5th New Directions in English Language Assessment Conference Held in Shanghai, China
British Council, the global leading expert in English language teaching and assessment, and China’s National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) jointly hosted the 5th New Directions in English Language Assessment Conference in Shanghaifrom 2 to 3 December. The conference explored the interactions between English teaching, learning and assessment to accelerate the progress of English language assessment in the APAC region.
The New Directions in English Language Assessment Conference, hosted by British Council, is an annual event on the APAC language assessment calendar. The conference provided insight into trends in English language assessment and was a showcase for innovative approaches and research in the field, locally and internationally. Launched in 2013, it has been held in Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Hanoi, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response within the field. This year, the conference focused on the theme of “Connecting Assessment with Teaching and Learning”, and discussed topics including language proficiency frameworks, foreign language testing for admissions and exit tests in education systems, measuring teachers’ language teaching proficiency, assessment literacy for language teachers, foreign language testing for employability, and artificial intelligence and technology in language testing.
This year, the conference attracted unprecedented attention, with over 500 education and testing practitioners and policymakers attending and over 200 abstracts received from local and international academics and researchers. Of the 60 speakers selected to present at the conference, 30% were from outside mainland China.
British Council supports the internationalisation of APAC‘s English testing
As the global leader of English teaching and assessment, British Council has more than 80 years of experience in the field of English language assessment. It is dedicated to working with governments and institutions in the field of English teaching and assessment around the globe, cooperating in a wide range of areas, such as English assessment reform, teacher training and the internationalisation of education.
In December 2016, China’s Ministry of Education and the British Council signed a memorandum of understanding to carry out linking research between UK exams and China’s Standards of English (CSE). Both parties also agreed on holding a joint conference on English language assessment to accelerate international exchange and cooperation in English language learning, teaching and assessment.
“This conference is one of the fruits of the agreement reached at the Sino-UK high-level people-to-people dialogue in 2016,” said Barry O’Sullivan, head of British Council Assessment Research and Development. “It is an honour to provide academic support to the development of CSE, and to be a partner and practitioner to support English assessment reform initiatives in China. IELTS and Aptis will be the first two tests that have mutual recognition with both CEFR and CSE.”
British Council, the practitioner supporting English assessment reform initiatives in China
At the New Directions Conference, British Council and NEEA announced the launch of The Joint Research Grant Scheme (JRGS), which aims to promote the research carried out by international language assessment research experts on the CSE applications and the relationship between CSE and international examinations.
The New Directions Conference has launched a lasting partnership between Asia Pacific countries and Britain in supporting foreign language proficiency testing in Asia Pacific. It has accelerated international exchange and cooperation beyond the region in English language learning, teaching and assessment. The conference will continue to serve as a space in which regional and international policy makers, educational professionals, academics, teachers, and assessment practitioners can interact, exchange information, and keep abreast of the leading developments in the field.
“As international exchanges and cooperation in the APAC region become increasingly frequent, British Council will continue to create opportunities for countries in APAC to communicate and learn from each other in the field of English teaching and assessment, carrying out cooperation in areas including English educational reform, teacher training and the internationalisation of education, connecting assessment with teaching and learning, and accelerating the development of English language assessment in the APAC region,” said Steve Adams, Director Examinations East Asia, British Council.
For more information, contact — Tiffany Cheung, Manager, Exams Marketing, East Asia on +852-2913-5551 or Tiffany.Cheung@britishcouncil.org.hk
Notes to Editors:
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. Using the UK’s cultural resources we make a positive contribution to the countries we work with — changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we directly reach over 65 million people and more than 660 million people via broadcasts and publications.
Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. The majority of our income is raised delivering a range of projects and contracts in English teaching and examinations, education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. Fifteen per cent of our funding is received from the UK government. britishcouncil.org
About the New Directions in English Language Assessment Conference
The New Directions in English Language Assessment Conference, hosted by the British Council, is an annual event on the APAC language assessment calendar. The conference provides insight into trends in English language assessment and is a showcase for innovative approaches and research in the field, locally and internationally. New Directions is intended as a space in which regional and international policy makers, educational professionals, academics and teachers and assessment practitioners can interact, exchange information, and keep abreast of the leading developments in the field. Since its launch in 2013, it has been held in Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Hanoi, receiving an overwhelming response within the industry.
SOURCE British Council (IELTS)
Services
Stakeholder mapping, analysis, engagement and communication needs to be detailed to avoid business losses or even worse, a crisis. How can you do this effectively to prevent failure? ...
Data-driven business decisions have never been as crucial, especially in this era. MGBF leverages off, technology, experience and market presence to aid businesses in making accurate decisions. ...
MGBF provides comprehensive strategic advice and results-focused solutions to solve clients' problems in business-government relations so they can focus on their core business. ...
A critical business challenge is meeting the right decision-makers and potential buyers through the best channel and platform. How will you improve your business competency? ...
Upcoming Events
MGBF founding chairman Nordin Abdullah and UMW Toyota president Datuk Ravindran K. will delve into the convergence of automotive innovation and environmental sustainability in Penang, Sarawak, Johor and Pahang.
Hosted by menumiz™ – an end-to-end restaurant management system – this roundtable will feature a case study presentation and a panel session to discuss the latest digital trends, challenges, and opportunities within the food and beverage sector.
In this episode of 'A Working Lunch with Nordin', MGBF's founding chairman, Nordin Abdullah, will host this discussion focusing on the biggest threats and opportunities for businesses as we look to manage change in the South China Sea.
This MGBF Roundtable will focus on regional food security issues and trends in the regional supply chain, and trade regulations and policies, including a new geopolitical tool i.e., weaponisation of supply chains.
MGBF In The News
Planet QEOS, KIS BlOCNG San Bhd, and the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA) have officially signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative framework aimed at producing bio-hydrogen via the Steam Biomethane Reforming (SBMR) Process. The MoU was signed by Planet QEOS executive chairman Dino […]
Planet QEOS and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) are interested in investing RM10 billion to co-develop advanced Megawatt peak (MWp) agrovoltaic in Baram, to further boost Sarawak’s green energy initiative and food security. Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg was briefed on Friday by both the […]
Last week SPM results came out, 373,974 aspirants who have been waiting patiently over the last few months would now know their fate. Some 10,109 have received all A’s, the golden standard of academic success and the ticket to those looking to study the “more advanced” subjects in university. Proudly, […]
The classic knee-jerk reaction is to say, fire the coach, change the leadership of associations, and reduce the funding till they start performing better. This kind of negative reinforcement may work for kindergarten children, but we are dealing with high-performance adults – individuals much further along in their psychological and […]
Since its earliest tea plantations in 1929, Cameron Highlands has grown to become a key player in the agricultural landscape of Malaysia, producing 40 per cent of all vegetables grown. Despite Malaysia shifting its economic focus away from agriculture, the industry remains imperative for food security and the livelihoods of […]
Although at first glance the travel industry and the agricultural sector appear to have nothing in common, they actually share more than meets the eye. The economic benefits of tourism to the agricultural sector can be multiplied several times over. “Tourism brings the end consumers closer to the source, which […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) recently held a high-level roundtable themed ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’, attended by industry leaders and business associations. The guest of honour was Yang Berhormat Syerleena Abdul Rashid, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Bendera in Penang. The MP’s Special Session […]
The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) will be hosting a roundtable on ‘Designing the Future of the Digital Economy’ on 23 February 2023. It is the culmination of the first three MGBF Exclusive Roundtable Series titled ‘The Evolving Threat Matrix in the Digital Economy’ held throughout 2022. According to the […]
The Founding Chairman of the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF), Nordin Abdullah, today spoke on Bernama TV’s leading English talk show, The Brief, hosted by Jessy Chahal, on the topic of a stable political reality and what that means for the Malaysian economy. Nordin said, “The first thing that it […]
More than 1,100 years ago, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was developing the mathematical formulas that we know today as algorithms which now have become so intertwined with the business fortunes of global media giants and the very fabric of geopolitics. A series of recent high level international reports have revealed […]
KSK Land has been recognised by the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) for its role in attracting high net-worth individuals to Malaysia post-pandemic. The first challenge in investor attraction is “selling” the country. In the context of Asia, Malaysia is competing with some very established investment destinations. The second […]
Malaysia, in particular Kuala Lumpur, continues to position itself as a regional centre to do business, educate a family and enjoy a global lifestyle. One company, KSK Land, has taken the lead in positioning itself and the city of Kuala Lumpur as a property investment destination for the global citizen […]
The upcoming budget represents an opportunity to build resilience in the critical sectors that will form the backbone of the country’s future-facing economic ambitions. This however needs to be achieved in the context of managing the community sectors most impacted by COVID-19 over the past two years. The Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) […]
Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) has moved to support the creative economy as the overall economy moves into a recovery phase following the COVID19 pandemic. As a step in the direction of normalcy, the MGBF has agreed to host the art exhibition “I Know You’re Somewhere So Far” by one […]
Congratulations to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for taking up the mantle of the ninth prime minister of Malaysia. There is nothing normal about the situation; it could not have been scripted but it has kept the spectrum of media, mainstream and social, gripped. The first order of business for […]
In a stirring speech to the nation, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. stamped his brand of leadership on the presidency, in his first act as the 46th president of the United State of America, it signaled several shifts. Perhaps the weather was foreboding with snow falling before the ceremony that […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 July 2022 – As the global economy continues to deal with unprecedented levels of disruption caused by the pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the convergence of energy security and food security issues has become a front-of-mind issue faced by policy makers and consumers alike. […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 23 June 2022 — Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) ties up with scoutAsia to ensure that businesses are equipped with deeper regional insights. The past two years has seen a massive shift in the way businesses are conducted with digitisation, digitalisation and automation continuously being adopted to improve […]
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 May 2022 – The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF)’s exclusive roundtable on ‘Security Concerns in Critical Value Chains’ was held in a hybrid setting yesterday at the Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur. The guest of honour was Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, former minister of […]
