Michael Goodine's Blog, page 10

Cambridge Seeks Head of IELTS Research

Speaking of IELTS jobs, one eagle-eyed reader pointed out that Cambridge is also seeking to hire a “Head of IELTS Research.”  The successful candidate will do work which “underpins the existing IELTS test and the development of the next generation IELTS portfolio.” You heard it here first!   The “next generation IELTS” is coming.  One […]

On Async vs Live Proctoring

While we’re on the topic of live proctoring vs async proctoring, here’s something that was posted to the GRE subreddit just three hours ago, with the subject line “I hated the at-home test experience.” “Just took the at-home test today. My nearest testing location is a bit of a drive, so I thought it would […]

Duolingo and Pronunciation

Here’s an article about how the Duolingo English Test scores pronunciation. It’s a challenging read. Update:  An easier-to-grasp summary is available on the DET blog.

You Should Read More – Part 59!

I read Christopher Schaberg’s “The Textual Life of Airports.” If you like academic writing and you also like airports, this is the book for you.  In the first of his three books about airports, Loyola University professor Shaberg explores how they have been depicted in literature and popular culture over the years. This is a […]

Inappropriate Proctors and the Future of Remote Testing

I read a report today from a test taker who has alleged that the proctor of her at-home test used her personal information to find her Instagram account. He then, allegedly, sent inappropriate DMs.  This sort of allegation is more common than you might think. I’ve never liked live human proctoring, but I have begrudgingly […]

Oxford Test of English Advanced Accepted at UCL

I read that the Oxford Test of English Advanced is now accepted at University College London. That’s quite an accomplishment for the team behind the test, as UCL does not currently accept scores from other new (and non-SELT) products like DET, Password, Kaplan or Oxford ELLT. Based on my research from April, the Oxford test […]

On TOEFL and Future Placement Tests

Nice article this month in Language Testing Journal about the creation of an in-house EAP placement test at the University of Iowa which utilizes integrated assessment. It notes that this was necessitated in part due to dissatisfaction with an earlier placement test that focused only on isolated skills. The article cites some ETS research about […]

LanguageCert and MET Accepted for Australian Visas

As predicted in this space, both LANGUAGECERT and Michigan Language Assessment have announced that their tests have been approved by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. They will be added to the list of tests that can be used to prove one’s fluency in English when applying for a visa. Still waiting for something from […]

Cambridge Seeks Business Change Lead for IELTS

Mildly interesting that Cambridge Press and Assessment is seeking a “Senior Business Change Lead” who will “define and deliver the business change strategy for IELTS across Cambridge English.” They’ve already changed the colour of the IELTS practice test books, so it isn’t about that.  It’s probably bigger. Remember that just about twelve months ago, ETS […]

IELTS on Paper Eliminated in Several Countries

As far as I can tell, IELTS on paper has been eliminated in the following markets, per announcements from the IELTS team: Sri Lanka Pakistan Vietnam Malaysia Nigeria Additionally, it is temporarily suspended in Uzbekistan, following an official announcement. IELTS on paper for UKVI has been eliminated in a few other countries. In all countries, […]