The ALTE Item Writing Course - Getting to know the basics aims to help participants get started as item writers or develop already existing item writing skills.  After introducing theory basics, we’ll get down to looking at examples and doing some item writing.

Most sample tasks are in English but the course is structured in a way that all of the techniques are applicable to other languages too. Although the sessions are divided into Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, we will also briefly discuss item writing for integrated skills.

Course tutor: Annie Broadhead

Annie Broadhead is an Assessment consultant, ESOL teacher trainer, test developer and ELT author based in Cambridge, UK. Annie has run online courses in the Principles of Testing and ALTE Item Writer courses in several countries.

She has experience of writing tests for all ages and at all levels. She is passionate about helping people produce good tests that have a positive washback effect on teaching and learning.

Payment and Cancellation policy

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can only be made online using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express. 

Please notice that if you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the Secretariat immediately (secretariat@alte.org). In such a case we will have to issue an invoice first, and only then a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the events, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.  

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff and third parties, only for the purposes related to the organisation of the ALTE Item Writing - Getting to know the basics course.

EALTA and ALTE Special Interest Groups in Migration and Integration are co-organising an online event taking place on 18^th October, on the Language Policy Index for Migrants (LAPIM). 

The Language Policy Index for Migrants (LAPIM) measures the linguistic requirements in integration and citizenship policy as well as learning opportunities for migrants across Europe. It is the first index of its kind to be designed specifically for this purpose. It was designed within the IMPECT Research Project at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences with the purpose of ranking countries according to their relative strictness in language policy. LAPIM has been piloted in 6 European countries and data have been collected from 20 countries to date. The index describes both explicit language requirements for migrants (such as language tests) as well as implicit language requirements (e.g., knowledge of society tests) and existing language learning opportunities in each country.

Cecilie Hamnes Carlsen and Lorenzo Rocca (Chairs of the ALTE LAMI SIG) will share the development of this index and discuss current and future use. The event will be offered online on Microsoft Teams from 15:30-17:00 (CEST). 

To join the meeting online, please click here. The attendance is free and open to anybody interested in the field.

Following the publication of the CEFR Companion Volume 2020 there has been a renewed interest in using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages of the Council of Europe (CEFR) in language education. However, many of those involved in language learning, teaching and assessment are unsure how to understand and implement the updated and extended framework.  
This course is therefore designed to address such uncertainties.
It will cover aspects such as the innovative aspects of the CEFR’s approach to language learning, teaching, and assessment (four modes of communication, mediation, action-orientation & plurilingualism) and will illustrate the use of the CEFR and the Companion Volume 2020 with examples of their (successful) implementation.

The course tutor, Dr Waldemar Martyniuk (Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland) is a worldwide expert in language education and assessment and brings fresh perspectives on how to use the CEFR.
The course is suitable for language teachers, language assessment specialists and anyone interested in language learning, teaching, and testing.

This is a one-day course, divided into four sessions with the following aims:

Session 1: 09.00-10.30:

• Origins, purpose, function, and status of the original CEFR 2001 and its updated Companion Volume 2020
• Innovation in the CEFR’s approach to language learning, teaching, and assessment

Session 2: 11.00-12.30:

• Implications for language education and assessment of the CEFR’s reforming message

Session 3: 13.30-15.00:

• Benefits and challenges of using the CEFR and the CEFR Companion Volume 2020

Session 4: 15.30-17.00:

• Examples of successful implementation of the CEFR in classroom learning, teaching, and assessment contexts
• Further resources for practical application

A digital certificate of attendance will be provided upon the completion of the course.

Payment and Cancellation policy:
Payment is in full when registering. Payment can only be made online using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

Please notice that if you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the Secretariat immediately (secretariat@alte.org). In such a case we will have to issue an invoice first, and only then a bank transfer will be possible.
In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the events, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of personal data disclaimer:
I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff and third parties, only for the purposes related to the organisation of the Use of the CEFR and the CEFR Companion Volume 2020 in Language Education – Benefits and Challenges course organised by ALTE.  

Rasch analysis is a psychometric technique which places the proficiency level of test takers, and the relative difficulty of items on a common scale. Rasch software (such as Winsteps) is used to calibrate the data and produces statistical measures for items and test takers. This analysis provides statistical data on the relative difficulty and consistency of the items, and the relative performance of test takers. Rasch analysis is suitable for pre- and post-testing of items in receptive skills tests.

The course will be presented by  Professor Anthony Green (CRELLA, University of Bedfordshire) and Jane Lloyd (Cambridge University Press and Assessment).

This course is suitable for people who have a good statistical background, but limited experience with Rasch analysis, or vice versa, and those who are at a ‘false beginner’ stage in both Rasch analysis and statistics. Basic statistical training will form one of the sessions, as will an overview of the basics of Rasch analysis. The course assumes only limited awareness of the type and content of files used for input and the type of output produced by Rasch Analysis and Rasch Measurement software.  It covers the cycle of preparing data for analysis and understanding input and output. Working with Rasch data often involves manipulating data in Excel. Participants who are not as confident of their abilities in Excel are encouraged to enrol, as help and guidance will be provided by the tutors.

Where possible, participants are encouraged to have either Winsteps or Ministeps (analysis freeware) available on their laptops. In cases where this is not possible participants will be encouraged to work together.

The workshop consists of two 90-minute sessions, and a 30-minute break.

Payment and Cancellation policy:

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can only be made online using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

Please notice that if you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. In such a case we will have to issue an invoice first, and only then a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the events, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.

Use of personal data disclaimer:

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff and third parties, only for the purposes related to the organisation of the ALTE Rasch analysis course.

ALTE's 59^th Meeting and Conference will be hosted by the CLIQ Association and the University for Foreigners of Perugia. It will take place in Rome, Italy,  from 8^th - 10^th November 2023.

The conference will be organised mainly as a face to face event and will include workshops, plenary presentations and also the ALTE Members Annual General Meeting to which Members (Full Members/Associate Members and Individual Expert Members) are encouraged to attend.

On Wednesday 8^th November, the sessions are open only to elected members of the Board of Trustees and the Standing Committee. The events on Thursday 9th November will be open only to ALTE Members/Associate Members and Individual Expert Members.

Please note, all events (SIGs, workshops and AGM) on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th November will be delivered as face to face only.

Friday 10^th November will be an open conference day for all those with an interest in the field of language testing. The theme of the conference day is:  ALTE’s commitment to systemic alignment using the CEFR: integrating learning, teaching and assessment. The events during the conference day will be live streamed and video recorded.

ALTE Members/ Associate Members and Individual Expert Members who cannot attend the ALTE Conference Day (Friday 10th November) physically, will have the opportunity to connect online (online platform TBC).

Contributions to the host organisers of the event (CLIQ Association) should be paid by each representative from ALTE Members/Associate Members/Individual Expert Members, as follows:

• €50 for in person attendance
• €10 for online attendance (only for the Conference Day, Friday 10th November)

The contribution should be paid by bank transfer before the event (within the deadline of Friday 27^th October 2023). Detailed information on how to send the payment and the bank details can be found at page 12 of the Practical Information document.

For more information about the practical arrangements of the event, please click on the Practical Information document. 

The registration will open next week. 

Deadline for registration: Friday 27^th October 2023.

Cancellation policy: If you are not attending the event anymore, please inform the ALTE Secretariat as soon as possible. The refund of the contribution of €50 is possible (the €10 contribution is not refundable), but this might take from 2 to 3 months to be processed and there will be an admin fee of €10.

The ALTE course in Developing Digital Assessments is aimed at everyone who would like to learn how to move from paper-based tests to digital tests.
In this 2-day online workshop, ALTE will guide you through the different steps of the transition to digital language testing. From the authoring process over the balanced composition of tests, user management and planning to the actual computer-based administration and processing of results and reports. In four sessions of 3 hours each, the basic concepts of digital language testing, including machine learning, large language models (LLM) and AI, are introduced and applied to your concrete situation and needs. The workshop format is specifically designed to ensure that you seek applications for your own use case.

About the course tutor:

Bert Wylin has both an academic and a business profile. He has been working at the KU Leuven since 1993, leading the Education Innovation Centre (integrating EdTech in education). In 2001, he founded a KU Leuven university spin-off, now Televic Education, developing and servicing an e-assessment platform. Today, Bert is interested in how technology serves the didactic and pedagogical needs of content and skills measurement. 

Payment and Cancellation policy

Payment is in full when registering. Payment can only be made online using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express. 

Please notice that if you cannot pay with a credit/debit card please contact the ALTE Services Unit: servicesunit@alte.org. In such a case we will have to issue an invoice first, and only then a bank transfer will be possible.

In case of cancellation up until one month before the start of the events, the full amount will be refunded minus a €50 administration fee. However, in the case of cancellation after this date, no refunds can be made.  

Use of Personal Data Disclaimer

I agree that by clicking 'Register', the personal data I include in the registration form may be used and held by ALTE staff and third parties, only for the purposes related to the organisation of the ALTE course in Developing Digital Assessments.

ALTE's 60th Meeting and Conference will take place in Bad Homburg, Germany, from 10th - 12th April 2024.

More details about this event will be available soon. 

ALTE's 61st Meeting and Conference will take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, from 6th - 8th November 2024.

More details about this event will be available soon.