ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TESTING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING
We hope all of our friends have remained healthy during this unique time. Along with “social distancing,” we continue to practice “social testing” with all of our English proficiency testing. Our FotoSure® security now snaps a photo every minute. We certify test scores for 24-months. No more testing centers crammed with students. No more proctors exposed to illness. “Social testing” is the “new testing routine while we continue to measure English skills. “
English proficiency testing focuses on two very specific English skills: listening and speaking. These two English skills are more critical today than at any other time in student exchange. As a result, sponsors, agents, and schools that accept J-1 and F-1 students now have access to objective and consistent English proficiency testing to prove the English proficiency of their students.
Academic Language Solutions’ co-founders bring 90 years of combined experience as formerly designated J-1 sponsors. Academic Language Solutions, therefore, is in a unique position to recommend English proficiency tests that work in the real world of student exchange.
Let’s end the calls to sponsors when teachers cannot understand a student when they speak. How often have schools reached out to J-1 sponsors wondering why their new exchange students cannot understand teacher directions? Or frustrated employers with J1 Summer Work and Travel students unable to understand customers. Academic Language Solutions has an English proficiency test that takes care of those concerns.
Save time and money if you want to measure English skills objectively, specifically listening and speaking skills. Place your organization in a unique position with your competition through differentiation. We test students for listening and speaking skills before they ever arrive.
Our flagship English proficiency test, iTEP Conversation, is graded by specially trained human graders and ESL professionals. It’s a 30-minute oral exam looking for real-world conversation ability. Why was this unique test brought to the student exchange space? Because many visa sponsors and schools that accept exchange students told us …
“People think high schools rely most heavily on the writing and reading skills when considering welcoming an exchange student. What we hear most, however, is that schools see that visiting students have a difficult time communicating verbally with teachers and other students. It’s a breakdown iTEP”s exams take care of, since all iTEP exams have a speaking component.”
Jeff Laband, Northwest Student Exchange (NWSE)
iTEP exams come in all different shapes and sizes to measure English skills. As a result, it’s easy to find the right test. Students entering college will want to take iTEP Academic. High School students will do better with iTEP Slate or High School Exchange. Industry-specific and tailor-made exams include Au Pair, Hospitality, Intern, Aviation, and Business. All of these tests are online and on-demand.
Sponsors How Simple Is It? 1-Step! Require the iTEP test for your programs. Go back to Step 1. Sponsors don’t need an iTEP account, proctors or staff. And, no test centers are needed. That’s because we use FotoSure® security technology. You will receive the…
English proficiency tests for business. Businesses are looking for employees who display effective communication skills. This is especially important for non-native English speakers. iTEP English proficiency exams, written for specific industries, keep interviewers focused on the job each new employee is being hired to…
English Admissions Testing For private, middle, and high schools Schools that admit J-1 or F-1 students often worry that test scores don’t predict real-world language ability. They worry a student will arrive for classes and won’t be able to communicate. Until now, that was…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Think back to when you were sixteen years old. What was your focus? There are thousands of young people from around the world right now who are exchange students, and chances are there are one or more under your supervision. At sixteen or so, their…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Exchange Students come from all over the world. I’d say that the last “normal” (pre-pandemic) year was 2019. I took a look at July 2019 J-Visa issuance and noted the range of countries represented. Just look at the L’s. There were students from Latvia,…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Exchange Student Issues #2 It’s that time of year again. Yes, at the same time when everything else is happening. Students are coming back to school. Freshmen are coming for the first time. You have new teachers, but not enough. You’re deciding live classes…