Language Center

English Assessment for Academic Staff

As a lecturer, researcher, or other Tilburg University employee, you are confronted with English on a daily basis. Many of you will have to lecture in English. Most can handle these situations quite well, but you surely remember situations in which you would like to express yourself more subtly. Maybe you discover you only know of one way to explain something, or maybe you look for the right word and find that you are a bit stuck. And how good or bad is your pronunciation really?

Procedure
During half a day and by appointment, you are tested on the following skills:

1. Reading (1 hour)
   You read a number of short texts with questions and/or assignments.
2. Listening (30 minutes)
   You listen to a number of sections about a general academic topic and answer the questions that go with it.
3. Writing (1 1/4 hours)
   Your written proficiency is tested by means of exercises and writing an essay.
Speaking (25 minutes) by appointment
During a brief conversation, your oral proficiency (and pronunciation) are tested in different settings (social talk, a conversation about an academic topic, and a discussion). The oral assessment is done soon after your general testing session by means of a conversation. You make an appointment for this with one of the English instructors and a colleague on the day of the test.

Results
The results, indicated in a CEF level, reflect your level in the different skills that have been tested. The certificate also gives you an indication of comparable IELTS scores. You will also receive advice about the possible courses suitable for your level and specific needs. To effectively function in English, academic staff should have an IELTS score of 7.5 (or CEF level C2) in all four skills. Depending on the test results, your supervisor will enable you to attend any necessary courses.

Registration
Send the completed registration form, signed by your director or supervisor to the Language Center (A 15).

• Registration forms should be at the Language Center no later than five workdays before the Assessment. In urgent cases, an exception can be made. Contact the Language Center secretariat by e-mail.
• Registrations are processed in order of receipt.
• There is a maximum number of 16 participants for each Assessment.

For more information, please contact the Language Center secretariat (tel. 2508, A 15) or Linda Mous, Coordinator of English Assessment (tel. 3125, A 15).

Interesting links

• Information about Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
• Information about IELTS: International English Language Testing Sytems
• Information about the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference): European Council Proficiency Guidelines

Sample Tests

• Download a sample test for Reading.
  
• Download a sample test for Listening.
  Should you wish to actually do a sample listening test, please contact Linda Mous.
• Download a sample test for Writing.

During your speaking assessment, you can expect the following: First you have the opportunity to introduce yourself. After that, you and your partner will discuss a particular academic topic for approximately 2 minutes each. Finally, you discuss a number of photographs together.