English language teachers in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela are invited to participate in a free, online language assessment course. The program is being designed by Professors Frank Giraldo (Foreign Languages Department of Universidad de Caldas in Colombia) and Xun Yan (Linguistics Department at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). The project is sponsored by Fulbright Colombia. The 40-hour language assessment course will meet synchronously, two days a week (Tuesday and Thursday evenings), with workshops lasting two hours each day.
The project has two stages. During the diagnostic stage, potential participants will complete an online questionnaire and have a one-on-one interview with Professor Giraldo. The questionnaire and interview are intended to gather information about the participants’ language assessment practices and learning needs.
During the implementation stage of the program, participants will be asked about the contents, materials, and activities of the assessment course. Professors Yan and Giraldo will also focus on the possible impact of this course on the participants’ professional development.
Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of participation, which lists the language assessment topics covered in the program.
Potential participants must meet the following criteria:
- Be an English language teacher in a public/state high school in one of these countries: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, or Venezuela.
- Complete the questionnaire and participate in the interview for the diagnostic stage.
- Be available to take the course from September to November (2022), on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings.
- Complete the questionnaire about the program and participate in a focus group interview.
Questions about this online training program can be addressed to Professor Frank Giraldo at [email protected] or at WhatsApp: +573104170048.
