1. ALTE partner presentation ECML, Graz January 2010 Dr Berit Halvorsen Chair, Executive Committee, ALTE

2. 2 Overview ALTE profile ALTE activities and events (some more details at meeting) Burning issues (more details at meeting) Action points (more details at meeting) ECML projects (more details at meeting)

3. 3 ALTE Profile  The Association of Language Testers in Europe – an association of institutions which produce language examinations in their native language  Founded in 1990 with eight members, ALTE now has 32 members representing 27 languages. These are mainly cultural institutions, ministries and universities  There are also over 40 Institutional Affiliates and several hundred Individual Affiliates  INGO Status with Council of Europe and NGO Status with Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC)

4. 4 Some ALTE members Universidade de Lisboa Danish Language Testing Consortium CVCL - Università per Stranieri di Perugia Goethe Institut – Inter Nationes Instituto Cervantes National University of Ireland Institut National des Langues (Luxembourg) Norwegian Language Testing Consortium Welsh Joint Education Committee University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations Alliance Française Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP) Universidad de Salamanca University of Stockholm Xunta de Galicia University of Athens Russian Language Testing Consortium Jagiellonian University Charles University in Prague

5. 5 The architecture of ALTE 1 ALTE Secretariat & Manager based in Cambridge Manager – Dr Michael Milanovic European Projects Officer – Martin Nuttall Executive Committee – Chair: Dr Berit Halvorsen Standing Committee – Chair: Dr Michaela Perlmann-Balme

6. 6 The architecture of ALTE 2 The Executive Committee is elected by full members of ALTE and is the highest governing body constituted by the General Assembly of the Council of Full Members. The agreement of this body is required for any change in the ALTE Constitution. The Standing Committee on Code of Practice and Quality Management is elected by full members of ALTE. The committee receives audit reports and confirms the outcome of audits. It can give input and feedback to auditors and auditees and is also responsible for deciding on auditor training and on audit procedures.

7. 7 Who does ALTE work with? Stakeholders worldwide: Test developers, administrators, analysts Teachers and course developers Government bodies Test takers Users of test results

8. 8 Aims of ALTE 1. To establish common levels of proficiency in order to promote the trans-national recognition of language certification in an enlarged Europe 2. To establish common standards for all stages of the language- testing process 3. To collaborate on joint projects and in the exchange of ideas and know-how

9. 9 ALTE Activities 1 Biannual meetings and conferences – three days with final day an open conference day International conference every three years – next one in Krakow in July 2011 Regular programme of seminars, fora and other events to enable an exchange of ideas and sharing of best practice Introductory testing courses held every summer Regular programme of professional development courses

10. 10 ALTE Activities 2 ALTE Special Interest Groups – Young learners and teenagers Language for specific purposes Language assessment for migration and integration CEFR/Manual Code of Practice

11. 11 ALTE Activities 3 SurveyLang ALTE Benchmarking Service ALTE News SiLT volumes

12. 12 Thank you For further information please contact: alte@ucles.org.uk alte@ucles.org.uk Or visit the website: www.alte.orgwww.alte.org