There are a number of English proficiency test certificates such as the GEPT, TOEIC, and TOEFL.
Those studies concerned with L2 English users studying at English medium universities in expanding- and outer-circle contexts indicate that such students experience a number of language proficiency related difficulties.
Researchers exploring PISA, NAEP, and TIMSS data have used the multilevel item response theory approach to examine the relationships between a small number of latent proficiency variables, for example, three to seven such variables in the case of PISA, and quite a large number of other variables collected via respondent contextual questionnaires.
After exploratory analyses we can decide cut-off points and the number of language proficiency categories, and we can validate our categorization with the researcher assessment.
And Helen Hamlyn, an official with Language Testing International in White Plains, an arm of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, says the number of language-proficiency exams administered by companies to employees has soared by nearly 1,000 percent in 12 years.
They also called for measuring educational progress by considering the individual records of students, not just the total number of students meeting proficiency standards.
As detailed in a recent New York Times article, the state tests have become more and more predictable in recent years, allowing educators to narrow what was taught in order to maximize the number of students hitting proficiency benchmarks.
There was evidence for a bilingual cognitive advantage, although this effect was sensitive to a number of variables including proficiency, language immersion, and script.
Above all, the results highlight that the bilingual advantage is elusive, and sensitive to a number of variables including proficiency, language immersion, and script.
