This two-week 40-hour course will cover key issues in language test design and validation. The course will be held at the Universidad de Jaén (Spain) from July 3rd to July 14th 2023.

During the first week we will analyze how to identify and design the main parts of a test: construct, specifications, components (listening, reading, writing, speaking, interaction and use of language), through theoretical and practical sessions in which participants will have the opportunity to create their own items, tasks and full tests.

During the second week we will focus on the statistical analysis of aspects related to validity arguments. We will use both Classical Test Theory and Item-Response Theory to analyze facility values, discrimination indexes, internal reliability, variable maps, etc. and we will see how analytic scales can be statistically validated through logistic parametric models. No previous knowledge of statistics is necessary but it will be helpful for those participants who wish to take full advantage of the course. The course will be held in English but its theoretical and practical contents can be applied to test development and validation in any language other than English.

The course will be taught by experts in language test design with extensive experience: Brian North, co-author of the Common European Framework for Languages and the Companion Volume (1.5 hours); David Bradshaw, Senior Assessment Services and Recognition Manager at Cambridge University Press and Assessment (4 hours); Adolfo Sánchez, expert on mediation at the Universidad de Granada (2 hours); Javier Fruns, Head of language assessment at the Instituto Cervantes (4 horas); Carmen Álvarez, Assessment coordinator at the Language Center of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (4 hours) and Joaquín M. Cruz, assessment coordinator at the Center for Higher Studies in Modern Languages at the Universidad de Jaén (24.5 hours).

You can download the syllabus of the course here

The main objective of the course is to provide participants with all the tools necessary to construct and validate a proficiency language test from its initial design to its final validation and implementation.

During the course, participants will have the opportunity to create their own items and tasks and to discuss them with participants from other contexts. Participants will also be allowed to use their own raw data for statistical analyses.

Participants must
• be over 18
• have a university degree
• have an interest in language proficiency test development and validation
• have a minimum B2 CEFRL level in English.

Pilar Rodríguez Arancón

Director of the language center of the Universidad Española a Distancia

The course is interesting and practical. Although you might start by thinking that statistics are not for you, as I did, Joaquín will make sure that you never feel disengaged or lost and will guide you from the understanding of tough concepts (such as a ‘construct’) to creating and analysing the quality of your own tests.

As students, we all felt that we were on holidays surrounded by very nice people who wanted to learn and had a very different set of skills and knowledge that enriched every session… although we were in scorching Jaén in July after a tough academic year. What can be a better testimony to the quality of the content and the layout of the course, the instructors and the welcoming attitude of all those involved than that?

Olga Naranjo Travieso

Official Language School lecturer and technician at the Consejería de Educación, Universidades, Cultura y Deportes of the Canary Islands

Since I became a teacher for Official Schools of Languages in Spain (2004) my main working goals have been focused on keeping updated my foreign language domain and introducing new concepts and approaches improving my teaching methodology Assessment and designing well balanced, validated and consistent proficiency tests has become our priority since our institution is in charge of certifying CEFR levels in Spain. Last summer (July,2022) I had the honor of being accepted as one of the 15 members of this first postgraduate course (worth 5 ECTS credits) edition sharing the experience with talented European and Spanish professionals in Language Design and Validation. This course takes place at the Centre for Higher Studies in Modern Languages (CEALM) at the University of Jaen, Spain. We had the enormous privilege to be lectured, for two intensive weeks, by the top experts in Language Test Design and Assessment in Europe. It was a hard, but well-worth the time and effort, professional challenge. Thank you very much for the opportunity.

Jackie Robbins

English lecturer at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

The LTDV course was extremely useful for me as I'm involved in designing language tests at my university, both for course tests and our university's ACLES English test. The course materials provided were very complete and these were presented at a good pace, but there was also time for reflection and practice. The presenters were all very knowledgeable and offered fascinating insights into all aspects of language test design. The second week, which focused on statistical validation, was presented in an accessible way for those with more or less prior experience and we were given plenty of opportunities to practice what we learned. I'd thoroughly recommend the course to anyone interested in language testing!

Daniela Cerutti

Coordinator at the language center of the Universitat de València

I enrolled in the course with very high expectations, and they have been met. What I have learned in the course is proving to be an essential working tool in my day-to-day work as an accreditation test coordinator. The experience and the preparation of the teaching staff have helped me to resolve many doubts and to consider changes in our assessment tests. The practical work has allowed me to work in a group and to learn from my colleagues in the same profession. The other fundamental aspect is the professional network that I have been able to build with my colleagues on the course. I would definitely repeat the experience.

Dean Custer

Coordinator of English exams at the University of Castilla-La Mancha

When I first saw the advertisement for this course, the thought of spending two weeks in July in the heat that Jaen is so famous for wasn’t exactly the plan I had envisioned for my summer holidays. But I decided to sign up and I’m so glad I did. The course was extremely well organized and we learned a lot about test design and analysis from the various experts that led each session. In addition, the friendships that were made and the network that we created over those two weeks has proved to be the most invaluable part of the whole experience.

Barbora Bulantová

PhD student at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University

The course provides a good balance of theoretical and practical knowledge, making it very useful for both experienced language test designers and novice researchers like me. My Ph.D. project entails developing and validating vocabulary tests for advanced English learners. After completing the course, I felt confident enough to conduct a Rasch-based validation of my tests without having a background in statistics. I also acquired skills needed for designing and validating high-stakes proficiency tests, which I plan to pursue in the future.