The English Language Testing Society
Who we are
The English Language Testing Society (ELTSociety) was organized in the fall of 2019 as a non profit association for professionals interested in the field of English language testing for persons whose native language is not English.
ELTSociety is the culmination of discussions and meetings held in 2019 and 2020 by professionals in the field who have an interest in excellence in the industry and in sharing ideas towards advancement in the industry.
Beliefs and mission for ELTSociety
What are our goals?
Our Mission is to promote quality and standards for assessment of English as-a-Second or Foreign Language worldwide.
Developing and encouraging high standards of professional conduct among ESL testing professionals.
Up to now, there have been few outlets or organizations under which English testing professionals could meet to discuss and establish best practices unique to the field of standardized English proficiency testing. ELTSociety seeks to provide such a platform on which best practices in the field can be proposed, refined, and established as guidelines for ethics and professionalism in the field.
Acquire, preserve and disseminate data and information in the field of second language acquisition and testing.
Good data are crucially important to any testing company. Data are the base on which tests are developed, evaluated, refined and compared to each other. Data should be at the core of good decision-making for English proficiency testing companies. Commonly, testing companies must rely on their own internal data to guide their decision-making. ELTSociety seeks to serve as a clearing-house for English testing related data, providing a common vetting source for professionals in the field.
Assist and encourage professional participants to reach the highest levels of effectiveness, efficiency, and achievement for their customers and clients.
With each new English proficiency test that comes onto the market comes a new set of the practices and value propositions. Professionals in the field understand that there is a risk for both new and established players that the English testing industry as a whole could be seen as less than reputable if even a handful of tests do not deliver as promised. ELTSociety seeks to provide testing companies with the information they need to maintain high standards for the benefit of the industry as a whole.
Encourage collaboration on endeavors which help promote the organization and its core members.
ELTSociety members share a strong common interest in developing a professional organization that serves to create a culture of collaboration for the betterment of the field of English language testing. Our members understand that by exploring and cultivating these common interests, the field of English language testing will continue to develop in a manner that benefits all stakeholders.
Provide opportunities for the exchange of expertise, experiences and opinions.
As the field of English language testing continues to grow and develop, professionals in the field will likely look for opportunities to connect and share with their counterparts in other companies and organizations. ELTSociety provides a forum for like-minded professionals to connect and accomplish this through meetings, communications, education, research, and publications for International English Programs and businesses related to this topic.
Advance, improve, and promote the profession of English language testing worldwide.
Many factors are driving the expansion of English language education worldwide. At the forefront of these factors are the proliferation of technology, artificial intelligence (AI), adaptive testing, and validity-reliability measures. Growing access to economic opportunities and global connectivity are causing more and more people to become consumers of English language education and teaching. In view of this expanding interest in English language education, it is not surprising that there is a commensurate growing interest in English language proficiency testing and assessment. ELTSociety seeks to provide guidance to this growing aspect of the English language education industry by developing and promoting commonly held standards for English test developers and promoters.
Cooperate with counterpart organizations in the field
While the field of English language testing is growing and diversifying, it will likely always exist as an auxiliary field of English language teaching and education as a whole. In addition, English language testing will share many common attributes with other standardized, scholastic and technical testing operations. ELTSociety seeks to provide a venue through which English language testing professionals can interface and a share useful knowledge in areas where their field intersects with the interests of other professionals working in related fields.