Background and objectives
New Directions in English Language Assessment is an annual conference organised by the British Council in East Asia, providing perspectives and insight on trends and approaches in English language assessment locally and internationally. Previous conferences were held in Korea, Beijing and Tokyo. New Directions Hanoi 2016 will look at the role and effects of standardised testing and the development and/or use of proficiency scales to describe language ability. We will also consider performance-based testing: its benefits and challenges.
Our mission
Previous New Directions have provided an important forum for the interaction of local and global perspectives, reflecting the wide range of challenges facing language education both within the region and internationally. This year’s theme aims to highlight the approaches and solutions to these challenges being proposed in the region and internationally.
Audience
New Directions English is intended as space in which policy makers, educational professionals, academics and teachers and assessment practitioners can interact, exchange information, and keep abreast of the leading developments in the field. It will be of interest to all academics and researchers, education officials, and teachers from all education sectors - higher, vocational, secondary and primary - as well as to members of assessment related associations and examination board representatives. The conference will not only appeal to existing assessment practitioners and specialists, but will also appeal to teachers, educational leaders and policy makers wishing to learn more about local and international trends and approaches in English language teaching, learning and assessment.
