AWEMAP A Worldwide English ELT EFL ESL EAL LEP ESOL Assessment Scales and Tests Mapping Project

"an open project to map the English language proficiency assessment scales and tests from around the world"

AWEMAP - A Worldwide ELT EFL ESL EAL LEP ESOL Assessment Scales and Tests Mapping Project

OVERVIEW

Established September 2002

Background

Comparing English language scales and tests is often difficult because much of the mapping is unpublished or restricted to internal reports. Many studies are only available in specialist titles, journals or proprietary websites, and few include a truly international range. Establishing scale and test equivalencies can therefore be an onerous task outside of academic institutions with large numbers of students and researchers.

Impetus

The impetus for the project came about from the desire to produce a comprehensive map of mapped scales and tests. The format followed is similar to the one employed by the ESU Framework Chart, which provided an excellent overview of most British tests until UCLES EFL (CESOL) ceased to participate. Indeed, it is the commercial rivalry between the entities which manage the variety of scales and tests, that may have prevented such a project from emerging sooner.

Objective

The AWEMAP Project's objective is to inform teachers, students, test administrators, admissions officers, ministry of education officials and human-resource managers in an impartial and concise manner by publishing the AWEMAP Chart as a freely accessible document. Those involved in teaching the English language to non-native English speakers, be it in TEFL, TEAL, TESOL or TESL in schools, colleges, universities, government, military, business or industry, should all benefit. Devoid of the hyperbole so often seen in proprietary literature, it will hopefully establish itself as a valuable and open resource.

Inclusion

By its very nature, the AWEMAP Chart is neither static nor finite and criticisms, updates and comments are invited and welcomed. Any scale or test which has been responsibly mapped to an existing scale or test, will be included. Simply download the AWEMAP in excel, add to it, and submit for inclusion.

Future

The AWEMAP Project will continue to run until an international body representing all of the entities that manage English language scales and tests convenes and assembles something better. A measure of this body's success would be its ability to produce a global anchor scale, made up of mutually agreed descriptors, with guidelines for users, test compilers and test assessors. The entities involved could then map their scales or tests against this. As this would entail much co-ordination and negotiation, this is unlikely to occur in the immediate future!

Caveats

The AWEMAP Chart is the work of more than one author and contributor

May contain previously copyrighted information and registered trademarks

Acknowledges the ownership of any copyright or trademark to the rightful owner

Makes no claim as to the precise validity of the information therein beyond that asserted by the contributor

Is based on published, unpublished, written and unwritten contributions supplied by the representatives and administrators of the scales and tests featured

Should not be used to predict test performance

Makes no claim of one scale or test over another

Is comprehensive but not exhaustive

Should only be used on the understanding that all scales and tests are unique and different

Acknowledges that all entities have commercial interests in scales and tests, which may prevent them from publicly initiating or validating a mapping

Reference should be made to each entity's site for specific details of the skills and proficiencies assessed, the language descriptors employed and and how this is achieved and administered

The term "map" may be read as equivalence, correspondence, concordance, correlation, alignment etc as defined by the source

The term "test" may be read as test, placement test, exam, examination, assessment etc as defined by the contributor

Scales and tests may include listening, speaking, reading or writing, either individually or together

Test format may take the form of an oral proficiency interview, a paper-based test, computer or web-based test which includes computer adaptive testing (CAT)

A test may or may not result in a score which yields a recognised statement or certificate of English language proficiency and may or may not result in a score statement or level indicator, but rather a pass or fail statement

Omission of a scale or test may mean that there is no knowledge of the omission, or that there is insufficient reliable data to map it to a featured scale or test