GENERAL INFORMATION
Since the very beginning of the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, the Department of Lithuanian Studies has been actively involved in the field of testing Lithuanian as a foreign language, developing the testing system, preparing tests, and instructing testers. Since 1999, the Department of Lithuanian Studies is an ALTE member (Association of Language Testers in Europe), the only one from Lithuania. Activities in testing Lithuanian as a foreign language are still carried out by organising examinations of Lithuanian proficiency levels A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and, under the obligation of LAMA BPO*, the entrance test for individuals who acquired education abroad and want to pursue studying at Lithuanian institutions of higher education.
*Organising general admission by the Lithuanian Association of the Institutions of Higher Education
ALTE MEMBERSHIP
Founded in 1990, ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) unites organisations of foreign language testing. The Department of Lithuanian Studies was accepted into ALTE in 1999.
ALTE members meet twice a year to discuss current topics, address joint projects, and present experiences in testing from various countries (e.g., new examinations, proficiency level descriptions, validity studies of assessment criteria). One of the key areas of activity is ensuring the quality of tests. Currently, an international exam auditing system has been developed to ensure that examinations prepared by the ALTE members meet the 'Minimum Requirements,' consisting of 17 points and covering all four stages: test construction, administration & logistics, marking and grading, and test analysis.
Following the ALTE guidelines, the staff of the Department of Lithuanian Studies created models for the State Language Proficiency Tests in 2004–2005 and were continuously involved in the task construction work. The examinations themselves were conducted by the Pedagogical Professional Development Center and later by the National Examination Center. Additionally, the staff of the Department of Lithuanian Studies apply the ALTE guidelines when constructing language proficiency level examinations, entrance tests for individuals who have graduated from educational institutions outside the Lithuanian education system and wish to study at Lithuanian higher education institutions.
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR QUALITY PROFILES IN ALTE EXAMINATIONS
ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) has prepared 18 general requirements to ensure the quality of language examinations. These requirements cover all stages of language testing:
- test construction;
- administration & logistics;
- grading;
- test analysis;
- communication with all stakeholders involved in the tests.
Thus examination users – individuals, employers, educational institutions, or government agencies – can be assured that a language test developed by an ALTE member meets strict professional standards and accurately reflects the candidates' abilities.