10/09/2013
New horizons in teaching, learning and assessing language around the world were discussed at a major conference in Cambridge this week.
Cambridge Assessment English brought together an audience of language specialists and policy-makers from over 40 countries to look at the future of English.
The Cambridge English Centenary conference was the focus of a week long programme of events in Cambridge this week to mark 100 years of Cambridge English exams. The Cambridge English exams started life in 1913 when three candidates took the first ever Cambridge English Proficiency exam. Today over 4 million candidates a year take Cambridge English exams to prove they have the English language skills needed for immigration, study and workplace.
Contributions looked at state-of-the-art thinking on assessing English for work, computational linguistics and how English is used in urban contexts and reviewed recent initiatives in Spain, Italy, Mexico and China among others. Earlier in the week leading researchers and computer scientists gathered in Cambridge to look at how technology is being used to assess speaking skills around the world.
In his opening speech, Dr Mike Milanovic, Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment English said if he could make one prediction about the future of Cambridge English, it would be that the work in the compulsory education sector will become an increasing focus, not just for Cambridge Assessment English, but for the language teaching profession as a whole. He also praised the vast wealth of knowledge and experience in the specialist ELT sector and how it will help everyone respond to this growing demand. This he explained, will greatly benefit compulsory education worldwide.
Read more about the Cambridge English Centenary Conference.