This blog starts with two key statements that are facts:
- English is the world’s Lingua Franca. It’s spoken by 25% of the world’s population and there are now substantially more non-native than native speakers. (British Council, English Effect Report, accessed 02/01/2020)
- People who speak English have better chances in their life.
“We have found a consistently positive correlation between English proficiency and a range of indicators of human and economic development, including adjusted net income per capita.” (EF English Proficiency Index 2019, accessed 02/01/2020)
Given these facts, how can we try to make sure that as many people as possible have access to high-quality English language assessment?
Increasing access to education is fundamental to creating a better, more balanced future. It is something that’s of huge personal importance to me, and that drives my decision making in my role as Director of Assessment at OUP. And yet English language learning and assessment has traditionally been aimed at those who can afford it—even though there are many more people who can’t afford it than those who can.
Assessment is a hugely important component of education because it provides evidence of learning. In the world of English language, assessment can open doors to education, work and immigration, but the keys to those doors are costly, with high-quality and recognized English language certification costing around £200. Looking at salaries in 77 countries (World Data, accessed 02/01/2020), it’s easy to see how much £200 is:
- For 12 countries, the average monthly salary is around £200
- A further 24 countries have an average monthly salary of less than £1000
It’s a fair conclusion that, due to high costs, English language assessment is closed off to many people worldwide. That’s why affordability in assessment is massively important if we’re not to leave swathes of people behind.
OUP is a mission-based organisation: we create world-class academic and educational resources and make them available as widely as possible. In my view, increasing access to high-quality English language assessment has the potential to transform education—and indeed people’s lives—for the better. My focus is on producing high-quality, internationally recognized English assessments that are affordable and accessible to more people. In my team, we do this in the design of our assessments and our flexible business models.
Join our Twitter Q&A!
At this year’s Education World Forum, the theme is “One generation – what does it take to transform education?”. To mark our involvement, I will be joined by English Language Teaching’s Marketing Director, Sarah Ultsch, for a Twitter Question & Answer session next week!
Would you like to ask us a question about OUP’s vision on “what it takes to transform education”?
We will be answering your questions on Wednesday 22nd January at 1300 – 1400 GMT!
Join us on Twitter live, or post your question ahead of time using the hashtag #AskSarahEWF
Sarah Rogerson is Director of Assessment at Oxford University Press. She has worked in English language teaching and assessment for 20 years and is passionate about education for all and digital innovation in ELT. As a relative newcomer to OUP, Sarah is really excited about the Oxford Test of English and how well it caters to the 21st-century student.