Course Overview
Our programme aims to meet the practical needs of professionals who are involved in language testing and evaluation at institutional, regional or national level. The programme gives you the opportunity to develop a solid grounding in language test design, construction and evaluation. Through the programme, we aim to support you in creating testing and evaluation procedures and policy within your own context that conform to international standards of validity and reliability.
With a short orientation seminar to launch the course and three online modules, our programme is designed for part-time study over twelve months. We offer opportunities to base your coursework on issues within your own educational or professional context. Programme content considers the major developments in language testing in recent years and reflects current thinking and good practice.
The PG Certificate in Language Testing is the first year of our highly respected MA in Language Testing. As a one-year programme, it is likely to be attractive to professionals who seek training in language testing but are unable to commit to a longer period of study or a dissertation project. Nevertheless, students taking the PG Certificate programme can easily transfer to the MA programme should they so wish. In addition, students who graduate with the PG Certificate may subsequently re-join for the second year of the MA programme (surrendering the PG Certificate).
The PG Certificate programme starts with the orientation seminar in late September and runs for one academic year, ending with submission of the assignment for the third module in September one year later. Each taught module lasts one academic term. The three modules are taken in this sequence:
1. Language Test Construction and Evaluation
2. Exploring Language Constructs for Language Testing
3. Issues in Language Testing
The part-time, web-based programme aims to provide flexibility so that you can study alongside work and personal commitments. We follow sound pedagogical principles for the provision of distance education and provide individualised support and feedback to each student.
Taught by experts
Lancaster has a worldwide reputation for excellence in language testing. We are ranked 12th in the world for Linguistics in the QS World Rankings 2020. Staff members have led and contributed to numerous language testing projects, including national test development projects in many countries and international test development and assessment projects in English and other languages.
Online learning
The course is delivered via Lancaster’s high quality virtual learning site. You will have access to the University’s extensive online library resources, and there will be plenty of opportunities to interact with peers and your tutors.
Career prospects
Graduates from the Lancaster PG Certificate in Language Testing programme will have the skills to be involved in test development and research projects in schools, colleges and universities at regional or national level. They will be equipped to contribute to decision-making about language test provision and use in language testing organisations, ministries of education and defence, curriculum development centres, schools, colleges and universities.