Seminar on content and approaches of a training workshop on testing and assessment for teachers of English at economic, technical and vocational higher education institutions.

On 22 October 2015, Hanoi University of Instrudy, in partnership with the Managerial Board of the National Foreign Languages 2020 Project (NFP 2020) hosted a seminar, aiming at contrubiting ideas for the content and approaches of a training workshop on testing and assessment for teachers of English at economic, technical and vocational universities and colleges. This seminar was chaired by the Deputy Director General of Secondary Education Department and Deputy Executive Director of the NFP 2020 Management Unit, Dr Vu Thi Tu Anh.

Opening the senimar, Dr Vu Thi Tu Anh highlighted that innovating and improving the quality of testing and assessment of students’ English proficiency is one of four key areas that the NFP 2020 has priotised. Furthermore, due to a number of distinct features relating to training fields in economic, technical and vocational higher education instititions, the testing and assessment of students’ English proficiency should be unique. That is, a range of issues need to be considered when designing the training program, including what levels of English proficiency are required by employers? and what areas of EOP should be tested or assessed?. Dr Vu Thi Tu Anh also stressed that an effective training workshop needs to meet particiapants’ demand, enabling them to use innovative tesing and assessment practices to improve their English teaching.

The seminar proceeded with Dr Tran Thi Duyen’s presentation of a tentative training course. Followed this was the discussion session among testing and assessment experts and teachers of English at a range of economic, technical and vocational higher education institutions. It is hoped that their comment, suggestions and recommendations will assist in refining the proposed content and approaches of the training workshop.