First New Directions 2018 conference

MALAYSIA will be hosting the first British Council New Directions in English Language and Assessment (New Directions) 2018 conference. The two-day, expert-led regional annual conference will bring international and national perspectives on trends and approaches in English language assessment.

Held at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur on Oct 22 and 23, the conference will provide a platform where policymakers, educational professionals and academics converge to interact, exchange information, and stay abreast of leading developments in the field of English language teaching, learning and assessment.

Themed “Standards in Learning Systems”, this year’s conference will focus on the design, use and implementation of language standards and proficiency frameworks in language testing and assessment, and the link between standards, assessment and the wider educational context, such as curriculum design.

New Directions 2018 will feature five key pillars – Teaching and Assessment, Artificial Intelligence, Alignment, Localisation of Assessment/ Test, and Policy and Assessment Goals Setting.

“Since its introduction, New Directions has helped build a lasting partnership between Asia Pacific countries and the UK in supporting foreign language proficiency testing in Asia Pacific, helping it to meet international standards. It has also accelerated international exchange and cooperation beyond the region in English language learning, teaching and assessment,” said British Council Malaysia director Sarah Deverall.

New Directions 2018 will feature a list of renowned plenary speakers including thought leaders like Geoff Stead from Babbel, Prof Han Baocheng from Beijing Foreign Studies University, Dr Hanan Khalifa from University of Cambridge, Dr Carol Spöttl from University of Innsbruck, Dr Souba Rethinasamy from University Malaysia Sarawak and Prof Barry O’Sullivan from the British Council.

Malaysia will focus on the implications of aligning, localising and applying global assessment and teaching standards with other elements of the education system.

This is part of the implementation of the Education Blueprint for Malaysia (2013-2025) to transform education and prepare the local youth to compete in the global economy.

“As international exchanges and cooperation between the UK and the Asia Pacific region become increasingly frequent, opportunities will continue to be created for countries to learn from each other in the use of standards in testing and assessment, as well as at the policy level, to set attainment targets,” said British Council Director of Examinations, East Asia, Steve Adams.

“We hope the implementation of these standards in curriculum design, teacher training and classroom materials will accelerate the development of English language assessment in the region,” Adams added.

Register at https://www.britishcouncil.my/ new-directions/register or visit https://www. britishcouncil.my/new-directions for more information.