Cambridge and International
Development
2010:
Innovation
2010 Report:
Innovation
Case
Case Study
Study
C AMBRIDGE ESOL:
Much more than just English-language
assessment
Cambridge ESOL is a not-for-profit department of the University of
Cambridge, and part of the Cambridge Assessment group, Europe’s largest
assessment agency. Cambridge Assessment provides more than 8 million
exams and tests in a huge range of subjects and levels, in over 150 countries
every year. In addition to providing English-language examinations,
Cambridge ESOL collaborates with numerous national and local
governments in developing countries, providing a comprehensive
programme of consultancy services including benchmarking, tailored
assessment, teacher development, and capacity building. The organisation
thus sees its remit as going far beyond examinations into supporting
opportunities in developing countries for individuals, governments and
teaching professionals.
Training and evaluation
Cambridge ESOL takes its social support and international development role
seriously, providing an innovative service that goes beyond examinations.
For example, they have been working with the Mexican Ministry of
Education since 1998 on a distance learning project for adults (SEPA Inglés),
including those who have not completed high school. Through this longterm support, they have reached over 100,000 learners. In another example,
the Thai Ministry of Education developed the professional skills of teachers
by using Cambridge ESOL’s Teaching Knowledge Test. In 2008, the training
course was given to a group of 50 senior teachers, each of whom then
spread their knowledge to around 50 other teachers in their region. Through
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Company number 6080896, Registered Charity number 1121067
a local ripple effect, the training provided by Cambridge ESOL has spread to
20,000 Thai teachers. By building relationships with governments and large
national agencies, Cambridge ESOL has been able to reach far more people
than children in the formal education system at exam times.
Cambridge ESOL also studies the “wash back” impact of their exams on
candidates and teachers. After every collaboration the organisation ensures
that they undertake detailed surveys of the teachers and students involved
in the project to evaluate its effectiveness. As a result of their work with the
Thai Ministry of Education, 92% of the respondents found that preparing for
and taking the “Teaching Knowledge Test” was either useful or very useful
and 80% said they felt more confident in their teaching. In addition, 82%
reported that the programme had motivated them to continue to develop
as a teacher.
Working with governments
What is particularly innovative about Cambridge ESOL is their provision of
support through tailored assessments and benchmarking. They worked
closely with the Colombian government as part of their National Bilingual
Project, performing a comprehensive set of consultancy services. They
carried out a large scale review of the country’s English levels in a
preliminary benchmarking exercise, reviewing 3,000 school and university
students. They then worked closely with the Colombian Ministry of
Education to establish a tailored English component to the Colombian state
sector exams. During this process, they also trained a local team to learn
how to produce the English components of the Colombian examinations,
building capacity to continue the programme and take it further. Today,
Colombia has its own team of item writers building up-to-date tests to the
Cambridge ESOL format, making a sustainable difference to the English
language levels of over one million students annually.
Cambridge ESOL also uses their consultancy services such as benchmarking
and evaluation to assess and modify existing programmes implemented by
local governments in the developing world. In 2003, the Chilean Ministry of
Education launched the national “English Opens Doors” programme as part
of its strategy for improving quality and equity in its education system.
Cambridge ESOL worked closely with them gathering and diagnostically
analysing data on language levels to refine the programme. Data gathered
through the test and questionnaires also allowed comparison of results from
different types of schools according to how they are financed, enabling the
The Humanitarian Centre is a Company Limited by Guarantee in England and Wales.
Company number 6080896, Registered Charity number 1121067
programme to be further refined. Through supporting governments by
providing specialist expertise, Cambridge ESOL is enabling them to improve
their own educational services.
The use of local and international social support for the successful
implementation of Cambridge ESOL's examinations means they play a far
more active role in international development than simply assessing quality
of English. This commitment to supporting their students and teachers
beyond examinations makes them an innovative education provider.
For more information, contact:
Victoria Sellar
Tenders and Accreditation Manager
sellar.v@cambridgeesol.org
The Humanitarian Centre is a Company Limited by Guarantee in England and Wales.
Company number 6080896, Registered Charity number 1121067