3 Stage Testing System

The Testing is carried out in three stages in order for the school to build up as much information as possible about the client’s needs.

Written Pre-Test

The written pre-test is sent to the client before they arrive.  This is a test of their writing skills.  When it is analysed it will highlight any problems that they have in the language, e.g. grammatical, vocabulary, spelling, text cohesion and tense problems etc.  Teaching material will be chosen to help solve these problems.

The clients are also asked to include their requirements in the language, so that Bournemouth One to One staff will have advance knowledge of the type of course which may be suitable for them.

Oxford Placement Test

The second part of Bournemouth One to One’s testing system takes place on Sunday afternoon prior to their first day at school.  The client will be collected from their host family accommodation or hotel and brought to the school in order to do the Oxford Placement Test.  This is a 2 part multiple choice test, consisting of a short listening test, which lasts for 10 minutes, followed by a grammar test, which lasts for an hour. 

When the test results are analysed this will give additional information about any problem areas the client may have. The Oxford Placement Test is a very effective way of deciding the client’s level.

Needs Analysis

The Needs Analysis, the third part of our testing system, will take place on the first day of the client’s course.  The client will give a short personal presentation, (introducing himself or herself to their teacher) and explain any areas of difficulty they have when learning English.  They will also tell their teacher when and where and in what context they need English both professionally and personally and exactly what they are hoping to learn, improve on and achieve while they are in the UK.  This part of the test is a vocalization of the written test and will be recorded to highlight any pronunciation problems.  It may also be used to demonstrate to the client the amount of progress that they have made.

 With this information and with their teacher’s advice the final details of the course can be agreed.  If other problem areas appear as the course progresses then these will be dealt with.  If other needs arise then these too will become part of the course if there is sufficient time to deal with them.  The client will decide what is of first importance for them to learn.

Methodology

The Needs Analysis Form is used by my staff to keep a note of all the information concerning the client.  Teachers do not necessarily follow the order of the pages as this part of the test will be a conversation and follow its own pattern.  All the areas in the form will be dealt with in the first 2 lessons that the client has.  The client is not given the Needs Analysis Form as this would not be helpful and would make a dialogue more difficult to maintain.

Confidential File

Each client will have a Confidential File, which contains their test material and all the relevant information concerning him or her.  This enables Bournemouth One to One staff to ensure that the course is meeting the client’s needs and assists them in writing a comprehensive report at the end of the client’s stay.