Professional Certificate in Language Assessment (PR-LANGASS)

Professional CertificateYear: 2018 Delivered: Online

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Overview

Award titleProfessional Certificate in Language Assessment
Year & campus2018
Fees informationSubject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & typeGraduate Coursework
AQF level Non-AQF
Credit points25 credit points
Duration6 months part-time

This course will introduce students to the key issues in language assessment, both in the classroom and in other settings. Students will receive a thorough grounding in the assessment of the different language skills (such as listening, reading, writing and speaking) and get practical experience in developing and evaluating assessments for second and foreign language learners in different contexts.

Links to further information

http://arts.unimelb.edu.au/soll

Entry requirements

  1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have:
  • completed an undergraduate degree or equivalent, or
  • at least 5 years of full-time documented relevant professional experience.

Meeting this requirement does not guarantee selection.

  1. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
  • prior academic performance, and
  • the professional experience.
  1. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

  2. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

Students will be required to complete two compulsory 12.5 credit point subjects, which involve participation in online learning.

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to providing support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website. http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Intended learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete the Professional Certificate in Language assessment should:

 

  • Develop the ability to explain and apply the main concepts and issues in language assessment
  • Be able to develop and evaluate assessment tools and procedures for both classroom and other contexts
  • Be able to explain the main debates in second language assessment and testing

Generic skills

Graduates who successfully complete this course should be able to:

  • Direct their own learning, plan their own work and continue to develop their professional practice;
  • Understand and explain the significance of developing their practice on the basis of evidence from research and scholarship;
  • Critically evaluate material in different modalities relevant to their teaching practice;
  • Develop their analytic and problem-solving abilities;
  • Demonstrate skilled communication techinques and be able to effectively articulate and justify their practices as knowledgeable agents of change; and
  • Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation.

Graduate attributes

The Professional Certificate will enable graduates to achieve the following University of Melbourne Graduate Attributes

Integrity and Self-awareness

  • Graduates are motivated, self-directed and well-organised, with the ability to set goals and manage time and priorities. They are able to work both individually and in groups.

Active Citizenship

  • Graduates of the course will have developed a broad understanding of how language assessment is used in different contexts and will therefore be able to promote best practice in their respective workplaces.

Academic Distinction

  • Graduates will develop a broad knowledge of language assessment and its influence at different levels of education. Graduates will be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning, and will be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies.

Course structure

The subjects need to be taken in the following order: 

  1. General concepts in language assessment
  2. Language assessment for learning

Two compulsory subjects (25 points total):

Code Name Study period Credit Points
LING90037 Language Assessment for Learning Not available in 2018 12.5
LING90038 General Concepts in Language Assessment Not available in 2018 12.5

Subject options

Further study

Students who successfully complete the Professional Certificate in Language Assessment may be eligible to undertake further study in the Masters of Applied Linguistics, if they meet the entry requirements for the Master of Applied Linguistics.

Last updated: 9 April 2025