Amongst other things, the International Language Testing Association works on improving language tests and their global implementation by means of cooperation between those who use them, researchers, and further interested persons, promoting professionalism of those implementing and taking language tests, and enabling exchange of scientific ideas.
As the ILTA vice president, Claudia Harsch wishes to foster the worldwide networking and cooperation between the scientific field and practice, as well as support those in the early stages of their scientific career. “It is of great important that decision-makers from the fields of education and politics are aware of the effects of language tests, for example in terms of visas or acceptance to universities. Life plans depend on them. It is also about having more transparency, fairness, and equal opportunities.”
Worked at the University of Bremen for Five Years
Claudia Harsch has been working at the University of Bremen as a professor of language teaching and learning research within Faculty 10 (Linguistics and Literary Studies) for five years. She is also the director of the Languages Centre of the Universities in the Land of Bremen. Prior to her role here, she worked at various institutions and universities in Germany and Great Britain. Between 2016 and 2019, she was the president of the European Association for Language Testing and Assessment, EALTA (www.ealta.eu.org).
Some of her research focusses include validity of language tests and assessments, evaluation in various educational contexts, language assessment literacy, as well as language teaching and learning in immigration society. In Bremen, she established the Language Assessment @ Bremen working group, in which researchers from Faculty 10, guest researchers, and also teaching and coordination staff from the SZHB can work together on various projects in the field of language assessment.
Further Information:
www.iltaonline.com
www.fb10.uni-bremen.de/lehrpersonal/harsch.aspx
www.lab.uni-bremen.de
www.uni-bremen.de/en/
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Claudia Harsch
University of Bremen / Faculty 10
Languages Centre of the Universities in the Land of Bremen
Phone: +49 (0)421 218-61967
Email: harschprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
