WELCOME TO TAFSIG
TAFSIG is a forum for sharing knowledge, ideas, practice and research on testing, assessment and feedback, and a facilitator for events that further research and practice in the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and beyond.
TAFSIG is a forum for sharing knowledge, ideas, practice and research on testing, assessment and feedback, and a facilitator for events that further research and practice in the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and beyond.
Aims
Our aims are to share expertise in the development of in-house pre-sessional and in-sessional assessment and feedback practices, and their relationship with the wider university (e.g. university strategy, departmental needs, UKVI compliance) and EAP colleagues by, for example:
Rationale
Assessment is an important area of EAP, with high stakes decisions needing to be made for thousands of students every year. Language units in UK universities often have small testing teams, so one reason for this SIG is to have a forum for these test developers to learn from each other, as well as creating a repository of useful resources. More widely, it would be beneficial to explore theory and research informed formative and summative assessment and feedback practices in EAP, and perhaps other fields within HE, in order to develop language assessment literacy and engagement with developing trends, and to inform further research and development.
Contact
EMAIL
tafsig@baleap.org
TWITTER
@taf_sig
TAFSIG Committee
CO-CONVENOR
Dr Emma Bruce (Researcher, English and Exams, British Council, UK)
My teaching career began in the early 1990s at a language school in Bath. Fresh out of the RSA Cert course I was full of energy and keen to try out everything I’d learnt! Within a couple of years I enrolled on the RSA Dip programme and loved the more theoretical content. This took me to Hong Kong where I initially worked for the British Council before moving to the newly-established English Language Centre at City University of Hong Kong. I spent the next 19 years at CityU and was fortunate to be surrounded by fabulous colleagues and mentors who taught me so much and really inspired me. During this time I completed my MA TESOL and Applied Linguistics through the Uni of Leicester. I soon discovered my passion for all things assessment and became a key member of the assessment team in our department. I later became Programme Leader for Assessment, a wonderfully rewarding role which awakened me to possible research opportunities for PhD study. In 2014 I began my PhD research into time allowances in reading-to-write assessment with CRELLA. Mid-way through my studies, after 20 years in Hong Kong, I relocated to the UK. I successfully defended my thesis in February 2020. I’m delighted to be part of TAFSig and to be working alongside such a fabulous team.
CO-CONVENOR
Rob Playfair (Birkbeck, UK)
I have been working in English language teaching since 2006. I started out teaching in Japan (Shane), Italy and Argentina (International House) and then spent 5 years working at the British Council in Vietnam and Singapore. Since returning to the UK I have taught at the International Study and Language Institute at the University of Reading and the University of Liverpool’s English Language Centre (ELC). I am currently a PhD student at Birkbeck researching EAP teacher knowledge for course design. I hope the TAF SIG can bring the EAP testing community together for in depth discussion about the things that matter to us and our students.
EVENTS OFFICER
Dr Wayne Rimmer (Manchester University, UK)
Fresh out of university, my first teaching experience came in the 1990s as a volunteer in a secondary school in Moldova, a country I’d never even heard of before my posting. Fast-forward twenty-five years (how time flies) and I am an EAP tutor at Manchester University, where I currently have plenty of opportunity to get involved in assessment as we switch the existing provision online. In between Moldova and Manchester, I’ve taught across various types of curricula in Germany, Russia and Thailand. Due to a combination of professional interest and circumstance, I’ve moved from general English into EAP, where I really appreciate the chance to work with motivated (well, most of the time) students in a high-stakes environment.
EVENTS OFFICER
Dr Sam Barclay (Nottingham Trent University, UK)
After a number of years teaching EFL, I started my EAP career at Ehime University in Japan in 2008. I taught on an EGAP course for five years and then moved to the school of Engineering, where I designed and ran an ESAP course for science and engineering. After that, I returned to the UK, working at Nottingham Trent University as a lecturer in EFL since 2015. In this role, I write and look after the materials and assessments for our pre-sessional course and also teach on the MA ELT and MA TESOL programmes. Specifically, I work on modules related to course design, assessment, SLA, research methods, and vocabulary. I have a PhD in Applied linguistics from the Institute of Education (UCL), with my research focusing on factors that impact the learning burden and decay of second language vocabulary knowledge. My research interests include second language vocabulary acquisition, course design (with a focus on course evaluation), and EAP assessment.
WEB OFFICER
Graham Shipman (Independent, UK)
I started teaching in the late ’80s in Athens, Greece, and, after completing a Dip TEFLA with the British Council, subsequently got a job as an EFL teacher and teacher-trainer at their teaching centre in Athens. I was one of the founders of the CD-ROM Project at the British Council where I work until 2004 developing software for their teaching centre network. I also completed my MEd Technology Enhanced Learning from Stirling. I then returned to the UK to set up a software publishing house, Lexical Learning (L2), and in 2012 won the British Council ELTons Award for Innovation for software teaching the Academic Word List. I’ve also developed software based training materials for a diverse range of people from Bankers to Oncologists. My last post was as Senior Lecturer in charge of Pre-sessional English and Exams, University of Wolverhampton's International Academy, where I developed, and taught, face-to-face and online courses, an online Secure English Language Test and a needs-assessment tool for arriving international students.
SPECIAL PROJECTS OFFICER
Eddie Cowling (University of York, UK)
After several years based in London working as a social researcher, I discovered the joys of life as an English language teacher, firstly in the UK and then across a number of academies, schools and universities overseas. Whilst working in EFL I dabbled in EAP; I really enjoyed it so further developed my understanding and experience in the field by completing a PgCert in EAP from the University of Leicester. I moved back to the UK, spent a few years working at York St. John University before moving across the city to University of York, where I have been since 2017. I am currently the Assessment Lead here at the International Pathway College, where I coordinate assessment policy and procedures across the department. I also lead the design and delivery of the 4-skills language assessments and oversee the departmental academic misconduct process. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and my academic interests include piloting in language testing, tackling outside assistance in HE assessment, and digital assessment. I am delighted to be involved in such a lively and engaging community as TAFSIG, and along with Rob, we are leading the Piloting Network initiative (you can find out more about that here!)
SECRETARY
Paul Dickinson (University of Liverpool, UK)
I began working in English language Teaching in 1998 and have worked as a teacher and Director of Studies with International House, Bell, and Shane, in England, Malta and Poland. I moved from TEFL to EAP after I returned to England in 2010, teaching on the summer pre-sessional course at the University of Liverpool's English Language Centre, before moving to my current role with the centre as a University Teacher. My interest in assessment and in particular, authentic assessment, feedback, and how students perceive and act on feedback, stems from working alongside Rob on the 2019-2020 projects as part of the ELC’s assessment team. I am currently leading on curriculum and assessment design for the written research strand of the pre-sessional course for science and engineering students, now in its second year of development.
MEMBER AT LARGE
Marousa Pavli (Metropolitan College, Greece)
I have been working in ELT since 1992. I have a BA in English Language and Literature from Athens University and while studying for an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL at the University of Leicester, I developed an interest in EAP/ESP and I taught on the summer pre-sessional course of that university in 1997. Since then, I’ve been teaching EAP and Study Skills on summer pre-sessional General, Law, Business & Management courses at UK universities, and during the academic year I’ve been teaching EAP/ESP insessionally in HE institutions in Greece. I have also co-coordinated summer UK pre-sessional programmes (English for Business & Management and English for Law). Another area of ESP that I’ve enjoyed working in is training professionals in English for Business, Marketing and Advertising, Banking and Finance, Human Resources and Hospitality. Since 2011 I’ve also been involved in materials writing projects for international publishers and exams. My interest in assessment and feedback and more specifically self and peer assessment and feedback originates from my work in different HE contexts and the varied impact they have on learner autonomy and academic success. In addition, I like exploring how EAP/ ESP tutors can successfully collaborate with subject tutors in curriculum choices, course design and materials development. I’m a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and I’m currently teaching on online in-sessional EAP/ESP courses and working on materials development projects. I’m also a member of TESOL Greece, one of its elected Board members, the Liaison Officer for the Teaching Adults SIG Group and a member of the editing team of the TESOL Greece Journal. I’ve had articles published on adult learners and EAP/ESP in a range of ELT sources.
Our aims are to share expertise in the development of in-house pre-sessional and in-sessional assessment and feedback practices, and their relationship with the wider university (e.g. university strategy, departmental needs, UKVI compliance) and EAP colleagues by, for example:
- developing language assessment literacy within the EAP community,
- hosting webinars and Twitter chats @taf_sig,
- creating podcasts and blogs,
- running pre-conference workshops / meetings / seminars,
- producing a guide for in-house assessment development (e.g. development check-list, useful literature, statistical tools),
- providing a forum for EAP assessment specialists to explore and discuss issues relevant to EAP assessment for dissemination at conference and in publications,
- collaborating on assessment related research projects (e.g. validation studies),
- integrating existing BALEAP resources (e.g. ‘Can Do’ statements documents, Testing Working Party documents) into any new resources we create,
- collaborating with members of other testing organisations, e.g. UKALTA, BAAL TEASIG, and other university departments for assessment development projects / research,
- exploring areas of online testing, multi-modal assessment, and assessment for learning.
Rationale
Assessment is an important area of EAP, with high stakes decisions needing to be made for thousands of students every year. Language units in UK universities often have small testing teams, so one reason for this SIG is to have a forum for these test developers to learn from each other, as well as creating a repository of useful resources. More widely, it would be beneficial to explore theory and research informed formative and summative assessment and feedback practices in EAP, and perhaps other fields within HE, in order to develop language assessment literacy and engagement with developing trends, and to inform further research and development.
Contact
tafsig@baleap.org
@taf_sig
TAFSIG Committee
CO-CONVENOR
Dr Emma Bruce (Researcher, English and Exams, British Council, UK)
My teaching career began in the early 1990s at a language school in Bath. Fresh out of the RSA Cert course I was full of energy and keen to try out everything I’d learnt! Within a couple of years I enrolled on the RSA Dip programme and loved the more theoretical content. This took me to Hong Kong where I initially worked for the British Council before moving to the newly-established English Language Centre at City University of Hong Kong. I spent the next 19 years at CityU and was fortunate to be surrounded by fabulous colleagues and mentors who taught me so much and really inspired me. During this time I completed my MA TESOL and Applied Linguistics through the Uni of Leicester. I soon discovered my passion for all things assessment and became a key member of the assessment team in our department. I later became Programme Leader for Assessment, a wonderfully rewarding role which awakened me to possible research opportunities for PhD study. In 2014 I began my PhD research into time allowances in reading-to-write assessment with CRELLA. Mid-way through my studies, after 20 years in Hong Kong, I relocated to the UK. I successfully defended my thesis in February 2020. I’m delighted to be part of TAFSig and to be working alongside such a fabulous team.
CO-CONVENOR
Rob Playfair (Birkbeck, UK)
I have been working in English language teaching since 2006. I started out teaching in Japan (Shane), Italy and Argentina (International House) and then spent 5 years working at the British Council in Vietnam and Singapore. Since returning to the UK I have taught at the International Study and Language Institute at the University of Reading and the University of Liverpool’s English Language Centre (ELC). I am currently a PhD student at Birkbeck researching EAP teacher knowledge for course design. I hope the TAF SIG can bring the EAP testing community together for in depth discussion about the things that matter to us and our students.
EVENTS OFFICER
Dr Wayne Rimmer (Manchester University, UK)
Fresh out of university, my first teaching experience came in the 1990s as a volunteer in a secondary school in Moldova, a country I’d never even heard of before my posting. Fast-forward twenty-five years (how time flies) and I am an EAP tutor at Manchester University, where I currently have plenty of opportunity to get involved in assessment as we switch the existing provision online. In between Moldova and Manchester, I’ve taught across various types of curricula in Germany, Russia and Thailand. Due to a combination of professional interest and circumstance, I’ve moved from general English into EAP, where I really appreciate the chance to work with motivated (well, most of the time) students in a high-stakes environment.
EVENTS OFFICER
Dr Sam Barclay (Nottingham Trent University, UK)
After a number of years teaching EFL, I started my EAP career at Ehime University in Japan in 2008. I taught on an EGAP course for five years and then moved to the school of Engineering, where I designed and ran an ESAP course for science and engineering. After that, I returned to the UK, working at Nottingham Trent University as a lecturer in EFL since 2015. In this role, I write and look after the materials and assessments for our pre-sessional course and also teach on the MA ELT and MA TESOL programmes. Specifically, I work on modules related to course design, assessment, SLA, research methods, and vocabulary. I have a PhD in Applied linguistics from the Institute of Education (UCL), with my research focusing on factors that impact the learning burden and decay of second language vocabulary knowledge. My research interests include second language vocabulary acquisition, course design (with a focus on course evaluation), and EAP assessment.
WEB OFFICER
Graham Shipman (Independent, UK)
I started teaching in the late ’80s in Athens, Greece, and, after completing a Dip TEFLA with the British Council, subsequently got a job as an EFL teacher and teacher-trainer at their teaching centre in Athens. I was one of the founders of the CD-ROM Project at the British Council where I work until 2004 developing software for their teaching centre network. I also completed my MEd Technology Enhanced Learning from Stirling. I then returned to the UK to set up a software publishing house, Lexical Learning (L2), and in 2012 won the British Council ELTons Award for Innovation for software teaching the Academic Word List. I’ve also developed software based training materials for a diverse range of people from Bankers to Oncologists. My last post was as Senior Lecturer in charge of Pre-sessional English and Exams, University of Wolverhampton's International Academy, where I developed, and taught, face-to-face and online courses, an online Secure English Language Test and a needs-assessment tool for arriving international students.
SPECIAL PROJECTS OFFICER
Eddie Cowling (University of York, UK)
After several years based in London working as a social researcher, I discovered the joys of life as an English language teacher, firstly in the UK and then across a number of academies, schools and universities overseas. Whilst working in EFL I dabbled in EAP; I really enjoyed it so further developed my understanding and experience in the field by completing a PgCert in EAP from the University of Leicester. I moved back to the UK, spent a few years working at York St. John University before moving across the city to University of York, where I have been since 2017. I am currently the Assessment Lead here at the International Pathway College, where I coordinate assessment policy and procedures across the department. I also lead the design and delivery of the 4-skills language assessments and oversee the departmental academic misconduct process. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and my academic interests include piloting in language testing, tackling outside assistance in HE assessment, and digital assessment. I am delighted to be involved in such a lively and engaging community as TAFSIG, and along with Rob, we are leading the Piloting Network initiative (you can find out more about that here!)
SECRETARY
Paul Dickinson (University of Liverpool, UK)
I began working in English language Teaching in 1998 and have worked as a teacher and Director of Studies with International House, Bell, and Shane, in England, Malta and Poland. I moved from TEFL to EAP after I returned to England in 2010, teaching on the summer pre-sessional course at the University of Liverpool's English Language Centre, before moving to my current role with the centre as a University Teacher. My interest in assessment and in particular, authentic assessment, feedback, and how students perceive and act on feedback, stems from working alongside Rob on the 2019-2020 projects as part of the ELC’s assessment team. I am currently leading on curriculum and assessment design for the written research strand of the pre-sessional course for science and engineering students, now in its second year of development.
MEMBER AT LARGE
Marousa Pavli (Metropolitan College, Greece)
I have been working in ELT since 1992. I have a BA in English Language and Literature from Athens University and while studying for an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL at the University of Leicester, I developed an interest in EAP/ESP and I taught on the summer pre-sessional course of that university in 1997. Since then, I’ve been teaching EAP and Study Skills on summer pre-sessional General, Law, Business & Management courses at UK universities, and during the academic year I’ve been teaching EAP/ESP insessionally in HE institutions in Greece. I have also co-coordinated summer UK pre-sessional programmes (English for Business & Management and English for Law). Another area of ESP that I’ve enjoyed working in is training professionals in English for Business, Marketing and Advertising, Banking and Finance, Human Resources and Hospitality. Since 2011 I’ve also been involved in materials writing projects for international publishers and exams. My interest in assessment and feedback and more specifically self and peer assessment and feedback originates from my work in different HE contexts and the varied impact they have on learner autonomy and academic success. In addition, I like exploring how EAP/ ESP tutors can successfully collaborate with subject tutors in curriculum choices, course design and materials development. I’m a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and I’m currently teaching on online in-sessional EAP/ESP courses and working on materials development projects. I’m also a member of TESOL Greece, one of its elected Board members, the Liaison Officer for the Teaching Adults SIG Group and a member of the editing team of the TESOL Greece Journal. I’ve had articles published on adult learners and EAP/ESP in a range of ELT sources.
