Participants at a symposium on pre- and post-admission language assessment at the CLASA 2017 conference have agreed to establish a Network of Expertise in Language Assessment.
Its main aim is to promote and develop the field of language testing. Primarily intended to bring together expertise in this field in South Africa, the Network nonetheless will include voluntary participation from other regions or continents.
At its establishment, an executive committee was elected to take forward the further development of NExLA as an organisation. As first chairperson, Dr Kabelo Sebolai of Stellenbosch University will head up NExLA, assisted by other members of the committee, Dr Avasha Rambiritch of the University of Pretoria, Sanet Steyn (UCT), Jo-Mari Myburgh-Smit and Prof. Albert Weideman (University of the Free State). This committee will soon confirm and circulate the memorandum of establishment among prospective members, and was given the go-ahead to augment its capacity by inviting further members to serve on it.
It was also decided that membership of NExLA should include all individuals who have a known or demonstrable interest in language assessment and who voluntarily wish to associate with the goals of NExLA. All interested individuals are requested to send their requests to become involved to the interim coordinator, Albert Weideman, at albert@lcat.design.
The further organisational shape of NExLA will soon be made available to prospective members here. Watch this space!
PS: More on the symposium – where it all started – can be found by clicking the picture below.
