English as an International Language
English is a vibrant and international language with twenty percent of the world’s population speaking English as native, second or foreign language. In addition to its status as a mother tongue in many countries, global use of English is growing for communication among speakers of other languages in places where English is not the majority language. Non-native speakers (950 million) outnumber native speakers (430 million) by more than two to one.
As interest in English as a second language grows around the world, CAL is engaging in a wide range of activities in and for other countries, including assessment and curriculum development, teacher professional development and training, evaluation, and other program services.
Projects
English Language Training for International Teachers of English
CAL provided a special array of professional development workshops to a cohort of secondary schools teachers from Suzhou, China.
Peace Corps TEFL Certificate Validation
CAL is serving as an external consultant to the Peace Corps to review and validate the Peace Corps standards for a Peace Corps Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate.
Ghana - Improved Quality and Access to Basic Education
CAL partnered with the Education Development Center (EDC) on a USAID-funded project to improve access to primary education, especially literacy learning, for children in Ghana. The project, Education Quality for All (EQUALL), operated in 20 districts.
Saudi Aramco English Language Training Program Evaluation
CAL designed and conducted an independent evaluation of the English Language Training Program (ELTP) in Saudi Aramco’s Training and Career Development Organization.
Resources
CAL English Proficiency Tests
CAL English Proficiency Tests are a suite of separate English language proficiency tests developed for primary and secondary students and teachers in Latin America. The tests can be appropriately modified for use in countries where English is taught as a foreign language.
Teaching and Assessing EIL in Local Contexts Around the World
English today is both a global language and at the same time embedded in a great variety of social contexts, resulting in linguistic and pedagogical variation.
Services
CAL conducts a wide range of activities to support the teaching and learning of English across the globe. We conduct research, provide technical assistance, and offer professional development for educators working with English learners. We develop assessments for English learners at all ages and levels of proficiency.
Research
CAL conducts both large-scale and small-scale research projects on a wide variety of topics related to language teaching and learning.
Technical Assistance and Evaluations
CAL offers a wide range of technical assistance services including conducting data-based program evaluations and needs assessments to determine program effectiveness and developing curricula and materials.
Professional Development Services
CAL’s professional development services provide teachers with the conceptual knowledge and diverse learning strategies needed to help students learn English.