BERLITZ Language testing 18 credits

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Pilot, Jul 24, 2005.

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  1. Pilot

    Pilot Member

    www.berlitz.com
    Max number of credits:
    Berlitz Test: 12 lower-division and 6 upper division

    The Berlitz Test is a test of proficiency and knowledge of a language, and is conducted over the telephone.

    Length:
    The Berlitz Test takes 90 minutes to complete both the oral and written parts. An additional 30 minutes is needed before the test to receive and send the Witness Form.

    Results:
    Credit results are ready approximately 10 business days after the test date.

    Fee:
    The Berlitz Test fee is $250, payable by credit/debit card, cash, check, or money order.

    Let's try to add all language testing option in this thread
    http://www.dlielc.org/
    defense language institute is for Military only
    http://www.languagetesting.com/
    http://www.scps.nyu.edu/departments/course_listing.jsp?deptId=11&catId=120
    Thanks
     
  2. master

    master New Member


    Sounds interesting.
    But: accepted by Excelsior, TESC, etc. ?
     
  3. Pilot

    Pilot Member

  4. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    Wow!! Good Call Pilot! I am going to check into this, so far this may sound like the best deal!!! I am looking fo stuff like this because my concentration will be in Spanish.

    Have a great weekend!


    Abner :)
     
  5. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

     
  6. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Eighteen credit hours, six of which are upper division? That's phenomenal! My wife will soon begin testing out of things to start her Bachelor's odyssey, and she was very pleased to hear that her fluency in French could knock more than a semester off the list.

    -=Steve=-
     
  7. Pilot

    Pilot Member

    Hi,
    Here is some more info regarding the TEST.o
    I am planning to take the French test ASAP, I will let you know How it went.
    Glad I could help!!!
    Pilot

    BERLITZ LANGUAGE TEST
    STUDENT GUIDE

    Instructions for the Test Date:
    1. The student calls Berlitz 30 minutes before the test time at 602.954.8160. (DO NOT leave a voice message! Hang up and call again if no one answers the phone – there may be another evaluation being connected).
    2. Berlitz verifies student’s email address or fax number and hangs up.
    3. Berlitz faxes or emails the Witness Form and the language article to the student. The article is NOT to be read before the test starts.
    4. The student and the witness fill out the Witness Form and immediately send it back, via fax or scanner, to Berlitz Testing. The send-to information is on the Witness Form.
    5. Then the student calls Berlitz at the scheduled time of the test at 602.954.8160. Berlitz may request to speak with the witness briefly, and then connects the student to the evaluator via telephone. Once the student is connected, they will begin speaking the test language.
    6. The student must finish both the oral and written test within 90 minutes from the scheduled start of their test. The student must immediately fax or scan and email the written portion of their test to Berlitz Testing.
    IMPORTANT FAX & EMAIL INFORMATION: Berlitz is not responsible for missing, partial, or illegible pages in the student’s fax/email transmission. The student should contact Berlitz Testing no earlier than 5 minutes after sending the written test to Berlitz to confirm that the submission was received. Leave a message indicating the time and number of pages sent.


    Requirements:
    The Berlitz Test is a test of proficiency and knowledge of a language, and is conducted over the telephone. Students must have a fax machine (same line okay) OR a scanner with email and a printer to receive and send documents before and after the test. Students must also have a Witness who must be 21 or older, with valid ID.

    Length:
    The Berlitz Test takes 90 minutes to complete both the oral and written parts. An additional 30 minutes is needed before the test to receive and send the Witness Form.

    The student calls Berlitz Testing 30 minutes before their test time to confirm their fax number or email address. Berlitz sends the Witness Form and the Language Article, which will be used during the test. The student is NOT to read this article before the test begins.

    Results:
    Credit results are ready approximately 10 business days after the test date. Students can contact an academic advisor or refer to their student website to view the credits.

    Fee:
    The Berlitz Test fee is $250, payable by credit/debit card, cash, check, or money order. Payments are processed when the student confirms a test date and time.

    How to Apply:
    Students may download an application online and submit it by email (as an attachment) to [email protected], or they may fax it to Berlitz Testing Services at 623.321.5820.

    Witness:
    Each student MUST have a witness to the test. 15-30 minutes before the test, the witness fills out the Witness Form, which must be sent back to Berlitz before the test starts. The Witness can be anyone over 21 with a valid ID. They must be present until the student hangs up the telephone, usually about 30 –45 minutes after the scheduled start of the test.

    ORAL TEST
    Student will speak with a native-speaking Berlitz evaluator for 30-45 minutes in the target language over the telephone. The evaluator will guide the student through the test.

    It is important to use formal grammar and vocabulary unless asked to do otherwise.

    Warm Up
    The first five minutes are for warming up and are based on introductions and greetings, as is done when first meeting someone.

    Level Questions
    The evaluator may then ask the student a variety of questions at different grammatical levels about general topics such as the student’s background, current events, opinions, food, travel, etc. It is very important to answer the questions to show that you understand what was being asked. An example may be:
    “Why are you living in _____?” , “How long have you been living in _______?” etc

    Article
    The evaluator may read something short, such as a newspaper article, to the student with follow-up questions to check Listening Comprehension.

    The evaluator may ask the student to read (quietly or out-loud) all or part of the Language Article, which was sent to the student before the test began, and then may engage the student in a discussion about the article.

    WRITTEN TEST
    Dictation
    The evaluator may give the student a 1 – 2 paragraph dictation. The student must write down exactly what the evaluator says, including punctuation and correct spelling.

    Grammar
    The evaluator may ask the student to identify grammatical structures within the dictation, or independently. The student should write down the instructions and complete the assignment after hanging up the phone. An example question might be:
    “Circle the subjects and direct objects in the second and third sentence.”

    Essay and/or Letter
    The evaluator may ask the student to write an essay about the article, or about a specific topic, AND/OR a formal letter to a real or imaginary person about a given topic. The student should write down the instructions and complete the assignment after hanging up the phone.

    After receiving all the instructions from the evaluator and writing them down, the student will hang up the phone and use the remaining time to finish the written test.

    After the 90 minutes are finished, the student must immediately send their written test (via fax or email after scanning) to Berlitz Testing Services. The student should call Berlitz no earlier than 5 minutes after sending the test to verify that it was received.

    Scoring
    Students are tested in
    - Listening Comprehension
    - Speaking Ability
    - Pronunciation
    - Use of Grammar
    - Spoken Vocabulary - Reading Comprehension
    - Writing Ability
    - Written Vocabulary
    - Grammar
    - Spelling

    You will be given an overall Berlitz Level (1-10), which is an average of your speaking/listening and reading/writing abilities. A Berlitz level 10 represents a level of proficiency similar to a well-educated native speaker, including extensive grammar knowledge. Being a native speaker does not guarantee that the student will earn a high score or a specific credit amount.

    The results are then sent to the student’s university to be evaluated for credit. The university determines the credit based on the Berlitz Level. It is possible to obtain 18 credits with the Berlitz Test: 12 lower-division and 6 upper division, depending on the university. Students should contact an academic advisor at their university for verification.

    Transcript Requests:
    To request a transcript, students must send a written request including:

    Full name, telephone number & email address
    Date of Berlitz Test
    University name
    Address of recipient
    Student Signature
     
  8. Pilot

    Pilot Member

    FAQs

    1. Where can I take the evaluation?
    Answer: Anywhere with a working fax machine or with a scanner, printer, email, and Adobe Acrobat and a telephone.

    2. How long does my witness need to be present?
    Answer: They need to be there 15 minutes before your evaluation begins in order to sign the Witness Form, and they can leave when you hang up the telephone (about 30 minutes after the evaluation begins).

    3. Who makes the telephone call? Does Berlitz have a toll free number?
    Answer: The student must call 30 minutes before the evaluation to confirm your email address or fax number, and then you must call again at the time of the evaluation. Berlitz does not utilize a toll free service for the evaluation.

    4. How far in advance can I schedule my Berlitz evaluation?
    Answer: You can schedule a time as soon as the same day and up to 2 months in advance, depending on availability. However, evaluations scheduled far in advance are subject to change. Berlitz will contact you if any changes arise.

    5. When will my Berlitz results be sent to my university?
    Answer: The results are usually sent out within 5 business days after your evaluation date.

    6. How long does it take to receive credit from my university?
    Answer: Once your university receives the results, it takes approximately 5 business days to apply the credits.

    7. How can I find out how many credits I received?
    Answer: Contact your advisor.

    8. How do I know where my credits will be distributed?
    Answer: Contact your advisor.

    9. Can I call Berlitz to find out my Berlitz score after I take the evaluation?
    Answer: No. Berlitz is not permitted to disclose or discuss the results of your evaluation. Contact your advisor.

    10. What if my fax machine doesn’t work at the time of the evaluation? What if my email is not working at the time of the evaluation?
    Answer: Your evaluation will be cancelled and you will have to pay again to reschedule.

    11. What if I don’t have a witness at the time of the evaluation?
    Answer: Your evaluation will be cancelled and you will have to pay again to reschedule.

    12. Who conducts the evaluation?
    Answer: A Berlitz-certified evaluator. Berlitz evaluators have university degrees and native proficiency.




    13. Can I take the Berlitz Language Evaluation if I don’t read or write the language?
    Answer: Yes. Please indicate on the application that you don’t read or write the language.

    14. What if I need to reschedule my evaluation?
    Answer: You must call Berlitz at least two business days in advance before 12:00 p.m. noon Phoenix time. Otherwise you will have to pay again to reschedule.

    15. What if I speak a language that has many dialects or regional differences?
    Answer: Please indicate your dialect or region on the application in the
    “Language” box.

    16. What if I don’t have a fax machine?
    Answer: You must be able to send us a copy of your Witness Form and the written part: we must see your handwriting. You can use a scanner and e-mail in place of a fax machine.

    17. What if I my phone number and my fax number are the same (share the same line)?
    Answer: That is okay. You will never use your fax machine at the same time as your phone line.

    18. What days and times does Berlitz have available for evaluations?
    Answer: Monday – Friday from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. and Saturdays between 10:30am –
    3:00pm Phoenix time.

    19. What if there is an emergency and I have to cancel my evaluation after the deadline for
    cancellations?
    Answer: Your evaluation will be canceled without refund. No exceptions.

    20. What is the “Test Site Phone Number?”
    Answer: The phone number where you will be taking the test. It is not necessary to put
    this on the application since you will be initiating both calls.

    21. Who can be my witness?
    Answer: ANYONE 21 or older with a valid I.D. Your spouse, family member, friend, and co-worker are all potential witnesses.

    22. What if I speak a language but not at a very high level?
    Answer: You can still take the evaluation, but you may not receive the full credit award.

    23. What if I am late calling in to take my evaluation (on the first or second call)?
    Answer: Berlitz Phoenix will not contact you. It is entirely the student’s responsibility to be on time. You are permitted a grace period of 15 minutes. After that, we must assume that you are forfeiting your evaluation without refund. No exceptions.

    23. What if I use a cell phone or a cordless phone?
    Answer: The student must use a good connection at the time of the evaluation or it may affect the score. Berlitz is not responsible for a student’s telephone connection quality on any kind of telephone.
     
  9. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Exactly!!! I can't believe it! Thank goodness Pilot posted that info. I will definately be taking this exam. I will probably go straight to the Berlitz testing center, about 3 miles from my house! Man, everything seems to be falling in place.


    Take care Steve,
    and thanks to Pilot for pasting that info.

    Abner :) :)
     
  10. master

    master New Member

    But still nobody seems to have checked if the universities do accept these credits...
    (keep in mind: they come from a professionell institution, and not from another university, like the NY foreign language examinations).
    I would confirm that first!
    m.
     
  11. master

    master New Member

    p.s.:
    I also cannot find any direct link to that test.
    Could the original poster please help?
    Thx!
     
  12. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    Hey Master:

    You are correct. However, Berlitz exams have been reviewed/evaluated by ACE. When I asked COSC if they would accept the LTI exam, they said yes. Probably because I pointed out they also were reviewed by ACE.

    I have not formally applied with COSC as of yet, but will be applying with them within the next couple of months. But I will double check with them before. I am holding off from asking them any questions for a little while, I have bombarded them with a lot of questions lately!

    Take care Master,


    Abner
     
  13. Pilot

    Pilot Member

    Hello,
    University of phoenix accepts up to 30 credits from berlitz.
    I will check with excelsior and let you know, but if they accept the ACTFL/LTI Ace reviewed, I don't see why they wouldn't accept the Berlitz test.
    Pilot.
     
  14. master

    master New Member


    Dear Pilot.
    That'd be great!
    Please let me know what Excelsior says towards that matter...
    (I've bombarded them with at least as many topics as Abner did with COSC, so I'd better keep quite for a short while...).
    Thanks!
    m.
     
  15. Pilot

    Pilot Member

    I just called Excelsior and the advisor said she was not familiar with the Test and that she will look at the Ace review and e-mail me back within a day or 2.
    I also told her that the test was accepted BY UOP.
    I think since it has been reviewed it should hopefully be only a formality.
    Please let me know what is COSC's answer.
    I will keep you posted.
    Pilot
     
  16. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    Yes, I could not find the link for the test. I clicked on programs, then clicked on corporate, then exams. 4 exams came up, but I did not find one with the exact price of $250.00.

    Pilot, sorry to trouble you again, but could you explain where you found this test in the website? I would like to find the exact link so I could e-mail it to COSC. Please advise.

    Thanks,


    Abner
     
  17. Pilot

    Pilot Member

    Here is a link:
    http://www.berlitz.us/corporate/clients/uop472/
    Pilot
     
  18. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    Thanks Pilot:

    That is exactly what I was looking for, I appreciate it. Just got word back from COSC regarding the NYU test, they said they would only grant 6 units. Please see below:

    Abner,



    The NYU School of Continuing Education offers two types of language exams a 12 “point” exam and a 16 “point” (has additional 350 word essay). As you will note, the source of the exams are careful not to use the word credits. While Excelsior may have translated “points” to credits, the Charter Oak State College faculty has decided that we would only grant up to 6 credits for NYU language exams and only if the student has completed a same language basic level course. For your information, NYU does not issue a transcript showing NYU credits for those exams. Please let me know if you have further questions.


    I am going to wait until next week than ask about the Berlitz exam, I will send that link you gave also. So far, I have 3 units of 101 elementary Spanish, and I passed the Spanish CLEP. The CLEP will give another 9 units, so basically if have 12 units/credits of lower/median level Spanish, no upper level so far.

    I will wait to ask COSC about the Berlitz exams until next week. For the price, I may just go ahead and take it, even if I only get some of the credit. The reason, is this method saves so much time. Either way, I will wait to see what COSC says.

    Anyway, I will post the answer from COSC regarding Berlitz hopefully sometime next week.

    Thanks,

    Abne :)
     
  19. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Hail Charter Oak!

    Why wait? They really don't mind these sorts of questions, you know. That's why they're there.

    When I was still a prospective Charter Oak student, I was peppering them with questions which usually led to several iterations of follow up questions. At one point I joked about it, fearing that they were getting fed up with me. They assured me that they greatly prefer answering questions ahead of time to having students not know what they're doing.

    That attitude is one reason I always recommend Charter Oak so highly.

    -=Steve=-
     
  20. mattchand

    mattchand Member

    Caveat on language proficiency exams

    I took the NYU foreign language exam years ago (in Bengali! go figure.), and was awarded 11 credits towards my AA from TESC. When I sent all of my transcripts to COSC to finish off my BA, imagine my horror when I was told that they wouldn't accept the NYU exam credits at all; even the 6-credits evaluation noted above seems to actually be a more recent development.

    (That having been said, I got over it; I am just finishing up my final course for my BA in Psych for COSC).

    Matt
     

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