On May 18, 2016, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its final rules implementing new anti-discrimination rules for Non-English Speakers within provisions of the Affordable Care Act § 1557. This is the first of several alerts discussing aspects of the new rule. The alert focuses on those provisions requiring language assistance for persons with limited English proficiency; future alerts will cover rules related to sex discrimination and persons with disabilities. The new language assistance rules build on but extend beyond HHS’s 2003 Guidance Regarding Limited English Proficient Persons.
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ACTFL Establishes Center for Assessment, Research & Development
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) announces the establishment of the ACTFL Center for Assessment, Research and Development. The ACTFL Board of Directors approved the proposal for the Center during its May 13-15 annual meeting.
The mission of the Center is to support PK-12 schools and institutions of higher education in areas of assessment and articulation; to develop and maintain high-quality language proficiency assessments; to train, certify and maintain highly reliable testers and raters; to conduct research on proficiency and performance outcomes; and to collaborate with other language organizations and government agencies to support and promote research in the areas of high quality language teaching and learning, including examining implications for teacher education.
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The OPIc Arrives in China
The Oral Proficiency Interview computer system (OPIc), developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), was recently introduced in Shanghai to assist those seeking employment with international companies to demonstrate their proficiency. Currently, the OPIc covers 13 languages and five of them, English, Russian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish, are now available in China.
“The system was introduced in China because it contains evaluation tests for multiple languages, rather than a single language like other tests,” said Li Peize, President of the Beijing-based Chinese Testing International of the Confucius Institute. “It was designed by more than 10,000 language experts around the world.”
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Visit LTI @ SHRM (April 18-20) Booth # 308
Visit LTI at Booth # 308 in Florida during the SHRM Talent Management Conference & Exhibition – 4/18-20. While here, take a spin at our Prize Wheel where you can win gift cards, free tests and much more! Speak with one of Language Testing professionals and learn how we work with the HR community to ensure the best hires.
The SHRM 2016 Talent Management Conference & Exposition gives you the tools, resources, innovations and solutions you need to evolve your human capital strategies. The conference provides ideas to advance you personally and professionally, while boosting your talent management strategies. More than a thousand HR professionals will join us in Orlando April 18-20, 2016—this is an excellent opportunity to make new connections, network with old friends and expand your list of contacts.