LESLLA Fall Coffee Break 2025

 

LESLLA invites you to the Fall Coffee Break   
09:30 AM EST  / 03.30 PM CET November 3, 2025.

Ginger Kosobucki (Immigrant Welcome Center, Indianapolis USA) and Martina Franz dos Santos (University of Marburg Germany) will talk about:

LESLLA Assessment Around the Globe

Assessment is a key factor in the educational journey of LESLLA learners. Yet, traditional tests often fall short, as they rarely consider learners’ multilingual repertoires, limited prior literacy, or the challenges of migration. To truly support this group, we need fair and meaningful assessment tools that capture both their current skills and their potential for growth, and that open pathways rather than create barriers.

In this Coffee Break, we will explore how assessment is approached around the globe. LESLLA practitioners work within various frameworks and standards, and we will take a brief look at those used in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Presenters will share examples of local tools developed within their contexts, alongside other practical resources. We will also discuss how, as a global community, we might work toward assessments that transcend national boundaries and better reflect the transnational realities of LESLLA learners.

You are welcome to attend! Please register here.

About the presenters

Ginger Kosobucki and Martina Franz dos Santos will introduce the topic and guide the overall discussion. Together with three co-presenters — Marie-Anne Morand (University of Fribourg, Switzerland), Jennifer Christensen (abc English, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA), and Franziska Förster (University of Jena, Germany) — will examine how assessment frameworks for adult language learners are designed and applied in different contexts around the globe.

The presenters will address key guiding questions, such as:

  • What are the main frameworks for teaching and assessing adult learners in community education programs, and how are they structured?

  • What levels, competencies, and benchmarks are used — and how low do they go?

  • To what extent are LESLLA learners explicitly included, and if so, on what competencies?

  • How are these frameworks implemented in practice (nationally, through formal testing, or otherwise)?

Through these questions, the session aims to shed light on both the opportunities and the challenges of creating fair and meaningful assessment for LESLLA learners worldwide.

 
 
 
Ginger Kosobucki

Ginger Kosobucki

Martina Franz dos Santos

LESLLA Organization