ITIP Masters Degree: Foreign Language Exit Exam Options

ITIP Foreign Language Proficiency Exam Options

The ability to communicate across cultures in more than one language is a fundamental and distinguishing skill of the international affairs professional. Therefore, completion of the M.A. in International Trade and Investment Policy requires a demonstrated proficiency in a modern foreign language. There are two testing options available to ITIP students to fulfill this requirement.

Option #1: Internal ESIA Foreign Language Test

Option #2: External with Language Testing International (LTI)

Tests speaking and reading skills.

Tests speaking and writing skills.

Students are required to meet an ‘intermediate high’ or ‘advanced’ proficiency level in both reading and speaking, depending on the language.

Students are required to meet an ‘intermediate low’ proficiency level in both speaking and writing regardless of the language.

Students are graded “Pass” if the minimum level or higher is achieved. No formal certification for the student’s specific level of proficiency is provided.

LTI provides double-rated, internationally-recognized ACTFL certification for a student’s specific level of proficiency.

The exams are free for ITIP students.

LTI charges $200 for the two exams.

Exams are offered in: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

LTI offers exams in 48 languages.

Non-native English speakers must pass the ESIA English test to satisfy the foreign language requirement.

Non-native English speakers may use LTI to obtain a proficiency rating in English but must also satisfy the ESIA requirement.

Students will learn the results of the ESIA test within 1-4 weeks.

Students will learn the results of their LTI test within 2-3 weeks.

Pros: Free of cost; graded Pass/Fail; tests reading comprehension, not writing.

Pros: Requires lower proficiency to pass; internationally recognized certification; better recognition of advanced language ability; offered in 48 languages.

Cons: Requires higher proficiency to pass; no formal recognition of language ability; offered in 11 languages.

Cons: costs $200; tests writing, not reading.

ESIA exams are scheduled early November. LTI exams will be arranged for mid-November. Both exams are offered again in March.

Exams can only be taken after completing at least 20 hours of coursework.

Students have three attempts in which to pass an exam.

Julea Reese

Kyle Renner

Last revised: 10/08/2007

The Elliott School of International Affairs
The George Washington University
1957 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20052
Tel: (202) 994-6240 / Fax: (202) 994-0335