Top 5 Questions from our Recent COABE Webinar

We are always excited when people attending our webinars have a lot of questions and comments. Our recent webinar, Building Building IET Career Pathway Programs for ELLs in the Virtual Space, hosted by the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), had even more questions than we could answer in the allotted time, ranging from understanding how the EnGen platform can be tailored to the individual needs of our learners to questions about our career-aligned English courses. In this special edition of the EnGen blog, we’re answering five questions that came into the EnGen team after the COABE webinar.

1) Is there a pre-test? How do you know what level a learner is when they enter the EnGen platform?
As learners begin their journey with EnGen, they are prompted to take a proprietary proficiency assessment. It is an objective and reliable online test that evaluates a test-taker’s current English proficiency level and can be used as a benchmarking tool to compare industry-wide testing standards. The proficiency assessment features an optional speaking section that allows learners to submit audio recordings of their responses to oral and written prompts, which are then graded by our certified English assessment specialists. Through a combination of cutting-edge technology and human expertise, the proficiency assessment is convenient to take from home while maintaining the accuracy of an in-person interview.

2) Do EnGen’s proficiency levels align with other metrics like NRS or TABE?
Because the proprietary proficiency assessment shares many similarities with nationally and internationally recognized standardized tests, such as the TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC and PTE, it can be used to predict how your learners will perform on those tests. We analyzed the results of more than 50,000 test takers to accurately calibrate the proficiency assessment to align with multiple proficiency scales and standards, including NRS and TABE. If you want to see how EnGen aligns with other metrics, contact us.

3) Is there an opportunity to practice speaking and responding?
Beyond the initial proficiency assessment, the EnGen platform offers learners the ability to practice speaking and writing through our small group classes, individual classes, and our pronunciation practice feature. Learners who engage with virtual live classes improve their proficiency more quickly than learners who just use the self-study platform, and they are also more engaged with their own learning.  Our live instruction allows teachers to give immediate feedback to learners.

4) Could EnGen be used in a job-site ESL class?
Definitely. Our platform is used for a number of different job-site ESL classes. We encourage you to learn more about the organizations we work with, including this recent case study highlighting the University of Maryland (UMD) and how they implemented an EnGen-powered language training program for their current residence hall staff.

5) Are there activities within each course for students at different levels?
EnGen’s machine learning algorithms create personalized content for every learner and our courses offer a number of speaking, reading, and writing activities. Our intuitive platform and certified teachers tailor instruction to each individual while content and classes are automatically adapted to the proficiency level and needs of each learner.

6) Is it possible to get a demo of your courses including those for high beginner/low intermediate learners?
EnGen offers a wide array of courses, including our career-aligned courses that cater to the needs of learners of all proficiency levels. To learn which ones are right for your team, contact one of our workforce development experts here to schedule a demo.