Alianza Cultural Uruguay-Estados Unidos (Alianza), founded in 1939, is part of the binational center global network. Its mission is to enrich lives in Uruguay and the United States by strengthening educational, social, and cultural links between the peoples of both countries.
Alianza has a notable history with Michigan Language Assessment. Beginning in the 1950s, Alianza was one of the first in the world to administer Michigan Tests. Today they continue as one of the first adopters of the newest Michigan Test, MET Go!.
MET Go! is a secure, multilevel exam designed specifically for learners ages 11 to 15.
When Michigan Language Assessment first announced MET Go!, Alianza quickly realized that the new test would satisfy a request from their learners and other stakeholders.
“Our market had demanded an international test at the B1 level for several years. Parents had requested this exam for their children as well.”
Alianza met this demand by adding MET Go! to its portfolio of Michigan Tests in 2018. The exam measures adolescents’ English language proficiency from the beginning to intermediate range of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR A1–B1).
MET Go! is the best option for one specific group of learners at Alianza: young teenage students who have studied English since childhood. These MET Go! test takers are comfortable speaking English, and they sit the exam to document their achievement. MET Go! is not a pass/fail exam, and all students receive a certificate backed by the University of Michigan and Cambridge Assessment English—a valuable guarantee of the validity of the exams.
“It offers an international measure to certify students’ level. International certifications are valued in our context.”
At the end of each school year, Alianza offers teenage learners the chance to demonstrate success in their language learning journey by taking MET Go!. The exam enables Alianza test takers to prove their proficiency to their parents, teachers, and, eventually, to university admissions and potential employers.