Sheng nu cites studies that show that women are now breaking the tradition of "mandatory marriage" to have fewer children or marry later on in life. Other typologically similar terms that are still used in the modern lexicon of other countries and cultures show the concept has existed in some cases as far back as the 16th century. The term spinster was used to describe unmarried or single women of a marriageable age. It wasn't until 2004 when the Civil Partnership Act replaced the word spinster with "single" in the relationship history section of marriage certificates in the UK. Subsequently, at the
The European Language Certificates The European Language Certificates The European Language Certificates, or telc language tests, are international standardised tests of ten languages. telc GmbH is a language test provider based in Frankfurt am Main. The non-profit company is a subsidiary of the German Adult Education Association (DVV). tel GmbH offers more than 70 certificates, including general language and vocational examinations and tests for students. All telc language examinations correspond to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which was published in 2001 by the Council of Europe,to cover the skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing. "Telc language tests" can be