LLAS Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

Teaching Less Widely Used and Less Taught Languages (LWULT)
Event date: 1 June, 2009
Location: CILT, the National Centre for Languages, London

British Sign Language: Quality Embedding of the Discipline (BSL:QED)

Promoting and evaluating the use of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) in Higher Education

French as a foreign language and the Common European Framework of Reference for languages
This paper considers the position which British GCSE and 'A' level are given in the Common European Framework (CEFR). The vocabulary sizes of learners taking these exams are considered in relation to the vocabulary information and wordlist sizes included in the CEFR documentation. The vocabulary knowledge of learners appears small, very small, in comparison to the levels anticipated by the Framework, and very small compared to learners of other languages at the same levels. Learners in Britain appear to lack the vocabulary knowledge necessary to carry out the skills indicated for the levels they are expected to attain.

The case for a common framework of reference for the validation of assessments of written English on English language degree programmes in Europe
The Bologna process carries out an agreement by European governments to create by 2010, a European Higher Education Area with two main degree cycles, undergraduate and graduate, and a common system of credits and quality assurance. In this climate of review, revision and collaboration, this paper describes a survey of existing practice with regard to expectations of attainment on degree programmes in Europe. It will also outline a proposal for a collaborative project to develop a framework for the self-validation of skill assessment on a language programme. The concept of validity informed the design of a questionnaire to collect qualitative and quantitative data on the final assessment of students' written English on English language degree programmes across Europe. Analysis of responses from 30 universities in 12 European countries revealed wide variation between different countries, within the same country and, in some cases, within the same degree programme. As a result of this survey, European partners have been identified to collaborate on the development of a framework for the self-validation of assessments of written English, which can inform the assessment of other skill areas and other languages.

A Common Framework for Chinese
The authors look at the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF) and posit that a complementary Europe-wide framework for Chinese is much needed. They claim that this is necessary as the CEF is politically, linguistically, socio-culturally inadequate for the issues facing the teaching and learning of Chinese. A number of ways of taking this idea forward are introduced.

Yes, but is PEL the same as ELP?
In September 2003, Leeds Metropolitan University started delivering a new French specialist route on its BA(Hons) Primary Education and was paired with the IUFM of Montpellier in France. As lecturers from both institutions started collaborating together, we decided to look into the use of the Common European Framework and in particular the European Language Portfolio (ELP) as tools offering an element of commonality between France and the UK. How is the use of these interpreted differently in both countries? How much do these interpretations reflect a different approach to language learning and the means to achieve that learning?

Applying the CEF to Slovak university courses
The author starts her presentation with the historical background and current trends towards the application of the Common European Framework (CEF) in Slovak schools. Giving an example of an English course for Social Sciences, she then describes the specific phases of the application of the CEF.

LICS from CATS - a managed approach to the curriculum

This paper discusses how reviewing the curriculum can help in dealing with some of the pressures faced by language departments; considers how the needs of many kinds of students can be incorporated into, and satisfied by, a unified curriculum; considers how the Common European Framework can be used for Curriculum Review.

Promoting and evaluating the use of the European Language Portfolio
The Nuffield Foundation and the University of Southampton funded 10 partner institutions to run mini-projects whose aim was to implement and evaluate the European Language Portfolio in Higher Education.

Case study: The CERCLU Project: Certification of Language Competence in Italian University Language Centres
Following the 1999 university reforms in Italy, the need arose for a system of language certification valid in all Italian University Language Centres. Under the auspices of AICLU, the Italian Association of University Language Centres, a four-year project was launched in 2000 in connection with similar initiatives by members of CERCLES, the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education. CERCLU will not re-duplicate existing certification systems but will provide an additional means of certifying two intermediate levels of linguistic competence in English and in Italian, at levels B1 and B2, with full European academic recognition.

Certification of Language Abilities for International Mobility (CLAIM)
Marina Mozzon-McPherson, Senior Learning Advisor at the University of Hull has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship for her contribution to excellence in teaching and learning. Marina was one of only fifty teaching staff nation-wide to receive a £50,000 prize awarded by the Higher Education Academy and the Higher Education Funding Council in 2004.