Recently Slovenia has undergone some very important changes. Firstly, it is the reform of our school system which brought about great emphasis on teaching and learning foreign languages. Secondly, on 1st May Slovenia became a member of EU. We are

1
Recently Slovenia has undergone some very
important changes. Firstly, it is the reform of
our school system which brought about great
emphasis on teaching and learning foreign
languages. Secondly, on 1st May Slovenia became a
member of EU.We are perfectly aware that
teaching and learning foreign languages is not
only enabling our young people to communicate
with other people but also getting them to know
and respect other people, cultures and habits.
2

• The area of teaching and testing foreign
  languages is gaining more and more importance.
  The need for experts and practical teachers to
  join forces and share experience in order to make
  the instruction and assessment as good as
  possible is becoming greater every day. The large
  number of participants of this conference is the
  proof.

3

• One of the most important goals of Slovenian
  school reform is to achieve internationally
  comparable standards of knowledge. With the
  introduction of external examination in Slovenia
  in 1994 the process started.
• The present conference which brought to Slovenia
  so many people involved in testing is the
  opportunity for us to share experience and learn.
• Thank you for coming. We wish you a pleasant stay
  in our country and a lot of pleasure in creative
  work.