BUCHAREST, 1

1
Co-ordinator of the Socrates Lingua 1
Project Equal Chances to European Integration
through the use of the European Language
Portfolio EuroIntegrELP 2004 - 2007
BUCHAREST, 1 Calea Grivitei 2A www.prosper.ro
2
Teaching Romanians to self assess their language
skills
Individual vs joint efforts
The aim of this presentation 1. to introduce
the project 2. to present briefly what has been
achieved so far 3. to give a few concrete
examples of how the idea of self assessment is
being introduced to language learners in Romania
(the Romanian experience)
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Background

• Introduction of the ELP (the EAQUALS/ALTE version
  for adults) in Romania
• Its piloting by various QUEST schools
• Dissemination of info about the ELP in a variety
  of circles by QUEST members

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Follow-up

• The experience gained that far
• The commitment to the idea of self assessment
• Understanding the importance of standardising the
  levels of attainment
• Application for a Socrates Lingua 1 project

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The project proposal was approved

• Duration 3 years (2004 2007)
• Partners
• National Associations of Language Schools
• Universities, language schools and institutes
• Providers of vocational training
• NGOs
• Representatives of the media
• Countries Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Greece,
  Italy, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania,
  Slovakia

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Project objectives

• To contribute to the promotion of language
  learning among adults from various social and
  professional groups through the use of the ELP
• To enhance opportunities for social integration
  and professional development through language
  learning

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Target groups

• Ministries (of Education, of Labour)
• Private and state Employment Agencies
• Employers/HRMs
• Providers of vocational training/ Multipliers in
  general
• Language learners 15
• People in vocational training
• Unemployed/employees in project countries

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Expected Impact

• Decisions makers (ministries and employers) will
  be made aware of the existence and benefits of
  using the ELP as a document certifying the
  employees linguistic competence
• ELP users will increase their chances to
  mobility, employability and access to European
  values in general

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Main focus

• Dissemination of good practice in using the ELP
• Dissemination of the benefits of its use among
  selected target groups

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Activities carried out so far

• Research activities
• Designing and distributing of a needs analysis
  questionnaire about the situation of the ELP in
  the project countries
• Identifying representatives of target groups
• Monitoring the media

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Activities carried out so far

• 2. Dissemination materials
• - Designing and printing of a POSTER and LEAFLET
  to be used for disseminating information about
  the project (ready)
• - Designing of a CARD (work in progress)
• - Designing of a CALENDAR (work in progress)

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Activities carried out so far

• 3. Production of support materials
• Public Relations Guide for the partner
  institutions of EuroIntegrELP (Austria)
• Translation into (some of) the project languages
  of
• The User Guide for Employers produced by EAQUALS
• The EAQUALS/ALTE version of the ELP for adults
  (Greek, Polish and to be translated into Slovak
  and Lithuanian)
• The poster and leaflet already printed in English
  within the project

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Dissemination Activities

• Authorities
• introducing the ELP to officials in the relevant
  ministries, in universities, Language Departments
  (various languages)
• informing them about the EuroIntegrELP project

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Dissemination Activities

• Multipliers
• Debates, workshops, national and international
  conferences (for language teachers)
• Language fairs (for the public at large)
• Presentations (for representatives of NGOs, small
  entrepreneurs,etc.

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Dissemination Activities

• Language learners
• Presentations/demonstrations and actual
  introduction of the ELP to adult learners in
  universities, language schools, institutions
  (corporate clients)
• Designing and introducing of language learning
  activities based on self assessment
• Writing of units in language textbooks
  introducing the idea of self assessment
• Introducing testing principles based on the
  descriptors in the ELP, etc.

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Other means of dissemination

• Press conferences
• Publication of articles
• Mass-media channels (newsletters, press releases,
  publication of interviews with project
  participants, news about the project events and
  good practice examples
• Special component on each partners web site (to
  include project developments and news)
• Poster exhibition (Romania, Lithuania)
• Photography exhibition

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Future plans

• Publication of around 10,000 copies of the ELP
  for adults the EAQUALS/ALTE version into the
  project languages, to be used for dissemination
  purposes
• Organisation of various dissemination events
• Wider coverage by the media

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The Romanian Experience

• Language learners are open to the idea of peer
  evaluation and self assessment
• They are generally objective in their assessment

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Categories of Users

• Undergraduates
• In-service students
• PROSPER ASE CPs of various professions
• -trainees for the judiciary (National Institute
  for the Judiciary)
• -junior ASE FL teachers
• -trainers for the National Institute for the
  Judiciary

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Purposes of Use

• To plan own learning programme
• To understand common learning programme
• To devise learning programmes (needs analysis,
  course design, material writing, assessing
  progress)

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Achievements and Prospects

• Introducing ELP in syllabus
• Prospects
• -relating materials to specific levels of the
  CERF when designing and using them in class
• Establishing professional profiles for business
  users, users in the legal profession
• Devising similar scales for cultural competences

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Use of self evaluation grids

• Intercultural issues
• I can spot at least 5 factors that could
  influence the value system within different
  cultures (B2)
• I can discuss different cultural values and
  beliefs with my partners using suitable
  terminology in English (C1)
• I can understand the limitations of
  national stereotypes (B1)

• European Language Portfolio
• I can account for and sustain my opinions
  in discussion by providing relevant explanations,
  arguments and comments.
• I can express my ideas and opinions clearly
  and precisely, and can present and respond to
  complex lines of reasoning convincingly
• I can understand the most important
  information in short, simple, everyday
  information brochures.

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Possible classroom activities

• Introduction of the Europass documents (CV and
  Language Passport) in a textbook unit for
  undergraduates, including self reflection
  activities to raise awareness of the need to be
  objective in ones self assessment.

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Possible classroom activities

• Role play of business meetings, (with evaluation
  of group performance by observers and self
  evaluation of ones own performance)
• Transparency of criteria used for evaluation,
  with descriptors for each level on the scale.

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Thank you

• Anca Codreanu Liliana Dellevoet