LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK NEW PERSPECTIVE ON LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS IAW COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK IN ROMANIAN MoD BILC Conference 2007

LTC Viorel JURETCU LTC Cristiana VADUVA

OUTLINE LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS IAW CEF PERFORMANCE TESTS IAW CEF

LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS IAW CEF

BACKGROUND (1) AT LEAST 2 BILC EVENTS STARTING WITH 2004 SURVEY ON INTENSIVE COURSES 2004-2005 NEEDS ANALYSIS ON DEPLOYABLE FORCES

BACKGROUND (2) MILITARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING IS PART OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

PURPOSE CONTINUITY IN LANGUAGE TRAINING FG 0356 STANDARDIZED TRAINING CERTIFICATES

ACTIVITIES NOVEMBER 2005 SEMINAR WG REGARDING COURSE CURRICULA WG WITH MEdR PILOTING COURSE CURRICULA

ACHIEVEMENTS COURSE OBJECTIVES COURSE CURRICULA QUESTIONNAIRE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAM EUROPEAN LANGUAGE PORTFOLIO

Intensive training - beginner level - intermediate level advanced level proficiency refreshment courses - specialised terminology

Training forms Course type duration (weeks) target level military terminology beginners 18-25 A 2.2 10-30% intermediate 18-22 B 1.2 20% advanced B 2.2 40% proficiency 8-12 C1 50%

Performance tests IAW CEF, a new challenge for RoTS Lt.col. Cristiana Vaduva

Objectives Elaborate unique performance tests on 4 skills to be administered by aprox. 200 teachers at the end of couses: - 19 language centres - English – A.2.2, B1.2, B2.2 - German, Greek, Russian, Arabic, Turkish – A2.2, B1.2 Train teachers to develop valid and reliable tests Implement Standardized Testing Procedures

Background Teachers: - heterogenous previous testing experience - different teaching background RoTS: - very busy program (develop and administer English and French STANAG tests) - work with groups of various sizes, teachers with no good experience - no knowledge of most of the languages

Planning Establish working groups RoTS draft - timelines - testing documents - identify item + test formats RoTS working procedures with each group: - meet each group at least 3 times (familiarize teachers with standardized testing, agree on general issues; review and revise on items; work on testing procedures) - coordination, advice on items by e-mail as agreed in the timelines

PAST March 06 – RoTS started work on B1.2 tests with 13 English teachers → more experienced (3 teachers had attended RO-UK/US STANAG testing training programs) April 06 - English group split in 2 to work on A2.2 and B2.2, acc. to knowledge in testing, courses taught RoTS and LTO supported teachers in test recording Tests A2.2, B1.2 ready for trialling in Feb 07 (tests, tapes, qustionnaires)

PAST Nov 06 – RoTS started work with French (5), German (2), Greek (1), Russian (2), Arabic (1) Principle: used the already agreed upon testing documents (specs, item/test/questionnaire formats) from the English group, adapt them acc. to languages’ characteristics Advantage with French (2 teachers attended RO-French STANAG testing training program) For the other languages: summoned to review and revise

Present Most of the tests have already been trialled May 07 – 2 workshops: - train teachers on rating productive skills - elaborate rating scales out of RoTS initial drafts - develop and agree on Standardized Testing Procedures

Future Aug 07 - RoTS will validate the tests statistically Sept 07 – Annual Teachers Conference: RoTS will instruct 1 teacher/language/center Oct 07 on: - the best teachers will take over the coordination of the working groups for test development - RoTS will – support/advice nominated teachers - validate tests

Future Aug 07 - RoTS will validate the tests statistically Sept 07 – Annual Teachers Conference: RoTS will instruct 1 teachers/language/center on the Oct 07 on: - the best teachers will take over the coordination of the working groups for test development - RoTS will – support/advice those specific teachers - validate tests

CONCLUSIONS

Common European Framework CEF – STANAG 6001 Common European Framework STANAG 6001  1 Basic User A1: Breakthrough 1 1 1 1 Elementary    2 A2: Waystage 3 A2 +: Waystage + 2 2 2 2 Limited Working 4 Independent user B1: Threshold 5 B1 +: Threshold + 6 B2 : Vantage 3 3 3 3 Minimum Profesional 7 B2  +: Vantage + 8 Proficient User C1 : Effective Operational Proficiency 4 4 4 4 Full Professional 9 C2 : Mastery 5 5 5 5 Bilingual 10 cristianavaduva@yahoo.com