Aligning teaching, learning & assessment to the CEFR RELANG Aligning teaching, learning & assessment to the CEFR Malta, 2016 – 2018/9

Overview Languages within the Maltese Education System Initial steps: the start of the journey Areas addressed in RELANG workshops Curriculum and assessment reform – alignment of teaching, learning & assessment to the CEFR The way forward Stakeholders involved in the process

Languages in the Maltese Educational system - Maltese and English as the language of schooling - Maltese as L1 and L2 - Foreign languages introduced at Primary school level : The FLAP programme - Foreign languages at Secondary school level

The starting point Workshop 1: Raising awareness on the CEFR Discussion of levels reached in all foreign languages at secondary school level Examinations that address the four skills Discussion of specifications for examinations: requirements for alignment to the CEFR Malta, February 2016

Aligning local examinations to the CEFR Workshop 2: What principles of FL testing require attention in relation to the CEFR notion of foreign language learning and language use? - Raise item writers’ awareness of the need to align examinations to CEFR levels - Participants: Education Officers & Heads of Department: item writers and evaluators - Discussion between FL departments and analysis of examination papers at national level: Standard setting in examinations according to CEFR level / model of language use.

Curriculum analysis: alignment to the CEFR Workshop 3: Linking LOF descriptors to the CEFR - Analysis of LO curriculum descriptors in Fl curricula / Maltese for migrant learners - Developing tasks according to CEFR / LO descriptors: designing sample items for a selection of LOs Malta, November 2017

Outcomes and challenges Discussion amongst stakeholders in FL departments on CEFR: principles, descriptors and examination specifications Alignment of Curricula for FL according to CEFR levels A1 to B2: Learning Outcome Framework Reform Assessment at national level: Introduction of continuous assessment Matsec examinations: percentages of summative and continuous assessment

RELANG team: José Noijons Jana Bérešová Participants: Foreign language departments – French, Italian, German, Spanish, Maltese L2 Education Officers – Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programmes, Ministry of Education & Employment Heads of Department & other stakeholders Alice Micallef Directorate for Learning & Assessment Programmes Local co-ordinator, Malta