1. Can you be tested in Slovene as foreign language? Testiranje slovenščine kot drugega/tujega jezika Ina Ferbežar Center za slovenščino kot drugi/tuji jezik Izpitni center ina.ferbezar@ff.uni-lj.si Konferenca EALTA, Kranjska Gora, 16. maj 2004 ina.ferbezar@ff.uni-lj.si

2. Slovene language Standard Slovene since 16th century Diglossia Latin/German/Italian Enlightenment movement in 18th century Nationalist movement in 19th century 1848: political programme United Slovenia Monolingualism as a political goal Forced bilingualism: Yugoslavia

3. Language legislation in Slovenia Slovene Constitution: Slovene as official language (+ Italian and Hungarian) Approx. 30 laws referring to the use of Slovene General language law (in the legislative process): polemic

4. Language Policy SFL Slovene for Slovenes –Grants and other resources for Slovene descendants only Slovene for foreigners –Language as a proof of unquestionable loyalty –Slovene language considered as rarity/antiquity –Slovene language as a functional tool

5. Univerza v Ljubljani Filozofska fakulteta Oddelek za slovenistiko Center za slovenščino kot drugi/tuji jezik www.ff.uni-lj.si/center-slo

6. Programmes Slovene language at foreign universities (45 universities, 1000 students/year) Seminar on Slovene language, literature and culture (Slavonic language students and experts) Obdobja Symposium (Slovene studies in linguistic and literature) Slovene language courses Examination centre

7. Courses of Slovene Beginnings and Growth

8. History of the Examination Centre 1992: first tests SFL administered 1994: Centre for Slovene became an official government-appointed comission for testing language ability in Slovene as 2L/FL 1994: Examination Centre founded

9. 2000: University of Ljubljana (Examination Centre as its representative) became a member of the Association of Language testers in Europe (ALTE) 2000: new three-level SFL exams introduced 2002: TiPS project

10. Activities Development of Slovene language tests Administration of exams on three levels - Coordination of 22 authorised centres in Slovenia Item writer, examiner and marker training

11. Slovene language exams Until 2000 only one-level exam; testing grammatical structures and sociocultural knowledge Since December 2000 new three-level programme Slovenščina za tujce (www.acs.si Programoteka) “communicative language testing” on three levels for various purposeswww.acs.si

12. Relation to CEFR levels Basic level (communication on everyday basis) Intermediate level (communication in non-routine tasks) Advanced level (creative use of Slovene language) -B1 B2 C1

13. Structure of exams Listening comprehension Reading comprehension Writing production Spoken interaction Language Structures (Intermediate and Advanced level only)

14. No. of all candidates 1994-2003

15. Candidates and levels (2003)

16. Reasons for sitting the exam Basic level Intermediate level Advanced level citizenship study professional reasons (60 % medical doctors)

17. Country of origin

18. Problems concerning testing of SFL -Testing related languages (high level of comprehension due to positive transfer) -Nonsistematic language acquisition (basic level – limited access to SFL leaning) – the formation of idiolects (interlanguage) -Difficulties at setting the criteria of what kind of language is acceptable (the problem of inter-rater reliability) -High-stakes exams

19. Prospectives Acceptance of minimum standards (based on ALTE Code of Practice) Internationally acknowledged certification system (relating Slovene exams to CEFR) Statistical analysis (calibrating tasks etc.) Developing LSP tests Interlanguage and sociolinguistic research Language planning activities Learners corpus

20. Testing in Polish and Slovene: Socrates Lingua 2 Project Partners: Jagellonian University, Krakow, University of Ljubljana, University of Athens, publishing house Universitas Developing materials for language teaching and language assessment for Slovene and Polish as FL (based on similar ALTE documents)

21. Documents Slovenski pojmovnik s področja jezikovnega testiranja (Glossary of language testing terms) Navodila za avtorje testnega gradiva (Materials for the guidance of test item writers) Kontrolni vprašalniki (Checklists) Preživetvena raven v slovenščini (Breakthrough level specification – FINGS project) Opis ravni jezikovnega znanja (CANDO statements)

22. Relating Slovene language standards to CEFR Slovene version of Threshold level (in print) Breakthrough level specification (in print) Slovene version of can-do statements (in print): (self)assessment of language competence in Slovene and other languages – rather abstract statements/descriptors

23. Slovene version of CEFR?