7 Renewal of SLP Certificates BILC Conference Istanbul

7 Renewal of SLP Certificates BILC Conference Istanbul 26 May 2010

7 Presentation • Loose ends • Background • Principles • Aims and Objectives • Concept • Implementation 2

7 Now available!

7 Loose ends The setting (Oct 2009) English language training is part of career training for Ø Officer candidates – SLP 3332 Ø Army NCOs („Feldwebel“) – SLP 2121 Ø civil defense administration personnel – SLP 3332/2221

7 Loose ends The setting (Apr 2010) English language training is part of career training for Ø Officer candidates – SLP 3332 Ø NCOs („Feldwebel“) – SLP 2221 Ø civil defense administration personnel – SLP 3332/2221

7 Loose ends The setting (Apr 2010) Grundsätze für die Fremdsprachenausbildung in den Streitkräften – Gen. Insp – 22 Apr 2010 (Principles of Language Training in the German Armed Forces – CHOD – 22 Apr 2010)

7 Background • Bundeswehr missions are generally embedded in multinational structures of NATO, the EU and the UN • Language skills are a prerequisite for the ability to fulfil tasks in a multinational environment and, increasingly, also in national settings 7

7 Background • Language teaching takes time • SLP-language examinations take time • After the completion of career training, there is often no further systematic testing of language skills • Language skills often need to be proven, i. e. certified, at short notice 8

7 Principles SLP language examinations • are based on the STANAG 6001 Definitions of Proficiency Levels • examine communicative competence; they do not test achievement based on course content • can certify language skills only for a limited period of time • test each skill separately 9

7 Aims and Objectives The development of a testing method • to facilitate a permanently up-to-date proof of language skills • to reduce testing time and effort for examiners and candidates without reducing face value • which does justice to the limited period of validity of the SLP certification 10

7 Examination System SLP Examinations Pre-test 200 point pre-test Complete SLP exam Separate tests for each of the 4 skills • Facultative (2 x/year) • Obligatory on-demand • End-of-course exams • several appointments • personnel-intensive • travel-intensive Pre-test : 2 hrs 1 superv. L: S: 1 hr 1 superv. 15 mins. 1 superv. , +15 mins. 3 examiners R: max. 1 hr W: 1 hr 1 superv. , 2 correctors 11 11

7 Concept SLP Examinations SLP renewal (Recertification examination) 3 separate tests one appointment one place Pre-test 200 point pre-test Complete SLP exam Separate tests for each of the 4 skills • Facultative (2 x/year) • Obligatory on demand • End-of-course exams • several appointments • personnel-intensive • travel-intensive L: R: 30 mins. MC C: 40 mins. 1 supervisor Pre-test : 2 hrs 1 superv. L: S: 1 hr 1 superv. 15 mins. 1 superv. , +15 mins. 3 examiners R: max. 1 hr W: 1 hr 1 superv. , 2 correctors 12 12

7 Concept Renewal of SLP Certificates (Recertification) valid for 3 years 3332 + 3 -year-old SLP Voluntary preliminary test c. 1 hr (online) without supervision Recertific. exam max. 2 hrs supervised 3332 Recertified SLP Complete SLP exam (End of course, Obligatory on-demand, Facultative 2 x/year) valid for 3 years 13

7 Concept Renewal of SLP Certificates (Recertification) valid for 3 years 3332 + 3 year old SLP Complete SLP exam (End of course, Obligatory on demand, Facultative 2 x/year) Voluntary preliminary test Recertific. exam 3332 c. 1 hr (online) without supervision too max. 2 hrs supervised Recertified SLP weak? Self study program “Brush up your English” valid for 3 years 14

7 I. January Examination Cycles February March II. April May June 1. -15. : Self study program Online “Brush up your English" preliminary test last week: Recertification examination III. 15

7 Project “Brush up your English” Service area help, program structure Exercise area R – Reading Comprehension ext. sources, Internet L – Listening Comprehension grammar definitions O – Oral Production W – Written Production teletutors G – Grammar V – Vocabulary glossaries automatic exercise generator 16

7 Concept • All processes are technology assisted - Administration (Registration, Admission, Certification) - Production processes of the examinations - Evaluation/Assessment 17

7 Concept Examination Procedures: Intranet / Internet Database 18

7 Concept Evaluation/Assessment: Intranet / Internet 3332 Database Recertified SLP 19

7 Concept Voluntary Preliminary Self Assessment: One attempt after registration –only possible online • Can-Do Statements = Self assessment based on questions/statements taken from the definitions of SLP-Proficiency Levels • C-Test = usually 4 texts with 20 gaps each; the second half of nearly every other word needs to be completed (free text) measures both objectively and exactly has become one of the most widely used language test procedures in Germany 20

7 Concept Elements of the Recertification Examination: • MC-Test Listening Comprehension (30 mins. ) • MC-Test Reading Comprehension • MC C-Test (30 mins. ) (40 mins. ) MC-Test = Multiple Choice (3 options per task/question) MC C-Test = 4 authentic texts with 20 gaps each and 4 options per gap 21

7 Sample C-Test Item Beispiel C-Test-Item U. K. : One-fifth of infantry not fit for fighting Ergänzen- Sie bitte die Wortteile. RAF MILDENHALL, England One-fifth offehlenden the British 20 army’s infantry soldiers are unfit to fight on the front lines, according to Ministry of Defence figures released U. K. : One-fifth of infantry not fit for fighting Tuesday. RAF MILDENHALL, England - One-fifth of the British army’s infantry soldiers are 2) due t_______ 3) physical o_______ 4) mental Some re on the 1) not o of Defence figures r released unfit toa_______ fight frontdeplo_______ lines, yable according to Ministry 5), lack o_______ 6) fitness o_______ 7) other nonme_______ 8) Tuesday. dical inju_______ries r f 9) to a BBC report. Some a_re___1) not deplo_______2) due t_______3) physical o_______4) mental rding reasons, acco_______ inju_______5), lack o_______6) fitness o_______7) other nonme_______8) 10) roughly 9, 500 tro_______ 11) 12) to Wi_______ ops th acco_______9) st reasons, to a BBC report. deployed, mo_______ 13) Afghanistan, Bri_______ 14) is t_______ 15) second-largest hern sout_______ tain he mo_______12) to Wi_______10) roughly 9, 500 tro_______11) deployed, 17)’s Intern_______ 18) Security Assis_______ 19) contr_______ to NA_______ ibutor 16) Afghanistan, ational tance TO Bri_______14) sout_______13) is t_______15) second-largest 20) NA_______17)’s Intern_______18) Security Assis_______19) contr_______16) to Force th_______ ere Force th_______20) Ministry of Defence spokesman Alastair Mc. Crea-Steele called the statistics "misleading" in in an an e-mail Tuesday, saying that all units deploy at at the required strength to fulfill their missions. 22

7 Sample MC C-Test (Solution) Sample MC-C-Test Item 23

7 Concept Current Status / Plan: • Examination items have been produced MC C-Test-Items: validated on 1, 500 candidates • Limited implementation from mid 2010 • C-Test online from mid 2011 • Technology assisted implementation from mid 2011 24

7 Conclusion The recertification process • is economical and efficient • retains a high level of validity as a certification of language skills in a system of alternating between complete SLP and recertification exams • facilitates a permanently up-to-date proof of language skills 25

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