Published by De Gruyter Mouton

Volume 2 Issue 1

Issue of Language Learning in Higher Education

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Contents
Journal Overview

Publicly Available February 1, 2013

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Page range: i-vi

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February 1, 2013

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the European Language Portfolio: Some history, a view of language learner autonomy, and some implications for language learning in higher education

David Little

Page range: 1-16

Abstract

This article is based on a plenary talk given at the CercleS seminar hosted by the University of Groningen in November 2011 to mark the tenth anniversary of the publication of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the launch of the European Language Portfolio. The first part of the article summarizes the history of Council of Europe modern languages projects over the past 40 years, emphasizing the close relation between the organization's core values and the learner-centred ideology that underlies its work in language education. The second part focuses on learner autonomy, arguing that the CEFR's conceptualization of language learning as a variety of language use invites us to go beyond the view of learner autonomy as reflective self-management to one in which the user/learner's agency is channelled through the target language. The third part considers the implications of this view for language learning in higher education, with particular reference to the self-assessment function of the European Language Portfolio. And the conclusion suggests that CercleS has a key role to play in implementing and further developing the CEFR and the ELP.

February 1, 2013

The CEFR and the dynamics of second language learning: trends and challenges

Wander Lowie

Page range: 17-34

Abstract

This paper discusses the pedagogical implications of Dynamic Systems Theory approaches to second language development. The main question addressed is whether it is possible to describe a learner's level of proficiency with a simple and unambiguous label, and if so, whether the CEFR can provide such a label. It is argued that considering the dynamic and multidimensional nature of second language development, only an approach that values the relevance of variability will be able to capture the crucial time dimension of development. When learning is defined as self-organization that follows the perturbation of a system, language learning cannot be seen as development that follows a predetermined sequence, but must ultimately be regarded as a contextualized individual trajectory. When this observation is applied to language teaching and language testing, it must be concluded that a longitudinal approach using a language portfolio that captures a range of language skills as proposed by the CEFR is of considerably greater value for the learner than a rigid assessment of some aspects of language proficiency at one moment in time.

February 1, 2013

Adaptation of the CEFR to remedial English language education in Japan

Noriko Nagai, Seiki Ayano, Keiko Okada, Takayuki Nakanishi

Page range: 35-58

Abstract

This article sets out to show how to contextualize CEFR descriptors to fit remedial English reading courses at Japanese tertiary institutions. The courses target incoming students who are typically accepted in the fall of their final high school year, and are offered between the time of acceptance and enrolment in the following April. The paper details steps for contextualizing CEFR descriptors and explains how we specify the descriptors for the remedial course. The adaptation of the CEFR comprises two steps. The first is to select CEFR descriptors relevant to the course. The selection is based on the purposes of the course and the proficiency level of the target learners. The second step is to expand on the selected descriptors in terms of reading tasks, text types, and text features. Text types associated with the reading tasks defined in the selected descriptors are identified, and text features are specified based on a close examination of the target level. Reading tasks are particularized according to text types and the actual texts assigned in each lesson. The resultant contextualization, varying in degree of specification, supports the different purposes of the course.

February 1, 2013

Applying the writing scales of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to the new HSK test of proficiency in Chinese: Realities, problems and some suggestions for Chinese language teachers and learners

Ya Ping (Amy) Hsiao, Peter Broeder

Page range: 59-74

Abstract

This article explores levels of proficiency in Chinese with reference to the new HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) Chinese Proficiency Test and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Special attention is given to learning and teaching the writing of Chinese characters and the use of Pinyin, a phonetic Romanization of the Chinese language. First, the feasibility of both language scales is considered as a means of capturing proficiency in Chinese; then descriptions of Chinese courses offered by university language centres are analysed; and finally, semi-structured interviews with teachers of such courses and their learners are reported. This results in a number of suggestions for specifying instructional designs for teaching Chinese writing skills.

February 1, 2013

Self-assessment and placement tests – a worthwhile combination?

Maike Engelhardt, Joanna Pfingsthorn

Page range: 75-89

Abstract

Modern socio-cognitive and meaning-oriented approaches to foreign language teaching emphasize the role of learner autonomy, which involves being aware of and responsible for one's own ways of learning as well as the utilization of one's own strengths and work on weaknesses (van Lier 1996). Allowing learners to perform self-assessment can provide a means to promote autonomy as it fosters the understanding of the learning process and its goals (Jacobs and Farell 2003). Although some studies reveal a pattern of correlations between self-assessment and a range of external assessment criteria (e.g. Oscarson 1984, 1997, 1998), and indicate that self-assessment can be applied in situations traditionally reserved for standardized assessment (e.g. LeBlanc and Painchaud 1985), the exact role of self-assessment, its validity and instrumentality for placement purposes remains relatively unexplored. This study aims to evaluate the predictive power of self-assessment based on global CEFR “can do” descriptors in the context of a university language center placement test.

February 1, 2013

Oral proficiency teaching with WebCEF and Skype: Scenarios for online production and interaction tasks

Sake Jager, Estelle Meima, Gerdientje Oggel

Page range: 91-113

Abstract

This article reports our findings on using WebCEF as a CEFR familiarization and self-assessment tool for oral proficiency. Furthermore, we outline how we have implemented Skype as a tool for telecollaboration in our language programmes. The primary purpose of our study was to explore how students and teachers would perceive the potential benefits of these tools for enhancing the learning and assessment of oral proficiency skills and how pedagogical designs could be developed for integrating these tools successfully in the institutional context. After running pilot projects with different students of English and Spanish, we conclude that WebCEF may make a valuable and beneficial contribution to oral proficiency assessment. We also found that students appreciate the opportunity for participating in online exchanges with fellow language learners in another country and that this may make them more receptive to the intercultural aspects of language learning. Setting up these activities, however, is not without difficulties. Combining Skype with WebCEF crucially depends on using appropriate recording tools and the students' ability to use these. An even greater challenge, as was already known from previous research, is to find enough stable partners and to align partners on the basis of availability and levels in such a way that useful language practice may be established. Despite these problems, we are inspired and motivated to continue working with these tools locally and in online exchanges, as the benefits considerably outweigh the disadvantages.

February 1, 2013

Test di ingresso e validità. Proposte per un miglioramento della performance del placement di Italiano L2/LS per studenti ispanofoni

Daniela Forapani

Page range: 115-127

Abstract

The University of Parma hosts approximately 260–300 Erasmus students every year, 54% of whom are Spanish-speakers. These students need to be placed in Italian language courses according to the CEFR levels. We noticed however that the same multiple-choice, on-line placement test, administered to students from both the Germanic/Slavic and the Romance linguistic areas, sometimes gives surprising results, assigning a B1 level to absolute beginner Spanish-speaking students. This paper presents the results of a longitudinal study, which led to the preparation of a consolidated test that has proved to be reliable and valid for both Germanic/Slavic and Romance linguistic areas. The presentation will illustrate the various developmental phases of the overall project and the results achieved, analyzing the data relating to the use of the service as well as its future prospects.

February 1, 2013

Re-conceptualizing the ELP as a Web 2.0 Personal Language Learning Environment

Kevin Haines, Jeroen van Engen

Page range: 129-144

Abstract

This paper addresses the reconceptualization of the ELP as a Personal Language Learning Environment (PLLE), encouraging learners towards greater self-regulation. Such a development fits in with the pedagogical function of the ELP by scaffolding the plurilingual, lifelong learning of languages. Web 2.0 social media tools allow learners to work with their teachers at distance and over a longer period of time than is commonly possible within the restrictions of traditional language courses. Learners experience greater flexibility and choice in communication in both formal and informal contexts, enabling greater autonomy. Web 2.0 tools such as blogs give learners the opportunity to produce archives of authentic linguistic performances or communicative products that can be related to descriptors from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages to provide contextualized evidence of proficiency and progress. The resulting language learning “footprint” is designed as a PLLE, potentially comprising linguistic performances in a number of languages in a number of settings that are relevant to the learner. This Web 2.0 PLLE may be designed either as an extension to the existing structure of the European Language Portfolio, or in a more radical scenario, its logical replacement, while maintaining the pedagogical function of the ELP.

February 1, 2013

The role of the syllable in foreign language learning: Improving oral production through dual-coded, sound-synchronised, typographic annotations

Anthony Stenton

Page range: 145-161

Abstract

The CNRS-financed authoring system SWANS (Synchronised Web Authoring Notation System), now used in several CercleS centres, was developed by teams from four laboratories as a personalised learning tool for the purpose of making available knowledge about lexical stress patterns and mother-tongue interference in L2 speech production – helping students see what clearly they do not always hear . Studying listening perception is often a novel experience for students, involving syllable recognition, distinguishing strong and weak forms and grappling with the pluri-parametric acoustic features of volume, pitch and length. The objective is to improve listening perception and oral intelligibility in European languages, particularly in the context of authentic case studies, such as those of the EXPLICS project (Socrates), and in debates and papers given at international conferences. Test results with the authoring system have shown that the use of dual coding (synchronised sound and SWANS annotations) can have a permanent destabilizing effect on deviant oral production habits, e.g. final-syllable lengthening in French speakers of English. Some students managed to correct genuinely “fossilised” habits for the first time. This effect is noticeable in controlled contexts (case studies) and less in spontaneous conversation. The implications for continuous assessment via case studies are important as such evaluation is often better contextualized, less stressful, more authentic and more credible than traditional testing. The networked exchange of annotated, synchronised texts announces the emergence of a useful teacher-training tool based on the cooperative analysis of perception problems in video documents. This paper outlines techniques for automatic syllable recognition and recommends a Europe-wide project for raising awareness of the importance of lexical stress patterns in all European languages.

February 1, 2013

Designing ICT-enhanced language programmes: Academic writing for postgraduate studies

Libor Stepanek, Alena Hradilova

Page range: 163-171

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of a course on academic writing for postgraduate studies within a collaborative and interactive information and communication technologies (ICT) based language-learning setting. It describes the structure of an academic writing course for PhD students, focusing on three ICT-enhanced course activities: collaborative tasks undertaken within a discussion forum, online peer reviews, and videoconferencing with invited specialists. Samples of the course participants' work and results of their feedback are presented. Results indicate that while ICT-enhanced tools are considered useful by both course participants and teachers, there continues to be a need for research regarding the benefits of ICT-enhanced methods when they are combined with a traditional approach to teaching and learning.

February 1, 2013

The flowering of EAP/ESP: Customised support for the development of communicative competence in writing in the disciplines

Eva Braidwood, Suzy McAnsh

Page range: 173-198

Abstract

Despite a proliferation of research into academic writing and the availability of a number of guides to writing, little attention has been given to the means of supporting students striving to reach the level of proficiency in English expected from graduates in their respective fields. Our study aims to explore the prevalent problems in writing in English encountered by Finnish university students. In doing so, we revisit the notion of communicative competence in order to gain deeper perspectives on academic/scientific written discourse and apply these to classroom practice. The corpus on which we draw comprises academic/scientific texts produced by students of biochemistry and architecture in their field-related English courses. We begin by surveying and categorising recurrent problems observed during course work. Then we establish a matrix of the most salient problems on various levels, including macro-textual aspects, micro-structural concerns such as morphology, style, register and syntax, as well as metalinguistic issues. Using this matrix, we systematically analyse a sample of the corpus to determine the prevalence of the problems. Further, building on earlier models of competence, we propose a model which consists of six competence areas, the significance of which vary according to the purpose of the text, the learning needs of students or the teacher's didactic purpose. The model can be used for raising learners' awareness of what academic/scientific writing entails, and for analysing texts in order to diagnose students' difficulties and inform course design.

February 1, 2013

Asiakaspalvelua vieraalla kielellä: Riittääkö, että on kohtelias ja osaa joitain fraaseja?

Marita Härmälä

Page range: 199-225

Abstract

The content of the criteria used in assessing vocationally oriented language competence in the Finnish Competency-Based Qualifications was examined. The data consisted of the National Core Curricula, eight education providers' assessment criteria used in rating performances in the Qualification of Business and Administration, and thematic interviews conducted with 12 language teachers and four workplace experts. The data were analysed qualitatively. The results showed that on the lower levels of language competence (CEFR levels A1–B1), sociolinguistic and pragmatic competences were considered important in compensating for lacking linguistic competence. The findings will be useful in further defining the content of professional language competence for teaching purposes, and, in particular, when designing workplace oriented assessment criteria.

February 1, 2013

Towards a standardised qualification for primary school teachers of English as a foreign language: The experience of Parma (Italy)

Anila Ruth Scott-Monkhouse

Page range: 227-243

Abstract

The practice of teaching a foreign language in primary schools in Italy was first officially provided for by a decree in 1985, but it was only in 1991 that the figure of the Foreign Language (FL) teacher was actually defined. The issue at that stage was how to select and train the prospective L2 teachers, and so in-service courses were organised to provide these teachers with the linguistic and methodological know-how needed for the new professional role they were to play. At the time, the autonomy of single schools was encouraged and courses were managed locally by several education institutions cooperating on the project. Since then English has become the compulsory language to be taught in primary schools and the final objective of the teacher training courses has been identified as level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This has led to the need for a different kind of assessment, which has evolved from tests devised by the teacher trainers themselves in the early courses, to internationally recognised certificates (Cambridge ESOL Preliminary English Test PET), and finally to a more specific certificate devised by test designers at Italian University Language Centres, now involved in the project. This article aims to describe how teacher training and assessment have changed in Parma, and illustrate how the current Certificate of English for Primary school Teachers (CEPT), devised by the Language Centre of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and the Language Centre of the University of Parma, has developed into a regional project, on the basis of a Teacher Profile which takes into account the CEFR, the European Language Portfolio (ELP), the Italian school system and its requirements, the needs of children learning English as a foreign language, and the needs of future teachers of English attending an in-service course.

About this journal

Language Learning in Higher Education (LLHE) is the Journal of CercleS, the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education. The Journal deals with the most relevant aspects of language learning and teaching in university contexts. It mainly focuses on the outcomes of research on blended learning, autonomous learning, language assessment, EMI and so many other aspects of professional development, quality assurance and university language policy. Its primary aim is both to disseminate the best results of research activities carried out at University Language Centres and Higher Education Departments as well as to give the opportunity to share ideas among professionals involved in language studies. This aim carries the long-term objective to help increase the quality of language learning and of the so many teaching and learning actions offered by the higher education language community throughout the European academic context and beyond.

Issues include a Special one 10.2 (2020) Enhancing the Role of European University Language Centres: past achievements and future perspectives, the aim of which was to celebrate the 30th anniversary of CercleS (1991-2021). A Webinar was organized in Spring 2021 for this special event. The recording of the Webinar can be found on　http://www.cercles.org.

LLHE 11.1 and 11.2 (2021) include several contributions presented at the XVI CercleS Conference held at Masarik University (Brno) in September 2020. The 2022 Issues (12.1, 12.2) include a special section on Language Education for Sustainable Development and other research articles covering topics related to language learning and activities carried out within Language Centres communities. The 2023 Issues (13.1, 13.2) comprise several contributions, arising from the XVII CercleS Conference, hosted by ReCLes.pt, the Association of Language Centres in Higher Education (Portugal), at ISCAP, the Porto Accounting and Business School (September 2022).

CercleS regularly organizes Webinars that offer the opportunity to discuss topics related to articles published in LLHE. The Webinars feature lively interviews with the authors, Detailed information can be found on the CercleS website　http://www.cercles.org.