Quality Assurance in the Provision of Language Education for Adult Migrants Richard Rossner

1. Quality Assurance in the Provision of Language Education for Adult MigrantsRichard Rossner

2. For the migrant, migration means… • New horizons, new opportunities, a new life • Disruption and upheaval • Making fundamental changes in life-style • Finding a new home, new work, new friends… • Integrating with a different society, a new culture, new surroundings • Communicating in new ways with new people, usually in a second language… = an enormous set of challenges

3. For the host community, migration means… • Cultural enrichment, new skills, new contributors to the economy • Cultural adjustment for the ‘host’ population • Investing in giving access to orientation, to opportunities, to services…and to integration • Dealing well with cultural, linguistic and other differences • Providing help where needed = an enormous set of challenges

4. Widely differing language provision(see summary of responses to questionnaires – appendix 2) • Level and content of courses • Length and intensity of courses • Funding arrangements • Needs analysis and evaluation • Staff training, development and deployment • Management, supervision and quality assurance

5. Sample responses to questionnaire

6. What is ‘accreditation’? • A means of making sure that courses and the institutions that run courses meet certain pre-established criteria • A way of ensuring that basic quality standards are met • Reassurance for clients, students and other stakeholders (e.g. government)

7. Accreditation of language education – what is involved? • Establishing clear, public criteria for evaluating quality, covering all aspects of the course provision: before-during-at the end; • Developing procedures for carrying out criterion-based assessment of course provisione.g. inspection, review of documentation and systems, classroom observation, talking to students and staff… • Identifying and training assessors; • Providing tools to enable centres to prepare and develop - e.g. self-assessment, informal consultancy

8. Providing Language Courses for Adult Migrants- what would need to be assessed prior to accreditation? The same fundamental points as for any language education for adults (plus a few extra points): • The course provider’s knowledge of national and/or regional priorities; • That careful evaluation is made of language and other relevant needs at an individual level; • That realistic and achievable objectives for the language courses are set, and that these meet the needs identified [see next slide]

9. Language learning needs and objectives • Migrants’ collective and individual language learning needs and their general situations in the host country vary widely. These language learning needs must be evaluated and analysed at an individual level, and procedures must be established for doing this effectively, and for taking individual and collective learning needs into account in the planning and delivery of language courses. • Realistic course objectives, or ‘outcomes’, that respond both to the needs of course participants and to national/local priorities must be specified by the course provider - and the language learning goals established for the programme must be achievable.

10. More fundamental criteria • According to migrants’ needs: • Appropriate length and intensity of courses • Suitable composition of courses (language & other, face-to-face & other) • Appropriate teaching methods and collective and individualised learning support • An appropriate timetable and location • An appropriate degree of choice • Clear arrangements and rules for funding • …

11. Curriculum • An appropriate curriculum and valid course outlines and syllabuses must be devised to respond to course participants’ language learning needs in the context of the length and intensity of the course programme. The language curriculum is externally referenced to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and takes into account the intercultural aspects of migration, especially the challenges faced by migrants in adjusting to a new cultural- in many cases, multicultural - environment.

12. More fundamental criteria:resources – human and material • - That procedures are in place for recruiting teachers with the appropriate skills and awareness, and that there is: - good management and co-ordination - good staff orientation, training and continous development • That appropriate teaching equipment and materials are available (books, software, CDs & DVDs, worksheets etc)

13. Another fundamental criterion:appropriate assessment & evaluation • Initial, before the course – for needs, language level, placement • Intermittent during the course – to assess progress, re-evaluate needs, decide on next steps • End-of-course (or end-of-module) – to decide whether objectives have been achieved and enable award of certificate • Throughout - self-assessment by learners using (for example) a European Language Portfolio

14. “Poor quality provision of adult learning leads to poor quality learning outcomes. ... The following deserve special attention: Teaching methods; quality of staff ; quality of providers; quality of delivery. Message 2: In order to foster a culture of quality in adult learning, Member States should invest in improving teaching methods and materials adapted to adult learners, and put in place initial and continuing professional development measures to qualify and up-skill people working in adult learning. They should introduce quality assurance mechanisms, and improve delivery.” COMMUNICATION FROM THE EU COMMISSION (2006) Adult learning: It is never too late to learn,pages 6-7 Quality in adult learning: the EU view

15. The main purpose of accreditation -quality assurance to verify: • That the ‘promises’ made by the provider to course participants (and others) are transparent and are kept, and that high standards are maintained. • That the courses provided are principled and effective. • That there are also effective internal quality assurance and review procedures, involving assessment of actual teaching and learning, as well as verification of systems. • That the findings and recommendations from quality audits are analysed and acted upon.

16. Towards accreditation – the basic instruments needed • Specific and relevant accreditation criteria • Maybe charters and/or a code of practice  • Reference to international standards and principles  • Quality assessment or accreditation checklists • A self-assessment scheme • Self-help training guides for managers and staff • A corps of trained assessors/inspectors

17. From the EAQUALS Charter for Course Participants: During the course: • Standards: high teaching and educational standards lead to successful and relevant learning; • Teaching/Training Staff: qualified and competent teachers or trainers who are experienced in LTAM work under the supervision of an appropriately qualified academic manager; • Premises and Facilities: premises and facilities are suitable for language learning; • Curriculum and course planning: the curriculum and syllabuses take account of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages; the course of study is structured, is divided into levels of proficiency, and is appropriate to the needs of the course participants; • Resources: Resources and materials are appropriate to the needs of course participants and to the syllabus and course objectives; • Teaching: Teaching/training methods and techniques are appropriate and effective for the course participants attending the courses; • Assessment: evaluation of and feedback on course participants’ progress is regular and appropriate.

18. The Common European Framework of Reference… • “Is a document which describes in a comprehensive manner: - the competences necessary for communication- the related knowledge and skills- the situations and domains of communication • “Facilitates a clear definition of teaching and learning objectives and methods. It provides the necessary tools for assessment of proficiency. • “Is of particular interest to course designers, textbook writers, testers, teachers and teacher trainers - in fact to all who are directly involved in language teaching and testing. • “Has become a key reference document and valuable tool for educational and professional mobility.” [Council of Europe website]

19. Would it be desirable to develop an accreditation scheme for language courses provided for adult migrants? If so: Should such a scheme be international? What would the key assessment criteria be? What preparatory work and consultation would be necessary? How would such a scheme be developed, and by whom? www.eaquals.org The European Association for Quality Language Services Questions