L’importance des langues dans la formation et la qualification professionnelles en Europe

1. The importance of language skills in vocational qualifications and training in Europe L’importance des langues dans la formation et la qualification professionnelles en Europe 27 septembre 2007 Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris Partenaires/Partners

2. Overview • General observations on the importance of language skills in vocational qualifications and training in Europe. • Intervention Quality • Transparency of intervention • Leverage potential of intervention • Status of FL competence in vocational qualifications and training

3. Language competence in the world of work • Requirements related to language skills at work are increasingly high. • Demand is running ahead of supply. • Demand and supply of what? • Language competence … and/or • Language training?

4. Language competence in the world of work • A couple of observations from Switzerland: • Less than 10% of all vocational training programmes have a compulsory foreign language component • Increase in « bilingual » components in training programmes • Increasing problems with L1 competence overshadowing other deficits • FL competence often seen as responsibility of individuals • Increasing attention paid to social competence in vocational training

5. Language competence in the world of work • Demand outruns supply: What can be done? • Analyse and measure the difference? • Curb demand? • Satisfy demand? • Move people? • Let market forces play? • Teach people? Yes, but how change? • Regulate it? • Promote it? • Valorise language competence? Pay more? • Change Paradigms?

6. Intervention Quality • Valorisation of foreign language competence at work = Need for far-reaching ambitious projects • TRANSVALP is a good example of such a project • Despite selection of target jobs: • Depth of project is impressive • Professional work resulting in precise instruments • Specifications, reports and tools underscore the quality of the project • BUT … Attention needed at the interface with other actors in the field: employers, schools, teachers, learners, authorities, etc. • Don‘t let quality lead to overkill … be transparent!

7. Transparency of intervention • Quality requires transparency • Transparency is a key goal and a valid one too • Stating the obvious: Transparency of product leads to a lack of transparency in communication • Our message needs to be designed in order to render it transparent for stakeholders. • We are intervening in (trying to change) an established balance. • How, can we achieve transparency for each of our target audiences? … How can we achieve leverage to bring about change?

8. Leverage potential of intervention • TRANSVALP is a potential lever to promote / valorise FL-competence in vocational qualifications and training • It is an extension / implementation of CEFR • BUT, as with the CEFR, the ELP and the „new generation“ of tests: is it the right lever applied at the right place at the right time by the right people? • How much does it cost? Not only in monetary terms, but also in terms of change, of effort, of status? • Which other complementary measures need to be planned and executed in order to pave the way for TRANSVALP?

9. Status of FL competence • Look at FL competence in terms of the position in “marketplace” we are trying achieve? • Who are our target audiences? • What else is already established in this marketplace? • What exactly do we want to achieve? • What channels/vehicles are available to us? • Is FL competence seen as just one aspect of other key competences? • Hypothesis: To achieve the valorisation of FL competence in vocational qualifications and training we need instruments and projects like TRANSVALP. At the same time we need to create a market value for FL competence. Here we need the close cooperation of all other actors in the field.

10. Thank you for your attention