Renewal of SLP Certificates BILC Conference Istanbul 26 May 2010

1. 7 Renewal of SLP Certificates BILC Conference Istanbul 26 May 2010

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

3. Now available!

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

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

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

8. Background • Languageteaching 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18. Intranet / Internet Concept Examination Procedures: Database 18

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

20. 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

21. Concept Elements of the Recertification Examination: • MC-Test Listening Comprehension (30 mins.) • MC-Test Reading Comprehension (30 mins.) • MC C-Test (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

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

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

24. Concept Current Status / Plan: • Examination items have been producedMC 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

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