European language qualifications: Information on standards of proficiency

Abstract

In order to facilitate the free movement of workers in the European Union, much attention has been paid to the comparison and recognition of vocational qualifications, while similar work on language qualifications has been neglected for a long time. There is a bewildering variety of qualifications to plough through and, in order to achieve transparency, certificates must prove to relate to standards of performance in real-life settings. Several attempts to develop such standards finally culminated in the setting up of a framework by LangCred (Language Credits and Credibility), a consortium in which representatives of all member states collaborate. The five LangCred levels relate to levels of vocational qualifications. LangCred members have until now successfully completed research on the first three levels of their scheme. The certificates/examinations assigned to those levels cover not only vocational language in a number of pre-chosen areas, but also general language. They have all been described according to a standard format and are stored in a database system. The system also contains information on support materials suitable for use on vocationally oriented language courses. A validation study of the LangCred scheme encompassing quality assurance of the certificates/examinations is currently under way.