Irish Version
Maynooth University is delighted to announce that the Centre for Irish Language has been awarded the ALTE Q-Mark in recognition of the excellence of its Irish language exams, Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG). Maynooth is the only university in Ireland to receive this prestigious award from ALTE (The Association of Language Testers in Europe). This is the second time the Q-mark has been awarded to TEG.
To achieve this award, the Centre for Irish Language was required to go through a rigorous audit in which the TEG exams were assessed in the context of ALTE’s 17 standards of quality assurance. The Q-mark shows that the exams meet all of ALTE’s core requirements and certifies TEG as a model for best practice in language testing, the only one of its kind available for the Irish language.
Since 2005, the Centre for Irish Language has offered high-quality Irish-language exams in Ireland and abroad, with over 8,000 candidates to date. TEG offers exams at five levels which are broadly based on the Common European Framework for Languages (Council of Europe, 2001). The system motivates learners to continue their study of the language and enables them to assess their progress at each level. TEG exams assess candidates’ general language proficiency in speaking, writing, listening and reading, and candidates can register for the full exam or for partial certification (oral exam only).
TEG is increasingly recognised by institutes of education and employers as a trusted and accurate measure of Irish language proficiency. Since 2019, the Centre for Irish Language has been collaborating with the Department of Education and Skills and the Irish institutes of education in the recruitment process for the Postgraduate Master of Education (Primary Education). To ensure that prospective students have a satisfactory standard of Irish, all PME applicants must take the TEG B1 oral exam as part of the application process.
Staff at the Centre for Irish Language are very pleased with the result of the ALTE audit, said Aoife Ní Ghloinn, Director of the Centre. “This award gives the TEG exam international recognition and provides assurance to exam candidates, employers and other stakeholders of the quality and reliability of our tests.”
She thanked TEG staff for their hard work and dedication during the audit process and also thanked the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media for their support since the introduction of the TEG exams in 2005.
Further information about TEG: www.teg.ie
Further information about the ALTE Q-mark: http://www.alte.org/setting_standards/the_alte_q_mark
Gradam Idirnáisiúnta do Scrúduithe TEG
Tá lúcháir ar Ollscoil Mhá Nuad a fhógairt go bhfuil Q-mark de chuid ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) bronnta ar Lárionad na Gaeilge mar gheall ar fheabhas a chuid scrúduithe Gaeilge, Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (TEG). Seo an dara huair atá an gradam seo bainte amach ag TEG.
Chun an Q-Mark a bhaint amach, bhí ar an Lárionad dul trí dhianphróiseas iniúchta ina ndearnadh measúnú ar scrúduithe TEG de réir 17 gcinn de chritéir atá leagtha síos ag ALTE le hardchaighdeán scrúduithe a dhearbhú. Léiríonn an Q-mark go gcomhlíonann TEG na critéir sin ar fad agus gur eiseamláir é den dea-chleachtas sa tástáil teanga, an t-aon cheann dá leithéid atá ar fáil don Ghaeilge.
Ó 2005 i leith, tá Lárionad na Gaeilge ag soláthar scrúduithe d’ardchaighdeán d’fhoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge in Éirinn agus thar lear. Go dtí seo tá breis is 8,000 iarrthóir tar éis tabhairt faoi cheann amháin nó eile de na scrúduithe. Tá cúig leibhéal ar fad i gcóras TEG atá bunaithe go ginearálta ar an Fráma Tagartha Comónta Eorpach do Theangacha (Comhairle na hEorpa, 2001). Tugann an córas spreagadh d’fhoghlaimeoirí cloí lena gcuid staidéir agus a ndul chun cinn a mheas de réir mar a théann siad ó leibhéal go leibhéal. Déanann scrúduithe TEG tástáil ar chumas ginearálta Gaeilge sna scileanna éagsúla teanga; is é sin, an chaint, an scríobh, an chluastuiscint agus an léamhthuiscint. Féadann iarrthóirí tabhairt faoi lánchreidiúint (gach ceann de na scileanna teanga) nó páirtchreidiúint (cumas cainte amháin).
Tá méadú suntasach tagtha ar líon na n-institiúidí agus na bhfostóirí a aithníonn cáilíochtaí TEG mar chruthúnas beacht iontaofa ar chumas Gaeilge iarrthóirí. Ó 2019, tá TEG ag comhoibriú leis an Roinn Oideachais agus le hinstitiúidí oideachais lena chinntiú go bhfuil an caighdeán cuí Gaeilge ag iarrthóirí ar an Mháistir Ghairmiúil san Oideachas, agus tugann iarrthóirí faoi scrúdú cainte TEG B1 mar chuid den phróiseas iarratais ar an chlár sin.
Dúirt Aoife Ní Ghloinn, Stiúrthóir Lárionad na Gaeilge, go bhfuil foireann an Lárionaid thar a bheith sásta le toradh an phróisis iniúchta. “Is aitheantas idirnáisiúnta é seo agus barántas breise d’iarrthóirí, d’fhostóirí agus do pháirtithe leasmhara eile maidir le caighdeán agus iontaofacht scrúduithe TEG.” Ghabh sí buíochas le foireann TEG as an dua a chaith siad leis an phróiseas iniúchta agus leis an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán as a dtacaíocht ó bunaíodh TEG in 2005.
Tuilleadh eolais faoi TEG: www.teg.ie
Tuilleadh eolais faoin Q-mark: http://www.alte.org/setting_standards/the_alte_q_mark