Tháinig os cionn 100 ionadaí ó ranna teanga in 26 cinn d’institiúidí tríú leibhéal, cultúrtha agus stáit le chéile in Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ar an 8 Meitheamh, le plé a dhéanamh ar an dearbhú cáilíochta sa mheasúnú teanga ag an tríú leibhéal agus ar na measúnuithe sin a cheangal leis an bhFráma Tagartha Comónta Eorpach do Theangacha (FTCE). Ba í Aoife Ní Ghloinn (Scoil an Léinn Cheiltigh, Ollscoil Mhá Nuad) agus Siobhán Donovan (Roinn na Gearmáinise, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) a d’eagraigh an seimineár, le tacaíocht ón bhFóram Náisiúnta um Fheabhsú Teagaisc agus Foghlama san Ard-Oideachas agus ó Lárionad na Gaeilge: Taighde, Teagasc agus Tástáil, Ollscoil Mhá Nuad.
Cuireadh tús leis an seimineár le haoichainteanna ó bheirt de phríomhshaineolaithe an domhain ar an measúnú teanga agus comhúdair an CEFR Companion Volume (2018), an Dr Brian North (Fondúireacht Eurocentres, An Eilvéis) agus an Dr Enrica Piccardo (Ollscoil Toronto, Ceanada). Tugadh cuir i láthair ina dhiaidh sin ar an obair cheannródaíoch atá ar siúl i dtrí institiúid éagsúla sa tír seo, Ollscoil Mhá Nuad ina measc, maidir leis an measúnú teanga agus úsáid an FTCE. Rinneadh plé, chomh maith, ar staid reatha an mheasúnaithe teanga ag an tríú leibhéal, ar na dúshláin a bhaineann le cur i bhfeidhm an FTCE, agus ar na féidearthachtaí atá ann a bheith ag obair as lámha a chéile, leis na dúshláin sin a shárú.
Ceist an-tráthúil a bhí in ábhar an tseimineáir, go háirithe i bhfianaise straitéise náisiúnta 10 mbliana ar theangacha sa chóras oideachais, Languages Connect, a d’fhoilsigh an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna i mí na Nollag, 2017, straitéis a bhfuil sé mar sprioc aici gach scrúdú agus cáilíocht teanga, ag gach leibhéal den chóras oideachais agus oiliúna, a cheangal leis an FTCE. Léirigh an t-éileamh mór a bhí ar an seimineár agus an plé a rinneadh ar an lá go bhfuil géarghá le tuilleadh oiliúna agus comhoibrithe ar an ábhar seo, ach tús maith leis an obair a bhí sa seimineár seo!
National Seminar on Language Assessment in Higher Education
Over 100 delegates from language departments in 26 higher education and state/ cultural institutions gathered in Maynooth University on Friday, 8 June to discuss the Alignment of Language Assessment in Higher Education with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): A Quality Assurance Approach. The seminar was jointly organised by Aoife Ní Ghloinn (School of Celtic Studies, Maynooth University), and Siobhán Donovan (German Studies, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, UCD) and was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, and the Centre for Irish Language Research, Teaching and Testing at Maynooth University.
The keynote speakers were Dr Brian North (Eurocentres Foundation, Switzerland) and Dr Enrica Piccardo (University of Toronto, Canada), leading world experts on the CEFR and on language teaching and assessment, and co-authors of the recently published CEFR Companion Volume. The programme included presentations on existing promising practices of CEFR-based assessment in Irish HEIs, as well as a hands-on workshop and discussion on current language assessment practices in Irish HEIs, the challenges faced in aligning assessments with the CEFR and the potential opportunities for further collaboration in order to overcome these challenges.
The seminar was particularly timely, following the publication of a new 10-year National Strategy for Language Education by the Department of Education and Skills in December 2017, which calls for the alignment of all language examinations and qualifications, at all levels of the education and training system, with the CEFR.
The large number in attendance at the seminar and the lively discussion on the day testified to the need for further workshops and collaboration in this area and it is hoped that this will be the first of many on this hot topic!