Aligning Language Assessment in Higher Education with the Common European Framework (CEFR): A Quality Assurance Approach

Aligning Language Assessment in Higher Education with the Common European Framework (CEFR): A Quality Assurance Approach was the subject of a seminar on Friday 9 June in Maynooth University, jointly organised by Siobhán Donovan (German Studies, SLCL) and Aoife Ní  Ghloinn (Centre for Irish-Language Research, Teaching and Testing, Maynooth University) and 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 seminar brought together almost 100 participants representing 10+ languages (including International Sign Language) from 26 third-level and state/cultural institutions. The keynote speakers were Drs Enrica Piccardo (University of Toronto, Canada) and Brian North (Eurocentres Foundation, Switzerland), leading world experts on the CEFR and on language teaching and assessment. The programme included presentations on promising practices of CEFR-based assessment in Irish HEIs, and a hands-on workshop using the online Qualimatrix tool being developed as part of a project at the European Centre for Modern Languages in Graz, Austria.

The seminar built on previous National Forum seminars and followed on from the publication in December 2017 of the Department of Education’s 10-year (opens in a new window)National Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education, Languages Connect, which calls for the alignment of all language examinations, at all levels of the education and training system, with the CEFR.

The numbers in attendance and feedback on the day testified to the need for further workshops and it is hoped that this will be the first of many on this hot topic!