Berlin December Workshop 2005

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Berlin December Workshop 2005

• The implementation of the CEFR
• in the curriculum of German as a foreign language
  
• at the Aarhus School of Business, DK

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Presentation

• Ole Lauridsen,
• Aarhus School of Business
• Aarhus, Denmark
• Professor of German, mag.art. ( Ph.D.)
• Certified Learning Styles Trainer
• Study Director of MILS (Master of ICT in Language
  Teaching and Learning)
• Leader of the Pedagogical Training of the
  Academic Staff

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Why Implement the CEFR?
When and where are we taught German language???

• For years the German department had wanted to
  define clear goals and objectives in the
  curriculum as regards language proficiency.
• The students had difficulties in seeing the
  connections between the two traditional major
  blocks of subjects
• A Language, Culture and Society,
• B LSP for Business Communication, Business.
• Several times the teachers had tried to bridge
  the gap, but never succeeded due to the lack of
  a suitable instrument.

Is business not part of culture and society
and vice versa???
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Why Implement the CEFR?

• Both students and teachers had but a vague idea
  of the examination requirements for the exam
  after the 3rd semester (written and oral
  proficiency).
• All attempts to define the requirements ended up
  in common sense statements
• The students must be able to communicate in an
  adequate manner.
• The students must master the central German
  grammar and possess a sufficient vocabulary.

subjectively interpretable statements
empty statements
non-operational statements
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What Was Needed?

• A new definition/understanding of the elements of
  the curriculum a total reorientation.
• New and precise objectives as to
  requirements.
• The provoking factor
• A ministerial order requiring that all curricula
  describe not only the contents and the goals of
  the various courses, but also the qualifications
  obtained in the teaching modules (the
  qualifications framework).

STUDENTS MUST-statements
YOU CAN DO- statements
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The Answer the CEFR

• The CEFR was chosen due to its precision, its
  clarity, and its flexibility.
• Its basic principles were known from the DiaLang
  test which had been used for three years for
  testing the first-year students at the beginning
  of their first semester.
• Basis
• Prerequisites level B1.
• Goal (after 3 semesters) level B2.
• All courses defined and described in
  can-do-terms according to the level B2
  descriptors that for their part were adapted to
  the business profile of the ASB curricula.

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The Reorientation

• We focused explicitly on the language skills by
  introducing a new subject area Sprachkompetenz.
• 1st semester Language skills are the focus area
• Of course knowledge construction is important,
  too, but not the ultimate core of all courses.
• 2nd semester Language skills and knowledge
  construction have equal importance.
• 3rd semester Knowledge construction is the focus
  area
• Of course language skills are still important,
  but not the ultimate core of all courses.

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The Model Chosen Sprachkompetenz

• Sprachkompetenz is an integrated part of all
  courses.
• General description
• Sprachkompetenz comprises 4 sub-competences
• Listening Comprehension,
• Reading Comprehension,
• Speaking German (monologue or dialogue), and
• Writing German.
•  

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Survey of the Courses
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The Model Chosen Listening Comprehension

• Objectives (After 3 semesters) You can
  understand ( follow and pass on the contents of)
  lectures and presentations on actual political,
  economic and cultural conditions in Germany
  delivered in German.
•  
• Means A monthly event with external
  lecturers/speakers. These events provide input
  for discussions/oral exercises in the classroom.

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The Model Chosen Reading Comprehension

• Objectives (After 3 semesters) You can
  understand ( follow and pass on the contents of)
  modern German literary texts (essays and short
  novels) and longer non-fictional texts from
  magazines, textbooks etc. on actual political,
  economic and cultural conditions in Germany.
• Means A reading course in the form of a double
  lecture at the end of the 1st semester this
  course introduces you to various reading
  strategies to be used when you read
  texts/extracts from 2nd semester onwards.

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The Model Chosen Speaking German

• Objectives (After 3 semesters) You can
• talk about social conditions in Denmark (in
  German),
• cope with everyday life in Germany,
• hold an everyday conversation with German fellow
  students,
• communicate with a German company.
• In other words you can talk about items within
  the field of your previous knowledge.  
• Means Oral exercises as well as constant and
  active participation in the classroom
  discussions. In order to extend and strengthen
  your vocabulary you will work with data bases.

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The Model Chosen Writing German

• Objectives (After 3 semesters) You can write
  reports and all sorts of business correspondence
  in German, and you do not have problems in
• communicating your message to your target group
• finding the adequate words
• constructing your sentences in the right way.
• Means Exercises, written papers), grammar
  (classroom teaching, lectures). ) Process
  writing focusing on the strengths and weaknesses
  of the individual student. - In order to extend
  and strengthen your vocabulary you will work with
  data bases.

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The Model Chosen Grammar and Analysis

• Objectives You master all paradigms and you can
  use the central rules of German grammar dealt
  with in tutorials and lectures.
• Means Lectures on German grammar and exercises
  in the tutorials - both in German. (Textbooks)
  handouts from the lectures and tutorials as well
  as the web-based material and exercises developed
  by faculty in the German department.

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The Model Chosen DiaLang Grammatikwerkstatt

• All first-year students are tested by means of
  DiaLang within the first weeks of the semester.
• Students with a score of A2 or below in one (or
  more) of the skills are offered supplementary
  training in a so called Grammatikwerkstatt
  directed by a tutor.
• At the beginning of the third semester the
  students take another DiaLang test in order for
  them and us to follow their development (or
  non-development) before the final language
  examination.

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The Model Chosen Grammatikwerkstatt

• This compact course is placed in the first weeks
  of the 1st semester
•  
• Objectives You have the basic German grammar
  brushed up Word classes, paradigms, and sentence
  analysis.
• Means Teacher directed classes with lectures and
  exercises. (Textbooks).

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Further Danish Perspectives

• In an evaluation of the Danish university studies
  of English language and literature, performed by
  the National Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA),
  the expert group recommends that all Danish
  universities use the CEFR when describing the
  prerequisites and the objectives of their
  curricula.
• (To be published on December 12th 2005)

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Further Danish Perspectives (2)

• In December 2004, a report on the minimum
  requirements for university graduates who wish to
  apply for a position as upper-secondary school
  (Gymnasium) language teachers, recommended that
  the whole educational system (primary, secondary
  tertiary education) explicitly define language
  competences and learning outcomes in terms of the
  CEFR.

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Further Danish Perspectives (3)

• The reason for defining learning outcomes in
  terms of the CEFR is
• This would clarify the competences and learning
  outcomes at all levels of the educational system
  and, as a consequence, the language proficiency
  that students can be expected to have at the
  beginning of the next level.
• By using an international framework, it is easier
  for Danish students or graduates to document
  their language proficiency abroad.
• It is easier for Danish educational institutions
  to define the minimum level required for incoming
  international students.

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Another important issue

• It is of crucial importance that the people on
  the floor, the teachers, get information on the
  CEFR and learn to use it in their daily
  professional life.
• The combination of one or two fiery souls and a
  (more or less) interested leadership team is not
  enough to fundamentally implement the CEFR.