L’importance des langues dans la formation et la qualification professionnelles en Europe

L’importance des langues dans la formation et la qualification professionnelles en Europe

The importance of language skills in vocational qualifications and training in Europe

27 septembre 2007Cité Internationale Universitaire de

Paris

Partenaires/Partners

2 AFPA Direction de l’Ingénierie Département Tertiaire – septembre 2007

General observations on the importance of language skills in vocational qualifications and training in Europe.

Intervention Quality

Transparency of intervention

Leverage potential of intervention

Status of FL competence in vocational qualifications and training

Overview

3 AFPA Direction de l’Ingénierie Département Tertiaire – septembre 2007

Requirements related to language skills at work are increasingly high.

Demand is running ahead of supply.

Demand and supply of what?

Language competence … and/or Language training?

Language competence in the world of work

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A couple of observations from Switzerland:

Less than 10% of all vocational training programmes have a compulsory foreign language component

Increase in « bilingual » components in training programmes

Increasing problems with L1 competence overshadowing other deficits

FL competence often seen as responsibility of individuals

Increasing attention paid to social competence in vocational training

Language competence in the world of work

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Demand outruns supply: What can be done?

Analyse and measure the difference? Curb demand? Satisfy demand?

Move people? Let market forces play? Teach people? Yes, but how change?

Regulate it? Promote it? Valorise language competence? Pay more? Change Paradigms?

Language competence in the world of work

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Valorisation of foreign language competence at work = Need for far-reaching ambitious projects

TRANSVALP is a good example of such a project Despite selection of target jobs:

Depth of project is impressive Professional work resulting in precise instruments Specifications, reports and tools underscore the

quality of the project

BUT … Attention needed at the interface with other actors in the field: employers, schools, teachers, learners, authorities, etc.

Don‘t let quality lead to overkill … be transparent!

Intervention Quality

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Quality requires transparency Transparency is a key goal and a valid one too Stating the obvious:

Transparency of product leads to a lack of transparency in communication

Our message needs to be designed in order to render it transparent for stakeholders.

We are intervening in (trying to change) an established balance.

How, can we achieve transparency for each of our target audiences? … How can we achieve leverage to bring about change?

Transparency of intervention

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TRANSVALP is a potential lever to promote / valorise FL-competence in vocational qualifications and training

It is an extension / implementation of CEFR BUT, as with the CEFR, the ELP and the „new

generation“ of tests: is it the right lever applied at the right place at the right time by the right people?

How much does it cost? Not only in monetary terms, but also in terms of change, of effort, of status?

Which other complementary measures need to be planned and executed in order to pave the way for TRANSVALP?

Leverage potential of intervention

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Look at FL competence in terms of the position in “marketplace” we are trying achieve?

Who are our target audiences? What else is already established in this marketplace? What exactly do we want to achieve? What channels/vehicles are available to us? Is FL competence seen as just one aspect of other

key competences?

Hypothesis: To achieve the valorisation of FL competence in vocational qualifications and training we need instruments and projects like TRANSVALP. At the same time we need to create a market value for FL competence. Here we need the close cooperation of all other actors in the field.

Status of FL competence

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Thank you for your attention