Sònia Prats, APAC 2013

EL CLUC d’anglès, el nou certificat de les universitats de Catalunya

Universitat de Barcelona - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona - Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Universitat de Lleida - Universitat de Girona - Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Universitat Ramon Llull - Universitat Oberta de Catalunya - Universitat de VicUniversitat Internacional de Catalunya - Universitat Abat Oliba CEU

Why?

Need for our own exam in Catalonia

To serve the specific requirements of the university community

Other interuniversity projects working well: CIFOLC, ComComunicar, ...

To support the good work carried out at our university language centers in terms of assessment

How?

PUC (Prova universitària de competència en anglès)

Interlingua grants, from the Consell Interuniversitari de Catalunya

February 2012, meeting of the university language-centre directors; March 2012, proposal and commission

What’s in it for me?

What?

Levels

Addressed to

Cost

When

Who gets involved in the project

What will be assessed

What can be reused from the old PUC exam

Steps

Specifications for writing & speaking & reading tests

Elaboration of the different parts

Reading & text-mappingWritingSpeaking

Assessment criteria

Writing Reading Speaking: holistic and analytic

Piloting

The sample that participated in the study comprised 433 students of English at B1, B2 and C1 levels

taking courses at five Catalan universities: the UAB, the UdL, the UPC, the UPF and the UVic.

Distribution of participants according to university of study:

Steps

Piloting

Data processing (statistical, feedback questionnaires,...)

Piloting: consequences and improvements made

Cut-off points and selection of texts (oral & reading)

Rewording of instructions

Eliminate certain items (reading and Simtest)

Timing confirmed

Reordering different parts of oral text

Video recordings and writing samples for future reference and use, to establish gold standard

More scripting (and more detailed) needed for examiners and invigilators

Assessors: qualities and experience needed

Training (norming sessions)

Collect all feedback

Documents created and storage

Final results: excel and instructions

Essential

Administrative regulations of the different tests

Administration guide: procedures, issuing of certificates,...

Publicity: transparency of information, quality standards

Certification / ACLES

CLUC and the media

Also important

And what next?

Bibliography

Council of Europe (2011). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment.

Rita Green, Statistical Analysis for Language Testers (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013)

Fulcher, G. and Davidson, F. Language Testing and Assessment (Routledge, 2007)

Bachman, L.F. and Palmer, A.S. Language Testing in Practice: Designing and Developing Useful Language Tests. (Oxford University Press, 1996)

Moltes gràcies!

¡Muchas gracias!

Grazie mille!

Thank you very much!

Merci beaucoup!

sonia.prats@uab.cat

Coordinació CLUC, 2012-2013