Look out Cambridge Exams, here comes the National Certification of Language Skills. The Greek Ministry of Education has just introduced its own foreign language tests. The first 2003 oral and written tests will be in Upper-Intermediate French and Italian (April 13-14), followed by English and German (November 22-23). The certificates aim to assist in public and private sector employment, where knowledge of foreign languages is often a prerequisite.
At 30 euros per test, the new exams - open to people of all ages from Greece, the EU and elsewhere - are much cheaper than hitherto established foreign language competence competitions. University of Cambridge tests, for instance, administered through the British Council , can run up to 112 euros. The French Institute offers tests between 57 euros (French Education Ministry DELF exams) and 145 euros ( Sorbonne University high-level tests). At the Goethe Institute, fees for German language tests run from 90 to 205 euros.
Practical knowledge, EU standards
However, the price is not the only difference, underlines French Literature professor Vasso Tokatlidou, one of the academics on the state Central Exam Committee designing the tests. She notes that existing language tests (e.g. Cambridge) tend to be academic. By contrast, the Greek national exams will emphasize 'practical' language, particularly as demanded in the workplace. Even test examples will draw from the world of employment, rather than literature.
Tokatlidou also notes that tests aim to boost Greek economic development, by brushing up and certifying skills, which may then be transferable to other countries. To this end, the Committee is wrapping up a study of the Greek economy's need for various languages. It is also considering why people who hold the required language certificates sometimes are unable to use the language satisfactorily in the workplace. "We were studying how it is possible for someone to know the language so well, still be unable to write to a client who's filed a complaint," elaborates Tokatlidou. The committee aims to avoid such pitfalls.
The ministry asserts that the new certification will be on par with existing language exams, as tests operate according to the Council of Europe's Common Framework of Reference for Languages. In both cases, test levels are: A1 (Breakthrough), A2 (Way-stage), B1 (Threshold), B2 (Vantage), C1 (Effective Operational Proficiency), C2 (Mastery). Tokatlidou says these levels are more or less equivalent to those of well-established language proficiency tests, as they also follow the European Association of Language Testers standards. Specifically for the running year, exams will be given at the B1 level. The Ministry of Education estimates that within two years, all levels of German, French, Italian and English will be tested. Moreover, there will eventually be specialized language exams for certain professions, as well as additional tests for more EU , regional and other languages to be held twice a year.
Foreign recognition for the new-born language certification is in part guaranteed through the ministry's participation in the International Certification Conference (ICC) , held in Greece in March. The inception of the national test actually puts Greece in a growing EU state trend, whereby countries, including France and the Netherlands, are increasingly offering their own language exams.
Nonetheless, these tests won't replace internationally recognised exams, like Cambridge's, noted Education Minister Petros Efthimiou recently; they will rather "give them competition and satisfy local public sector (ASEP) needs".
Test details
Some 2,000 people have applied for the April tests, to be distributed among six to eight nationwide testing sites. Exams will test oral comprehension and conversation, as well as reading comprehension and composition. There will be eleven different types of questioning - from multiple choice and yes/no questions, to filling in the blanks, writing extensive replies and shaping spontaneous conversation. As to details on the upcoming English and German tests, these will be announced in May through the education ministry's site .
