June and July talks

The University of Melbourne, Parkville campus

Monday, 25 June 2018, 11.00am - 12.00pm

Teaching and assessing writing in Norway

Venue: Room 407, Level 4, Babel (Building 139), the University of Melbourne, Parkville campus.
Speakers: Gustaf B. Skar and Arne Johannes Aasen (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Further information and abstract

Monday, 9 July 2018, 4.15pm - 5.15pm

Rethinking language policy

Venue: Room 407, Level 4, Babel (Building 139), the University of Melbourne, Parkville campus.
Speaker: Bernard Spolsky (Bar-Ilan University)

Further information and abstract

Thursday, 12 July 2018, 2.00pm - 3.00pm

Is my B2 your B2? What contribution can the CEFR realistically make to test equivalence?

Venue: Room 407, Level 4, Babel (Building 139), the University of Melbourne, Parkville campus.
Speaker: Claudia Harsch (University of Breme)

Abstract

Most of the internationally operating language tests have been aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a proficiency framework that is supposed to facilitate comparisons of exam results, amongst other purposes. In my talk, I will examine what assumptions and steps are entailed in aligning exams to the CEFR, and I will investigate what it means to be at a certain proficiency level. I will use research projects and studies to illustrate my points. Finally, I will try and address the questions why exams that are linked to the CEFR do not necessarily test the same and why - besides CEFR alignment - we need sound empirical research studies that compare different internationally operating exams, so that we can actually compare exam outcomes across different exams.