Instituto Cervantes
Aula Cervantes CalgaryCalgary, May 17th
2011 Instituto Cervantes
7th ISA Principals Seminar
Implementing the DELE exams in an ISA school
Instituto CervantesInstituto Cervantes in the
USA and Canada
Spanish language and cultural
centres
Spanish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
3 centres
3 offices
Over 50 employees
Resources and support
Hispanists
Teachers
Students
Local institutions
Instituto Cervantes
Introduction
A question that worries every single language learner is…
…the proficiency level they have reached after a certain period of
language learning.
Answering this question is not easy because of the difficulty to
measure
objectively the communicative ability of each L2 speaker.
I don’t feel that I can
speak Spanish…
I wonder how much
Spanish my son knows?
What course should I take at the
University after High School?
Instituto Cervantes
Description of the DELE
□
OFFICIAL DIPLOMAS
□
ACCREDITS LEVEL OF COMPETENCE AND MASTERY
□
INDEFINITE VALIDITY
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What is a language test?
Testing is a universal feature of social life:
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What is a language test?
Gateway at important transitional moments:
Device for institutional control of individuals
Education
Employment
Travelling
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Type of language tests
METHOD
PURPOSE
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Type of language tests
Method–
Assessment of
separate components of language
knowledge–
Receptive or
productive understanding
–
Response format: open, fixed or
multiple…–
Rating procedure
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Type of language tests
Purpose
–
Achievement tests
–
Proficiency tests
PAST
FUTURE
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Achievement tests
Process of instruction
End of course tests
Procedures for recording progress
Reflect progressive aspects of the
curriculum
Measure what language the
students have learned as a result of
teaching
They are useful for evaluating how
much the syllabus has been learned
but not for predicting learners’
future performance.
PAST
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Proficiency tests
Without necessarily any reference
to the previous process of teaching
Future real life language use
Including performance features and
communicative abilities
Recognition and certification based
on levels of competence
Important social function
Lifelong
Authenticity and validity
International credentials
FUTURE
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International proficiency exams: Context
Breaking down of international barriers Globalization Increasing opportunities to move from one region to
another, from one country to another
Need for transferability of qualifications–
Language qualifications
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C AMM BO SE
Education Ministries
TeachersPublishers
Textbooks and materials Curricula
Education Consultants
Students
Examinors
Learn withautonomy
Teaching tool
ExamsPrograms Development
transparency
Assessment bodies
Certification systems
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
coherence
ON
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Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
‐
Precise; fluent, sophisticated use in advance‐level and
academic situations
C2
‐
Independent, fluent, spontaneous; extensive
vocabulary; clear, well‐structured discourse without
hesitation
C1Proficient User
‐
Construct arguments and defend a position; explain
viewpoint and negotiate; self‐correcting; fluency &
spontaneity
B2
‐
Can maintain interaction ; discussion and opinions;
can deal with spontaneous situations that arise
B1Independent
User
‐
Communicates in simple and routine tasks; uses most
common polite phrases and information exchanges
A2
‐
Discovery stage; simple interaction about self and
immediate environment
A1BasicUser
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ACTFL – CEFR Levels Comparison
ACTFL LEVELS CEFR and DELE Levels
Novice LowA1Novice Mid
Novice High A1/A2
Intermediate Low A2
Intermediate Mid B1
Intermediate High B1/B2
Advanced Low B2
Advanced Mid C1
Advanced High C1/C2
Superior C2
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How did the CEFR affect Instituto Cervantes and the DELE exam?
20062006
DELE
InicialDELE IntermedioDELE Superior
6 levels of CFER
The Instituto Cervante’s Curriculum adopted the CEFR recommendations
20102010
19881988
20012001
6 levelsDELE
6 levelsDELE
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Association of Language Testers of Europe (www.alte.org)
To establish common levels of proficiency in order to promote
the transnational recognition of certification in Europe and in the
World
To establish common standards for all stages of the language‐
testing process
High quality processes and standars: –
Selection of materials–
Test item writing–
Trialling–
Marking–
Training–
Results–
Security
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SICELELatin American Dimension of the DELE
16 Spanish Speaking Countries
More than 130 universities
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What does this global project means for the ISAs?
Considering we have no common tool in North America to measure
language proficiency, this internationally recognized proficiency exams
provide:
opportunity
service
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Opportunity and service
Measure and certify students skills on a global scale
lifelong language diploma
valid internationally
Study at a university in another language
Enhance academic and professional career
Work in other countries
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NOVEMBER
MAY
Exam dates
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► Issued by
Instituto Cervantes,
on behalf of the
Ministry of
Education, in
collaboration with
the Royal Spanish
► An exclusively
designed,
inimitable diploma,
unlike any other
The Diplomas
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Become a DELE Examination Center
Simple procedure Training session Benefits Certification Service Prestige Quality Promotion Sustainable Successful examples
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Spanish Language Programs alignments
Grades K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12BilingualProgram
9 YearProgram
3 YearProgram
A1 A2 B1 B2
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Grades K –
12General OutcomesSpecific Outcomes
A1A2B1B2C1C2
-12 language inventories-Language samples
Provincial assessment tasks
Alberta students production
DELE examsValidation
Curricula Correlation Process
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Spanish Bilingual Program DELE implementation
Grades K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DELE Testing
A1 DELE based Performance AssesmentTasks
A1 DELE based Performance AssesmentTasks
A2 DELE Pilot
A2 DELE Exams
A2 DELE Pilot
A2 DELE Exams
B1 DELE PilotB1 DELE ExamsB1 DELE PilotB1 DELE Exams
DELE Candidates in Alberta:
2008: 842009: 1602010: 209
DELE Candidates in Alberta:
2008: 842009: 1602010: 209
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A1 DELE Performance Assesment Tasks
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59% 71%
Graphic 1
A1 Level
acquired
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73% 81%
Graphic 2
A1 Level
acquired
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A2 DELE Exam Pilot
20 ISA students from Grade 7 & 8
November 2009
100% success
Very valuable input for the Cervantes Institute
Written Comments by the Students about the Experience•
“I learned a lot through the exam”•
“It was really interesting and it was a good opportunity to see the level of my
Spanish”
•
“I had never written an exam with written, oral and listening sections; only
exams in which questions were to be answer in written. The questions were
accordingly to the level, I must say that I did find them easy. Overall I enjoyed
the exam and the pictures used.”
•
“The exam was good and more interesting than others that I have done”•
“Thank you very much for the opportunity! I would like to do more
of the
things on the exam in class”
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A2 DELE Oral Interviews
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Grade 9 Proficiency Level Survey
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¡Muchas gracias!
http://www.cervantes.es/dele
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