Evaluation des compétences en intercompréhension: réception et interactions plurilingues Erasmus Project

Project Title

Evaluation des compétences en intercompréhension: réception et interactions plurilingues

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Recognition, transparency, certification; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Recognition (non-formal and informal learning/credits)

Project Summary

The development of multilingualism is one of the priorities repeatedly reaffirmed by the European Union. In connection with this language policy, many works and achievements have emerged around the notion of plurilingual and intercultural competence. The development of this competence is one of the first objectives of the Common European Framework for Languages, which is currently the basis for the teaching and learning of languages in Europe. Yet this specific dimension of the Framework is still often ignored in language policies and practices, as recalled by the recent Guide for the development and implementation of curricula for plurilingual and intercultural education.
Intercomprehension is one of the pluralistic approaches to the development of plurilingual and intercultural competence. Researchers and practitioners have explored its didactic applications since the 1990s, but the approach is still scarcely known and used. This is due to the tradition of a compartmentalized language teaching, but also largely to the absence, firstly, of specific descriptors corresponding to levels typically used to describe the language skills and, secondly, of tools internationally validated to assess and certify these levels.
The project “Évaluation des compétences en intercompréhension: réception et interactions plurilingues” (EVAL-IC) has developed these descriptors (specifying them into fine descriptors) as well as a protocol, and assessment and certification tools, for intercomprehension skills in Romance languages. It has also established an overview on the state of the art of research on intercomprehension skills, which has served as a basis for the project’s work and can be used by the scientific community.
EVAL-IC products are placed in the continuity and complementarity of previous projects and founding texts. The Framework for pluralistic approaches and the companion volume to the CEFR proposed some descriptors that apply to intercomprehension. Three main skill levels were described by the Miriadi project. The logical next step was to specify these descriptors, as it is already the case for all the language skills. On this basis, EVAL-IC has developed evaluation tools for a common inter-university certificate in intercomprehension skills.
Setting these goals leads to developing two innovative intellectual products:
a) a first skillset scale for intercomprehension consistent with the other already existing scales,
b) a holistic assessment tool and an inter-university certificate of plurilingual communication competence in Romance languages, which will complement the existing monolingual certifications.
EVAL-IC has addressed receptive intercomprehension (reading oral and written texts, in a group of genetically related languages, by using already existing knowledge of one of the languages of that “family”) and interactive intercomprehension (plurilingual interactions, in which each person uses a different language understood by their communication partners). Furthermore, EVAL-IC has paid special attention to the assessment of interproduction (the use of a language to address an audience who did not necessarily learn it, but may be able to understand it by using their knowledge of another language of the same group). EVAL-IC considers intercomprehension as a global communicative modus that includes reception and interaction as well as production.
Since its products aim at international recognition, the project had to be based on a strong and recognized transnational partnership that has brought together scholars from 14 institutions. The project has also involved the contribution of 37 associated partners who have provided an outside view of its productions and contributed to their validation. The goal was that intellectual outputs may become the product of a real co-construction within the project and beyond.
By proposing a common inter-university certificate, the project intends to contribute to the development and recognition of plurilingual and intercultural skills acquired in formal, informal or non-formal ways. In this, it contributes to the mobility and employability of students and to the development of didactic approaches to plurilingualism. More generally, it is part of the initiatives favouring the promotion of linguistic and cultural diversity and plurilingualism of European Union citizens.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 362642 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITE DE LA REUNION & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Hogere Zeevaartschool Antwerpen
• UNIVERSITA CA’ FOSCARI VENEZIA
• UNIVERSITE D’AIX MARSEILLE
• UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA
• PARIS-LODRON-UNIVERSITAT SALZBURG
• UNIVERSITATEA ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA DIN IASI
• UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO