The purpose of this paper is to investigate what pupils who study Spanish as a foreignlanguage in the senior level of the nine year compulsory school, think about how theylearn to talk Spanish. What is their opinion about what it takes to be able to speak andcommunicate in Spanish? And what type of exercises do they prefer? This paper alsoaims at investigating if the pupils understand the importance of reading, writing andlistening to as much Spanish as possible if they want to be good at talking Spanish. Inour investigation are we using the Common European Framework of Reference forlanguages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) and other theories that supporttheir conclusions. A quantitative method is applied, a questionnaire is given to 108students in the seventh, eighth and ninth grade in a school in the southern part ofSweden.The results of the questionnaire have shown that when it comes to learn to talkSpanish the pupils believe most in practicing talking in Spanish. 72% of the pupils haveanswered that they agree completely with this assertion. They also understand theimportance of the teacher speaking Spanish during class, 58% completely agree that thisis important. Talking Spanish is classed as output, and listening to the teacher talkingSpanish goes under the term input. The type of activity that they prefer when they talkSpanish is to talk in small groups with friends/classmates, 38% of the pupils think thatthis is the best method. The activity that they prefer the least is to make presentations infront of the class (11%). We have also calculated by using Fisher´s exact test if there isa connection between how they have answered the questions and their age and gender.In only one case was there a connection with statistical certainty. The test showed thatwhen it comes to speaking when everyone is listening, the girls are those whoexperience it hardest to do.

This study looks at the application of the anchoring vignettes method in evaluating university students' level of English language. The theoretical part of the study describes the possibilities of language level measurement, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and outlines the anchoring vignette method. Works of other authors using this method in different fields (including pedagogy) are also mentioned. One chapter is dedicated to self- assessment and its synonyms - how they are used in practice and research. The practical part presents the results of the author's original survey. Questionnaires were administered on pedagogical and business students in the comparison of self-assessment and objective knowledge survey. This work has illustrated the diversity of usage of the self-assessment scales, undervaluation of the students and the difference between the self-evaluation before and after the correction by the anchoring vignettes. In addition, the findings of this study show that the order of the self-assessment scale and the anchoring vignettes in the questionnaire matters and that placing the vignettes after the self-assessment is preferable.

The purpose of this study is to determine the scientific and technological, economic, social and organizational impacts of the European Framework Programmes (FPs) on Turkish universities by focusing on the projects in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Energy, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and Biotechnology (KBBE) themes in order to understand, monitor and evaluate outcomes and impacts of FPs as well as to help decision makers and policy makers to develop strategies for maximizing benefits of participation. Data/document review and survey methods were used as evaluation methods. T&Uuml / BITAK and EC&rsquo / s data and document were reviewed. An online survey was sent to the academicians who have Seventh Framework Projects (FP7) projects in these themes in Turkey. Data that were gathered by survey were analyzed by using Mann-Whitney U Test Method. We concluded that the impacts of these four categories of FP7 projects were high on the universities. Value additions of scientific and technological impacts are relatively high compared to other impacts. Universities whose roles were coordinator or WP leader have higher impacts in all factors. Turkey&#039 / s participation and success in the FP7 are growing thanks to T&Uuml / BITAK&rsquo / s effort, but further efforts are needed for meeting competitive participation within a defined strategy. Bearing in mind the results of the impact analyses, the study supports Turkey&rsquo / s continuity to forthcoming FPs but there is need for developing national strategies to maximize benefits of participation and to integrate the outcomes with the national innovation strategy.

In this paper we estimate space-time impacts of the embeddedness in R&D networks on regional knowledge production by means of a dynamic spatial panel data model with non-linear effects for a set of 229 European NUTS-2 regions in the period 1999-2009. Embeddedness refers to the positioning in networks where nodes represent regions that are linked by joint R&D endeavours in European Framework Programmes. We observe positive immediate impacts on regional knowledge production arising from increased embeddedness in EU funded R&D networks, in particular for regions with lower own knowledge endowments. However, long-term impacts of R&D network embeddedness are comparatively small.(authors' abstract) / Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Series

No description available.

The geographical locations of foreign language French learners are as diverse as their needs. Consequently, teaching material in any French foreign language classroom should be revised on a regular basis. In 2012, a newly developed Creative Expression programme, which consists of a combination of African francophone music and creative writing activities, was presented to the second-year students at the French Department of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. The objective was to explore the potential of combining the use of music and creative writing in the hope that the new programme would enrich the current second-year course. Factors that contributed to the development and organisation of the programme included: the progression in the international context with regard to the French language, accentuating the importance of francophone Africa with regard to the expansion and preservation of French; the widely recognised teaching approach in foreign language French teaching (FLE), being the Approche actionnelle; reevaluating the use of song and creative writing activities in the FLE classroom and lastly, the departmental needs at the University of Pretoria. In this study, the researcher explains in detail how the Creative Expression programme was designed and also how a group of research participants experienced the classes. The following data sources and artefacts were collected: student interviews, journals and creative pieces of writing, the lecturer’s teaching diary and the teaching material of the programme. Qualitative methodologies were followed to analyse the artefacts and uncover themes that represent students’ experience of the programme. Student suggestions with regard to the programme were also incorporated in the analysis. The findings of this study demonstrate that students experienced the Creative Expression programme as contributing to the following: social interaction; the imaginative use of the French language; the development of four principal language skills (speaking, reading, listening, writing); a heightened francophone cultural awareness and a better understanding of the content of their Grammar and Cultural Texts classes. The music also lowered the students’ anxiety levels, which made them more receptive to engage in the creative writing activities. This, in turn, developed their creative expressive capacities. It is concluded that it is in fact the combination of music and creative writing in FLE that brings forth and bridges the following two notions: “Creating a non-threatening environment” and “Learning to express affect”, which are two very topical areas in FLE pedagogy. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / tm2015 / Modern European Languages / MA / Unrestricted

En esta tesis se analizan aspectos relacionados con exámenes de segundas lenguas de alto impacto (high-stakes). A diferencia de estudios anteriores, se trata de un trabajo de investigación comparativo que toma como referencia los contrastes y las similitudes que existen entre la PAU española y el sistema inglés de exámenes A-levels en relación a distintos aspectos. Por un lado, se presenta el tema desde una perspectiva histórica de la evolución de los exámenes de acceso a la universidad en cada país. Por otro, se hace un análisis en profundidad de aspectos clave de la evaluación como la validez del constructo, las características de las actividades o ítems y la fiabilidad. El contraste entre dos realidades evaluadoras diferentes nos permite ilustrar los desaciertos del sistema español mediante una evaluación de los éxitos relativos al procedimiento de evaluación pre-universitario inglés. Además, al comparar la naturaleza de la prueba en España con un equivalente europeo, se pretende comprender la manera en la que la PAU puede ser mejorada en el futuro. Finalmente, en esta tesis presentamos una propuesta de cambios fundamentales y viables para la prueba de inglés en la PAU actual. / López Navas, MD. (2012). COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TWO FOREIGN LANGUAGE EXAMINATIONS FOR UNIVERSITY ENTRY IN ENGLAND AND SPAIN [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/18055 / Palancia

Ce travail a pour objet, dans un premier temps, de mettre en relation l’évolution de l’enseignement-apprentissage des langues à un jeune âge en Angleterre et en France depuis les années soixante jusqu’à aujourd’hui. Cette mise en relation s’inscrit elle-même dans la perspective ouverte par les travaux des instances européennes (en particulier le Conseil de l’Europe) dans le domaine des langues sur la même période. L’impact de la publication du Cadre Européen Commun de Référence pour les Langues sur les systèmes nationaux de part et d’autre de la Manche est ensuite examiné et situé sur les plans politique, idéologique et didactique, nous permettant de dégager un certain nombre de décalages dans les modes d’appropriation des recommandations européennes d’une part, et, d’autre part, dans la conception des ressources pédagogiques, notamment en ce qui concerne l’évaluation. Dans un troisième temps, une étude empirique conduite à l’aide d’entretiens et de questionnaires auprès des acteurs de terrain (étudiants, enseignants débutants, enseignants confirmés) nous permet de proposer des pistes d’interprétation sur le sens à donner aux orientations nationales anglaise et française dans le cadre d’une didactique du plurilinguisme. / This research aims to draw a link between the evolution of early language teaching and learning in England and in France from the sixties up to the present time. This evolution is examined in the light of the work done by European organisations (the Council of Europe in particular) in the field of languages. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is scrutinised with regard to its impact on both the English and French systems of Education, allowing us to identify a few differences in the way the two countries interpret European recommendations and incorporate them into classroom resources, especially concerning assessment and self-assessment. In the third part, an empirical study based on interviews and questionnaires and conducted with student teachers and teacher trainers allows us to suggest a few keys to understanding the meaning of national orientations both in England and in France in the wider perspective of a didactics of plurilingualism.

Authentic documents have been an integral part of foreign language teaching since the 1970s. The aim of this master's thesis is to present the theoretical background of the didactic use of authentic documents in the teaching of French. This is comprised of the classification of documents, criteria for their selection, as well as their benefits toward developping communicative and general competencies. This paper includes an analysis of selected French textbooks and suggestions of authentic documents to be used in the teaching of French as well as documents on the Internet.

L’apprentissage des Langues Étrangères a pris une place indispensable dans l’éducation. Avec la mondialisation, différents pays, notamment en Europe et en Amérique, sont contraints de mettre en place des programmes éducatifs pour le développement des compétences communicatives des citoyens dans le but de s’insérer dans l’économie globale. En Colombie, le contexte auquel s’intéresse notre étude, le gouvernement cherche à renforcer l’apprentissage de l’anglais LE. Dans ce but, le Plan National de Bilinguisme (PNB) a été instauré et a entraîné la conception d’objectifs qui ne peuvent être atteints qu’avec de profonds changements dans la pratique professionnelle des enseignants, des acteurs éducatifs et dans l’organisation des établissements scolaires. La présente thèse porte sur les enjeux de cette politique linguistique par rapport au développement professionnel des enseignants d’anglais et à la réalité des contextes éducatifs. Elle porte aussi sur l’impact de l’adoption du Cadre Européen Commun de Référence pour les langues (CECR) comme document de base du PNB. Notre étude, qui s’inscrit dans le domaine de la recherche exploratoire, vise à décrire et comprendre le processus de mise en place du PNB et de l’adhésion du CECR. Nous avons procédé à l’application de différents outils pour le recueil de données – à savoir, l’analyse documentaire, l’entretien semidirectif / compréhensif et le questionnaire – auprès de 13 responsables du développement professionnel et 36 enseignants d’anglais, surtout des régions du Valle del Cauca (ouest) et Cundinamarca (centre). Les données recueillies sont analysées et discutées en vue d’apporter des informations sur la mise en place de la réforme, sur les points de vue des acteurs impliqués, les difficultés rencontrées, et sur le rapport objectives théoriques et réalités d’application. Les résultats obtenus rendent compte de la complexité de mettre en œuvre une politique linguistique cherchant à standardiser les processus d’enseignement-apprentissage des langues étrangères dans un contexte tel que le colombien. Ils nous fournissent des pistes de réflexion sur les besoins urgents de formations, de pratiques réflexives et d’un empowerment chez les enseignants. / Learning Foreign Languages has taken a prominent position in the education field. With globalization, countries, mostly in Europe and America are required to set up educational programs for the development of communicative skills of citizens, to have a place into the global economy. In Colombia, the context in which our study was conducted, the government seeks to reinforce the learning of English FL. To this end, the National Bilingual Program (NBP) established and led the design of objectives that can only be achieved with reflective changes in the professional practice of teachers, the organization of the educational stakeholders and schools. The framework or our research is focused on the stakes of the language policy in relation to professional development of English teachers and the reality of educational contexts. It also looks at the impact of the adoption of the European Framework of Reference for Languages (EFRL) as the basic document of NBP. Our study, is part of an exploratory research, that attempts to describe and understand the implementation process of the NPB and the accession to the CEFR. We proceeded by applying a variety of data collection tools -namely, document analysis, semi-structured/comprehensive interview and questionnaire- with 13 teacher trainers and directors of professional development programs. and 36 English teachers, especially from the regions of Valle del Cauca (west) and Cundinamarca (center). The collected data are analyzed and discussed to provide information on the implementation of the reform, on the views of stakeholders involved, the difficulties encountered and the relation of theoretical objectives and school settings. The outcomes reflect the complexity of implementing a language policy seeking to standardize the process of teaching and learning of foreign languages in a context such as Colombia. This results provide valuable insights on the urgent professional development needs, reflective practices and the empowerment of teachers.