[lg policy] Italy: key policy-makers discuss language assessment for migration in Europe

[Harold Schiffman]

Italy: key policy-makers discuss language assessment for migration in
Europe 17 June

As immigration continues to dominate the headlines, key policy-makers
in Europe came together in Rome to address the challenges ahead in
using language assessment for integration. Language Assessment for
Integration in the Italian Context on the 11 May was organised by the
association of European language experts, ALTE, and their Italian
member, the Centre for Evaluation and Language Certification (CVCL)
from the University for Foreigners in Perugia. The conference was
chaired by Dr Nick Saville, Director, Research and Validation,
Cambridge ESOL.

Fiorella Perotto from the European Commission and Philia Thalgott from
the Council of Europe joined leading practitioners, consultants,
educationalists and policy-makers from around Europe.

Martin Nuttall from the ALTE Secretariat said:

“This was an excellent opportunity to discuss language assessment for
integration from both an Italian and international perspective. By
bringing together a wide-range of experts on what is an important
topic in Europe, we were able to share perspectives and learn from
each other's experiences. The event was a useful contribution to the
debate to ensure that language testing systems are fair to everyone.”

Delegates were also joined by Maria Rosa from the Italian Ministry of
the Interior, Giuseppe Silveri from the Italian Ministry of Labour,
Professor Elana Shohamy, Piet van Avermaet – as well as members and
affiliates of ALTE. The event was part of a raft of activities in Rome
centring around ALTE’s meeting and conference on 12–14 May. Dr John
Trim, one of the authors of the international language standard, the
CEFR, contributed to the week’s events with a workshop and plenary
presentation. Another of the week’s showcases was a successful
Introductory Course on Assessing Writing run by Cambridge ESOL's Dr
Gad Lim and attended by participants from several countries including
Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Spain.

Registration is now open for the ALTE testing courses which will take
place in Bilbao from 20th September to 1st October. Other forthcoming
ALTE events include the association's 39th meeting and conference in
Prague in November, and the ALTE 4th International Conference to be
held on 7-9 July 2011 at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków,
Poland. The Call for Papers for the 4th International Conference is
now open.

For further information about all ALTE’s events and activities, please
visit the ALTE website – www.alte.org

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/what-we-do/newsroom/2010/policy-makers-discuss-lang-assessment.html


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