Certification writing
In 2018 I created a test for a language certificate, DCL.
DCL is the Diplôme de Compétence en Langue, Language Proficiency Certificate
Created by the Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale (Ministry of Education)
A single test for all levels (A2-C1)
5 habiletés langagières évaluées à travers une seule épreuve, un scénario actionnel ou chaque phase est reliée aux autres. 5 linguistic competences assessed via a single test, an actional scenario in which phases are reciprocally related.
How does a DCL scenario work?
The candidate is an employee of an organisation (enterprise, public institution, association).
Son/sa chef.fe lui confie une tâche. L'organisme a un projet, et deux options alternatives pour le réaliser.
Their boss assign them a task. Their organisation has a project and two alternative options to implement it.
The candidate must study documents and make a choice. They must also communicate it to their professional environment and provide reasons for it.
The candidate is required to work on written and audio resources and take notes (Written and Oral Comprehension); then make a telephone call (Interaction and Oral Production), in which they state and argue their choice between the two options. The candidate finally writes a final proposal (Written Production).
Les deux premières parties receptive sont censées fournir au candidat le contenus sur lesquels effectuer son choix et le motiver dans les phases successives de production et intéraction.
The first two phases are receptive should provide the candidate content useful to make their choice and spot arguments to support it in the following interactive and productive phases.
The candidate uses a “documentary file”, and a “candidate file” where he puts his notes and writings.
Challenges of creating a scenario
1) overall consistency
2) A subject that must ..
.. be motivating / engaging for a candidate
.. have a proper conceptual articulation, which allows a real debate during the call and an argumented proposal in the final draft.
3) Audiovisual and written authentic documents that ...
... provide candidates with useful content to support their choice and arguments
... make up a progression through language levels. It must start aiming at A2 target candidate and provides them with the means to correctly perform the communicative task they have been assigned. It must provide intermidiate candidate the means to explore the issue and show their best in the linguistic, conceptual and pragmatic use of the target language.
4) for oral and written comprehension, questions that are effectively useful to the candidate in that they help them to notice most important elements and use them as arguments in the following phases of the test.
More considerations about evaluation in the assignment
Subjectivité et faisabilité dans les indications du Cecr sur l'évaluation (Subjectivity and faisibility in the CEFR guidelines about evaluation)
The scenario I created
Urban refit/military facility
Created in 2018, used nationwide in march 2019.
The situation
The candidate works for the city council in Milan. The council is up to refit previous military facilites, the old Caserma Mameli (this actually exists in Milan).
The candidate must read and listen to documents and choose between two options that are proposed to them: a shop for local products or association premises?
Documents from the scenario
Disponibles sur le site du DCL, section
Available on the DCL website, in the section Annales Italien.