Teacher training course

As most people know, Language Schools are undergoing huge changes in teaching and assessment. This weekend two members of The European Center for Modern Languages, Waldek Martyniuk and José Noijons, have been in Valencia to train EOI teachers in ways in which these changes can be carried out.


Waldek's job was to familiarize us with the main concepts of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference), its guiding principles, policy instrument, and programme of activities.

Relating examinations to the CEFR is the challenge we are facing now in the Valencian Community. These tow experts have been informing us of ways in which this could be done. By using the Stonehenge Metaphore, they were very clear about the CEFR limitantions and potentialities.

Implementing the plurilingual concept of the CEFR means supporting independent and co-operative learning, adopting a postive approach to learning, supporting learner autonomy, catering for individual needs, providing valid, reliable and fair assessment and securing comparability of outcomes.

We find ourselves at the beginning of a new era in language teaching and assessment. This is our second year after the new curriculum was implemented last year for A2 and B1. This is our first year for B2 and we are a little bit scared about its outcomes. Will the exams improve? Will the authorities be aware of the huge responsibility they are facing? Will they provide enough support to teachers and exam writers and administrators?

After these two days of hard work we are more aware of the requirements of a high quality test to meet quality standards, we hope that from now on the dialogue between exam writers and administrators and teachers will be open, sincere and transparent in order to improve our efficiency and acountability before test takers and society in general.

Training is necessary in all areas of human performance but in educational settings and in Language Institutions in particular is a necessity we can no longer avoid. Thanks to APEOICVA for this great opportunity to develop professionally!