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What are language competencies?

crossing the language barriercrossing the language barrier

Language competencies can be active or passive and are frequently separated into four inter-related skills:

Listening

Reading

Speaking

Writing

Therequiredlevelofcompetencyinanygivenskillvariesinrelationtotheworktask.InEnglishLanguageasaBarriertoEmployment,TrainingandEducation(DfEEMarch2001)Dr.PhilidaSchellekensstatesthattheminimumleveloflanguagecompetencerequiredforemploymentshouldbeNVQ3.ShegoesontosaythatjobswithhighcommunicationcontentanduseofformallanguageshouldbepitchedatLevel4or5AtNVQlevels1and2thereisadetailedNationalCurriculumavailableandwidelyusedbyESOLpractitionersinfurtherandhighereducation.TheEnglishAssessmentToolkitproducedbytheBirminghamCoreSkillsDevelopmentPartnershipin1999developedcompetenciesuptolevel5.TheNationalStandardsforInterpretingandTranslatingdescribecompetenciesatLevel4and5(seeResourcePack).TherearenonationalstandardsfordescribingcompetenceinMotherTongue,howevertheEnglishlanguagecompetenciescouldbeusedasaguideortailor-madetomeettheneedsofdifferentlanguages.

Alanguageskills(EnglishandMotherTongue)auditacrosspublicservicewouldbebeneficialandwouldgreatlyenhancethehumanresourcesknowledgebaseofstaffskillsandcouldformthebasisofadevelopmentplan.

Skills Benchmarking

Therewillbeconsequencesofworkplacelanguageskillsauditandcarefuljobanalysis.ExistingstaffmaywishtoupgradetheirlanguageskillswithContinuingProfessionalDevelopment.Othersmayundertakelanguagetraininginnewareas.WhilstCPDworkshopscouldbedeliveredin-house,itwouldbeadvisableforstafftoaccessexistingexternalprogrammese.g.GCSE,universityshortcourses,IELTSorcommissioncustomisedcoursesfromexperiencedlanguageproviders,suchasuniversities.

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What are language competencies? continued>>

Job Title Activity Language Skills Level*

Talkingtothepublic(facetofaceandonthetelephone)

Givingprofessionaladvice.Writingandreading

Advocatingonbehalfofclients

Interpretingbetweenclientsandserviceproviders

Multi-lingual Front Line Staff

Multi-lingual Professionals

Advocates

Interpreters

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Intermediate/3

Elementary/2

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Intermediate/3

Intermediate/3

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Advanced/4

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

*LevelrefertoNationalVocationalQualificationsequivalent

AdetailedbreakdownofthelanguagecompetenciesforinterpretersatLevel4and5canbefoundintheNationalStandards(seeResourcePack).Ananalysisforthelanguagefunctionsinotherroleswouldneedtobecarriedoutbeforedrawingupacomprehensivechecklistfortheotherjobroles.

InordertoassistHumanResourcesPersonnelandManagerstoassessandidentifywherelanguagecompetencyisanissuethefollowingchecklistofcompetencieshasbeenprepared.