One Framework to unite them all? Use of the CEFR in European university entrance policies

Fifteen years after its publication, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is a commonly used document in language tests and policies across Europe. This article considers the CEFR's impact on university entrance language tests and policies that are used to regulate the entrance of international L2 students who wish to study in a national language of the host country. Using a qualitative approach, this study aims to (a) outline and compare the target language demands toward L2 students entering European universities and to (b) determine the impact of the CEFR on European university entrance policies, tests, and testers. This article offers an overview of the university entrance language requirements for foreign L2 students in 28 European countries or regions with an autonomous educational policy. It is based on structured interviews with 30 respondents involved with university entrance test development and knowledgeable about university entrance policies in their context. The results show that the CEFR is omnipresent in European university entrance language tests and that the B2 is the most commonly used level in that context. The data also show that normative CEFR use is very common and that in many contexts CEFR levels are misused for marketing purposes or to control university admission

Raster zur Evaluation von Software für das Sprachenlernen

Die informelle Arbeitsgruppe "Medial gestütztes, selbstorganisiertes Lernen" im Bereich Fremdsprachenunterricht trifft sich seit rund drei Jahren regelmässig (unter dem Namen "Nachtclub") und beschäftigt sich mit medial unterstütztem Sprachenlernen. Die Arbeitsgruppe ist breit zusammengesetzt: länderübergreifend (Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz), zielgruppenübergreifend (Erwachsenenbildung und Universität) und sprachenübergreifend (Software für Deutsch, Englisch, Französisch usw.). Das gemeinsame Ziel des "Nachtclub" ist es, Kriterien für die Beurteilung von mediengestützten Angeboten (Lernsoftware, Webseiten) für das Lernen von Fremdsprachen zu entwickeln und auf dieser Grundlage unabhängige Rezensionen zu erstellen. Die Beurteilungen werden in der Form einer Online-Datenbank der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht und sollen als Nachschlagewerk und Entscheidungshilfe für Lehrpersonen, LernberaterInnen, MediathekarInnen usw. dienen. Vorgesehen ist die Publikation der Rezensionen unter der Internetadresse www.nachtclub.org. Dort findet man auch das leere Raster in elektronischer Form auf Deutsch, Französisch und Englisch (Winword-Datei / PDF-Datei) sowie Beispiele von Rezensionen, die mit dem Raster erstellt worden sind. (Diese Dateien sind auch von hier abzurufen

Taking decisions: Assessment for university entry

AbstractLanguage testing means taking decisions: about the test taker's results, but also about the test construct and the measures taken in order to ensure quality. This article takes the German test telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule as an example to illustrate this decision-making process in an academic context. The test is used for university entry; therefore, the main stakeholders are academic and administrative staff as well as international students about to take up their studies in Germany. The test provider had to take the stakeholders' expectations and teaching traditions into account and at the same time identify disagreements and conflicting expectations. In the end, the almost unlimited possible ways of testing in this context had to be narrowed down. While not all decisions which lead to a valid form of assessment can be presented here, we provide an illustration of the key phases: the definition of the test construct, the construction of the test format and the actual examining. There is a special focus on the definition of academic German, especially in view of a very heterogeneous target-group. In addition, concrete examples from the initial test development phase are presented, from defining the format for the writing task to choosing texts for reading and testing grammar. Ongoing work on the test is illustrated by insights into the commissioning of new tasks and the rating of open-ended questions.</jats:p

The CEFR and university entrance tests – a state of affairs in Europe

Invited keynotestatus: publishe

One framework to unite them all? The use of the CEFR in European university entrance policies

status: publishe

PREGNANCY OUTCOME In GENETIC Subtypes of CONGENITAL Neutropenia

Abstract Abstract 4722 Severe congenital neutropenia (CN) comprises a heterogeneous group of disorders with a common hematological and clinical phenotype characterized by a maturation arrest of myelopoiesis at the level of the promyelocyte / myelocyte stage with peripheral blood absolute neutrophil counts (ANC) below 0.5 ′ 109/l and early onset of bacterial infections. Current data on the molecular causes have demonstrated that CN is a multigene disorder with more than 10 genes described to date. Genetic analyses in autosomal dominant and sporadic cases of CN indicate that the majority of these cases are attributable to mutations in the elastase 2 (ELANE) gene encoding neutrophil elastase. However, mutations in the ELANE gene do not discriminate between patients with CN and patients with cyclic neutropenia (CyN). Since 1987, recombinant human Granulocyte-Colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is available for the treatment of CN. Independent of the genetic subtype, more than 90% of patients respond well to G-CSF with sustained increase of absolute neutrophil counts and prolonged life expectancy. Since our first patients have reached adulthood the desire for parenthood arises. To-date there is only limited data on the infectious risk for affected mothers and their children due to G-CSF treatment during pregnancy. In this study we assessed the outcome of pregnancies reported to the SCNIR in Europe since 1994 with regard to:The neutropenia status in newborns of mothers and fathers with different genetic CN subtypes as an indicator for inheritance.The impact of G-CSF treatment on maternal and newborn complications in women of all neutropenia subtypes with or without G-CSF treatment during pregnancy. Since 1994 the SCNIR has collected long-term follow-up data of 510 patients with severe chronic neutropenia subtypes. 3 patients are diagnosed with congenital (71 ELANE-CN, 31 HAX1, 9 GC6PC3, 47 SDS, 117 unknown, 45 other), 66 with cyclic and 82 with idiopathic neutropenia. Adulthood was reached by 144 out of 304 CN patients. These include 38 ELANE-CN patients (male:14, female:24) and 11 ELA-CyN patients (male: 5, female:6). A total of 20 pregnancies in 12 mothers and 13 newborns by 7 fathers with different genetic subtypes of CN have been reported. Among them are pregnancies of 11 women with ELANE-CN, 8 with ELANE-CyN, 1 with SDS, 13 with an unknown genetic origin of CN (n=9) or CyN (n=4). No pregnancies were reported in patients with HAX1 or G6PC3 although 7 of these patients have reached adulthood. Data on neutropenia status was documented in 24 out of 31 live births. Neutropenia in newborns was diagnosed in 16 out of 30 live births from parents with genetic subtypes of CN. In 8 of the 16 affected newborns neutropenia was related to ELANE mutations. One mother registered with SDS delivered a healthy child. During pregnancy 17 women received G-CSF treatment (CN=11, CyN=4, IDN=2). Regardless of any cytokine treatment no major infectious complications were reported in our cohort. 24 of 31 reported pregnancies resulted in life births. 5 spontaneous terminations occurred in women with respectively without exposure to G-CSF. In addition, 2 still births were reported in women with idiopathic neutropenia, but G-CSF exposure remains unknown. Conclusion: The proportion of newborns with congenital neutropenia indicates the pattern of inheritance by their parents and reveals the need for genetic counseling. However, the acceptance of having affected children may reflect the high quality of life due to G-CSF treatment in affected parents. G-CSF treatment during pregnancy is well tolerated. In terms of G-CSF treatment, no differences in infectious complications during pregnancy in women with or without G-CSF administration were reported in our cohort. Interestingly, the proportion of women receiving G-CSF during pregnancy is highest among the CN subtype indicating the severe clinical phenotype. We therefore recommend the application of G-CSF in patients with severe chronic neutropenia during pregnancy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare. </jats:sec

Trehalose‐6‐phosphate‐mediated phenotypic change in Acinetobacter baumannii

The stress protectant trehalose is synthesized in Acinetobacter baumannii from UPD‐glucose and glucose‐6‐phosphase via the OtsA/OtsB pathway. Previous studies proved that deletion of otsB led to a decreased virulence, the inability to grow at 45°C and a slight reduction of growth at high salinities indicating that trehalose is the cause of these phenotypes. We have questioned this conclusion by producing ∆otsA and ∆otsBA mutants and studying their phenotypes. Only deletion of otsB, but not deletion of otsA or otsBA, led to growth impairments at high salt and high temperature. The intracellular concentrations of trehalose and trehalose‐6‐phosphate were measured by NMR or enzymatic assay. Interestingly, none of the mutants accumulated trehalose any more but the ∆otsB mutant with its defect in trehalose‐6‐phosphate phosphatase activity accumulated trehalose‐6‐phosphate. Moreover, expression of otsA in a ∆otsB background under conditions where trehalose synthesis is not induced led to growth inhibition and the accumulation of trehalose‐6‐phosphate. Our results demonstrate that trehalose‐6‐phosphate affects multiple physiological activities in A. baumannii ATCC 19606