Competence-Based Language Teaching and Testing in Digital Environments (Accepted)

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
As the Hungarian diaspora in the US in is expanding, a deeper understanding of the needs Hungarian as Heritage Language (HHL) learners and a systematic approach to addressing these needs are imperative. This paper examines the possibilities of aligning the competence-based framework of the European Consortium for the Certificate of Attainment in Modern Languages (ECL) language exam with the goals of Hungarian schools with special attention to online education.

Following Brown’s six components of curriculum development (Brown, 1995), valuable insights and trends arise at the early phases of the development process. The needs assessment, for example, revealed a desire for online education delivery and accredited testing. Therefore, the objective clearly emerged to develop HHL teaching and testing materials for digital Learning Management Systems (LMSs). Leveraging a body of knowledge about the role of information and communication technology (ICT) in language education, reflections on online teaching practices in the Hungarian Diaspora communities, and test-administration experiences in the ECL framework, testing materials were developed in three competency areas: reading, writing, listening. The pilot testing of these online materials inform us about how suitable the platform and the contents are to the needs of heritage speakers. Our findings will be instrumental in further development of teaching and testing materials for HHL education, and they will benefit educators working in diaspora communities and interested in online teaching technologies.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Katalin Beck is a Senior Lecturer at Clemson University’s Department of English (Clemson, SC, USA) where she teaches Advanced Writing and Word Literature and 20th and 21st Century Literature face-to-face and online. Her research areas are online teaching and virtual collaboration. She is an exam facilitator for the European Consortium for the Certification of Attainment in Modern Languages, and as member of the Carolinas Hungarian Group she founded and taught Hungarian language and culture at the first Hungarian online school in the US.