Progetto Lingue 2000 - 2001

The agreement between the Italian Ministry of Education (MPI) and foreign exam boards, including Alliance Française, Goethe Institut, Instituto Cervantes and University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, offering schools access to international certificates across the school system was signed in January 2000. As part of the wider Progetto Lingue 2000, covering all aspects of foreign language teaching from Nursery school to the end of high school, this meant that schools could apply for funding from the MPI to offer their students international certificates, as well as get funding for extra language tuition, training and materials. Although the MPI was particularly interested in offering students the opportunity to take international certificates after completing the required number of hours of PL2000 language tuition, schools were also able to offer external exams to students completing their school cycle (i.e. finishing Primary school, Middle school, the high school "Biennio" and leaving high school).

By September 2000 the MPI reported that over 450,000 students, and 22,000 teachers, were involved in PL2000 courses, and 58,000 students of school age had taken external exams. Of these examinations 37,000 were taken with ALTE partners: English 23,000, French 12,000, German 1700, and Spanish nearly 250. The vast majority of these were at the scuola superiore (high school) level, underlining the attraction to students of taking an external exam before leaving school. Many of these took exams in their penultimate year to avoid conflict with their final school exams. All the indications were that demand for exams in that academic year were at least 50% higher than the previous year.

In 2001 the ALTE partners arranged a wide range of joint or individual seminars (over 400) explaining how the various exams work, and how to prepare for them.
As well as the four-skills approach a further significant factor in the success of the ALTE exams in the Progetto was the fact that they matched so closely the defined standards of the Common European Framework and made increasing reference to Can-do descriptors. With the EAQUALS/ALTE Language Portfolio available to ALTE exam boards, students were able to leave school with their language ability certified in their language "passport", as well as holding individual certificates.

An important factor in building a valuable working relationship with the Ministry, as well as individual schools and provincial resource centres, was the effort made by ALTE member boards to respond to the demands of the Progetto Lingue 2000. This included the offer of new German and Spanish exams, the development of new French and Spanish Young Learner exams, and the offer of partial competence exams (Certificates in English Language Skills and a separate YLE Flyers Speaking test) from 2002. UCLES had also begun an extensive Impact Study, looking at the effect of the PL2000 on the classroom: on the teaching/learning approach, materials and activities.

All external exam boards contributed a section to the book prepared by the Italian Ministry of Education and presented at the annual Progetto Lingue 2000 conference in September 2001.

To find out more about Progetto Lingue 2000 - 2001: please download this leaflet in Italian (PDF) or contact the ALTE Secretariat.