Adult education is a key issue on the EU’s agenda. So is the promotion of second and third language acquisition, which is held to be a critical skill enabling EU citizen’s to widen their access to employment, to professional development and to the pursuit of leisure activities such as travel and tourism. The EU has invested significant financial resources in the development and promotion of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages, while publishers and exam boards across the continent have dedicated comparable resources to developing professional materials for language learning, as well as a vast array of formal course assessments. One key area that has been under-resourced until now is the development of next generation tools designed to assess the level of language learners before they start a course. In most language schools, both private and public, pre-course assessments are typically carried out using traditional methods such as multiple choice tests of discrete grammar and vocabulary items, sometimes combined with tasks designed to assess other skills (reading comprehension, aural comprehension, etc.) but often in an imprecise and archaic fashion. A good proportion of such pre-course assessments are still performed on paper. The inevitable consequence is that students are often assessed incorrectly and then assigned to a course that is inappropriate to their level. When this happens, students quickly lose the motivation to continue their studies and the drop-our rate spirals, making courses less economically viable for the teaching organisations concerned and less engaging for the teachers and students that remain. The main objective of this project is to develop a computer-based pre-course assessment tool that will accurately measure the current level of European adult language learners. In the first instance, this tool will be available to leaners of six languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Russian. The key characteristics of this next generation pre-course assessment tool is that it will be adaptive. In other words it will select items to present to students from a large data base of options, depending on their previous responses. This will avoid the need to answer questions that are either too hard or too easy, and home in on each student’s actual level. Another key characteristic is that it will be available online, on computers or mobile devices, with a user friendly interface featuring instructions in a range of languages. Data from the test results will be immediately accessible both by the test takers and by the institutions organising the courses.The project will be carried out by five partner organisations. The lead organisation, Amber, is a provider of Web-based software for language school administration and has all the necessary expertise in software development. The other partners are all organisations from the language teaching industry, working in four different countries. Collectively they have decades of experience providing language courses and assessment to tens of thousands of adult learners. The initial key activities include populating a data base with large a number of language test items, covering all levels of ability for each target language, and developing algorithms that will successfully select specific test items for each individual candidate. In the second phase the key activities will include a rigorous piloting of the assessment tool, together with the development of a dedicated platform, providing user-friendly access to the tests in several European languages. The methodology will be based around the development and implementation of a number of plans that will ensure the project aims are completed on time and within budget. These include an Action Plan, a Quality Assurance Plan, a Risk Assessment Plan, a Dissemination Plan, etc. Project management software such as Trello will be used to monitor progress, and fluent communication between the project partners will be maintained through four transnational meetings as well as frequent contact via digital media. The main result of the project will be the production of a next-generation assessment tool that can be used by language training organisations throughout Europe to ensure a correct pre-course assessment of their students. The impact will be significant in that it will provide thousands of language teaching institutions with an accurate and user-friendly tool, available through the Internet, that will avoid erroneous assessments and the consequent demotivation of students. The longer-term benefits to both students and training institutions will be immense. If students are accurately assessed before they start their course, they can be placed in the most appropriate group available and they are then more likely to complete their course successfully. The assessment tool could also be used as a template for other languages, or indeed for other forms of training.

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<< Background >>Over four in five employers state English is by far the most important foreign language in industry (https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6e68f7e0-dd4a-11e6-ad7c-01aa75ed71a1). However, one third of employers find it difficult to fill positions due to applicants’ insufficient foreign language skills. In fact, a Council Recommendation of 22nd May 2019 states national governments should support VET providers to better align language learning with the foreign language needs of occupations that they train students for (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019H0605(02)&from=EN). It’s not only language skills deemed crucial in the labour market, though. A European Commission report on ‘Promoting Adult Learning in the Workplace’ states that people entering the workplace should acquire a combination of transversal core skills, English foreign language skills and specific skills needed for a job (https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/71427d31-7b46-11e8-ac6a-01aa75ed71a1/language-en). These transversal core skills include (among others) problem solving, communicating, leadership, and collaboration (https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/71427d31-7b46-11e8-ac6a-01aa75ed71a1/language-en). How, though, can we develop VET learners’ foreign language and transversal core skills more effectively?<< Objectives >>Research advocates for a task-based learning (TBL) approach, which argues language teaching should be delivered through the context of ‘real-world’, authentic tasks. In doing so, language proficiency and transferable skills develop due to the approach’s ability to facilitate language learning through relevant task performance that aligns with a learner’s existing language knowledge (Long, 2015). A needs analysis identifies relevant target tasks the learner will have to do in the foreign language, which are then broken down into pedagogic tasks. A syllabus is designed around this sequence of pedagogic tasks and is implemented according to certain methodological principles, which include encouraging inductive and collaborative learning, and a focus on linguistic form. What about materials design and assessing learning outcomes, though? This project sets out to not just address these points through creation of a materials bank and a teacher training course that among other things covers material design and learner assessment, but to ultimately foster greater employability prospects for VET learners.<< Implementation >>This very innovative project will focus on providing language teachers all over Europe with the knowledge and tools that are necessary to effectively implement a task-based syllabus within their own teaching contexts. This will involve the design of a task-based syllabus, the design of a materials bank which will support the implementation of the task-based syllabus, and the creation of a teacher training programme which will be adapted to the needs of those active in the tourism sector. It will equip teachers and trainers with the skills needed to both successfully implement a task-based syllabus and convince other stakeholders of the importance and relevance of a task-based approach to English foreign language learning. Through greater targeting of support for these teachers using this approach towards English foreign language learning, those active in tourism industry will be better able to acquire the language and soft skills required by sector and or in the workplace of their selected vocation. The desired outcome is that they will then be able to achieve higher levels of employability, showcase their businesses and be more resilient to crisis situations due to the fact that they will have a core set of foreign language and transversal competencies that make them a far more lucrative asset in the European labour market.<< Results >>The project is looking to achieve the following results, and they are describe and justified in much detail in the project results sector, so we are laying out here some different aspects of their use and value:1. TBL tasks for tourism: A comprehensive identification of jobs in tourism as well as needs analysis and identification of series of target tasks. It is of key importance to teacher and trainers to have a clear view of the needs analysis to help them easily create lessons.2. TBL pedagogical syllabus with previously identified target tasks that will be synthesised to a series of pedagogical tasks and then be organised into a syllabus. The design of the syllabus will also involve the creation of a series of example materials to support the delivery.3. TBL training course that will help VET language trainers deliver a task-based syllabus. This course will be delivered in a training session towards the end of the project, and those trained will then be accredited to deliver it to trainers in their own contexts/countries.There is one learning, teaching and training activity planned, lasting 3 days in Barcelona (Spain). This is of criticial importance for the success of the project. Also it is important to have a list of participating staff, who have the potential to use the tools developed, and thus have maximum impact measured by the changes in their teaching practices and the number/variety of learners they influence.

The European Commission for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion report on Support for Children with Special Education Needs In Europe (https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=15993&langId=en), estimates the number of children with special educational needs (SEN) at 15 million. Furthermore, the imperative to provide assistance to children with SEN is outlined in the Council Conclusions on a Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (2009/C 119/02) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52009XG0528(01)&from=EN). Conclusions focus on underlining the need for education systems in Europe to increase provisions for inclusions of all learners, including those with special needs.Why much higher provisions? The educational landscape teachers must navigate is becoming ever more complex. When it comes to SEN learners with more general support needs, special play a marginal role in favour of the integration of these students into mainstream classrooms. The provisions focus on more widespread inclusion of learners with SEN and calls for a more adaptive and inclusive approach from teachers on a general support level. Currently, support for moderately disabled students is provided by non-specialists in the mainstream classroom. For educators in this environment, the identification and implementation of a range of inclusive practices in the classroom are still an aspirational goal. In a ‘Communication from the commission to the European parliament, the council, the European economic and social committee and the committee of the regions on tackling early school leaving: A key contribution to the Europe 2020 Agenda’ (2011) the commission concludes, “Education and training systems often do not provide sufficient targeted support for pupils to cope with emotional, social or educational difficulties and to remain in education and training.” – evidently there is a substantial skills gap in teaching staff. Our objective is to addresses the current shortfall in competences. The project will extend and supporting educators by developing competences, particularly in identification and inclusive classroom practices for category B SEN learners in mainstream classrooms with general support needs. There will be 7 participating partners on the project, coming from 5 different European countries. These partners will bring a mix of expertise and backgrounds in provisions for students with special educational needs, development of training material, teacher training, digital course development, soft skills and coaching. Some partners have a vast experience in Erasmus+ projects, whereas only 2 are relatively new and will, thus give a fresh perspective on the problem space we wish to address. The SEN TOOLKIT project will produce 3 Intellectual Outputs:-SEN BLUEPRINT: a syllabus and pedagogical framework for a digital learning course to address the current shortfall in competences in educators in areas such as identification and inclusive classroom practices. -SEN TOOLKIT: a digital learning course with great levels of accessibility to ensure a maximum possible target audience can receive expert support in mainstream classrooms to address general support needs of category B special educational needs students. -TRAIN THE SEN SPECIALIST: Formal educational contexts are giving way increasingly to workplace, informal learning. In response to this, the SEN TOOLKIT project will train local specialists in coaching techniques. This will allow them to act as decentralized support to mainstream classroom teachers. A 20-module course will be developed to achieve this. All outputs produced will be freely accessible for the public within and beyond the project’s lifetime.The SEN TOOLKIT project is likely to have sustainable direct impacts within and beyond the project lifetime on four main target groups: 1) Mainstream classroom teachers 2) Students with category B special educational needs 3) Institutions that offer teacher training and further formation to teachers4) Members of society and school stakeholdersBy creating a pedagogical blueprint, a digital learning course, as well as training course for local specialists to support their fellow educations, the consortium expects to achieve the overall objective of the project and a long term benefit for European Society: Supporting educators.