1. Beyond Accepted Standards
Past, Present, and Future of the
German UNIcert®
Language Teaching System
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 1

2. UNIwhat?
What’s the idea behind UNIcert?
What does UNIcert look like?
What (and who) is UNIcert good for?
Whither UNIcert?
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 2

3. One for all
Basic idea of UNIcert®
> 1 curriculum with academic focus
> 1 certificate
> 1 set of standards
> ... for all language centers
& all languages
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 3

4. All for one?
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 4
> 16 states
> 16 X educational autonomy
> 16 ministries of education
> 16 High school exams
> 16 higher education laws

5. Not an (only) exam.
UNIcert® is a framework and a network
> a comprehensive training, examination and
certification system of foreign languages for general
and specific purposes, specifically designed for
higher education institutions.
> a widely recognized qualification for students.
> a means to develop and monitor language
programs.
> a service offer provided by AKS
> a QMS
> a „MOT test“ of language teaching and in HE
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 5

6. Structure
AKS e.V. is the official agency and owner of UNICert®
UNIcert® Committee (20 members)
> oversees development
> organizes activities
> conducts audits and awards accreditations
Accredited Institutions
> organize and conduct language training along UNIcert® guidelines
> design and grade exams
> issue the certificates
2 Offices (Dresden & Göttingen)
> permanent contact
> administrative work
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 6

7. Accreditation Requirements
Formal rules
> Organizational structure
> Regular staff for each accredited language
> Maximum of 25 students per course
> Checked attendance
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 7

8. The UNIcert®-Framework
Unicert® Course Program Requirements
> 4 defined levels (I–IV)
> 120—180 contact hours / level (minimum)
> Placement tests
> Graded course exams
> Comprehensive final exams for Levels III and IV
> All 4 skills equally taught and tested
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 8

9. Current Accreditation Cycle
Reaccreditation for 5 years
Submission of a comprehensive report
Reaccreditation for 5 years
On site Audit
Reaccreditation for 5 years
Submission of a comprehensive report
Reaccreditation for 5 years
On site Audit
Initial Accreditation for 3 years
Based on submitted Dossier
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 9

10. 10 Years After
UNIcert was launched in 1992
> Mr. UNIcert: Prof. Bernd Voss, TU Dresden
> CEFR avant la lettre
By the year 2002
> About 40 accredited Institutions
> Over 9.000 reported awarded certificates
> Publication of the 1st UNIcert®-Handbook (1998)
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 10

11. What institutions get out of it
> A framework plus academic freedom
> peer quality control
> peer support
> institutional support
> self-reflection
> high quality teaching
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 11

12. What students get out of it
> high quality teaching
> homogenous groups
> comparable level and program structures across
languages
> inter-university mobility
> a broad range of (vocational) programs
> detailed university certificates
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 12

13. SAMPLE CERTIFICATE
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 13

14. SAMPLE CERTIFICATE
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 14

15. How students obtain a certificate
Obtention of detailed certificate with course record
Cumulative assessment based on course results or
Final examination in all 4 skills
Regular course attendance (120–180hrs)
Workload 360–540hrs
Placement
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 15

16. Activities and Adjustments
The UNIcert® Committee continuously
revises and reforms the System
> Alignment with CEFR I/B1 – IV/C2
> New Level UNIcert Basis A2
> Research Publications
> Sample Tests
> PR Material and Newsletter
> Workshops and Trainings
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 16

17. Recent developments
> Cooperation with German Academic Exchange
Service (DAAD)
> Spinoff FOBIcert (Teacher Training Certificate)
> International expansion
> Angers (F), Kufstein (A), Tiflis (GA)
> UNIcert LUCE Franchise in Slovakia
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 17

18. The UNIcert® Map
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 18

19. Accreditation
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 19
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Accredited Centers

20. Certificates Awarded
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 20
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
reported examinations

21. Success Story
In short
> 105 000 exams at more than 50 university language
centers.
> Around 6 000 examinees per year
> Offered in over 25 Languages
> Curriculae focussed on higher education
> Setting standards yet flexible
> UNIcert is great. The ideal blueprint for all language
center exam systems.
End of story.
Or is it?
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 21

22. Audits
Elaborate procedure
> 2 auditors, 1 assistant
> 2 days
> interviews and reviews
Measures
> Standardized report forms
> New UNIcert coordinating position
> Annual fee 100€  500€
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 22

23. A question for the future
Can we still expect 4 skills at an equal level
with
> more students,
> less study time,
> changing learning habits,
> and more different languages required??
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 23

24. Connect four
UNIcert requires equal proficiency in all 4 skills.
We‘re in good company:
> Cambridge (English)
> Goethe (German)
> DELF/DALF (French)
> DELE (Spanish)
> CELI/CILS/PLIDA (Italian)
> TORFL (Russian)
> HSK (Chinese)
> TELC (several languages, at community colleges)
> School exams (several languages)
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 24

25. Are skills really developed at the
same pace?
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 26
He has...
> B2 speaking skills
> C1 Listening skills
> NO Reading and
Writing skills
Does this mean...
> insufficient communicative Competencies?
> no solid basis for further language learning?
> No carreer prospects?

26. And you? How’s your Portugese?
Não fala Português? Lede!:
„Os exames produzidos pelo
CAPLE constituem o Sistema
de Avaliação e Certificação de
Português Língua Estrangeira
reconhecido pelo Ministério dos
Negócios Estrangeiros, através
do Instituto Camões, e pelo
Ministério da Educação.“
> Can’t use this professionally?
> Can’t build on this?
> Uncertifiable knowledge?
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 27

27. Learner centered curriculae
and profiles
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 29
A German psychologist
> will read complex English articles
regularly
> almost never speaks English,
only sometimes as a passive
conference visitor
> needs reading skills B2/C1 + x
& oral skills A2/B1
A British businessman
> Has to establish personal
relationships with people of
various origins.
> leaves contracts – which are in
English anyway – to his lawyers
> needs oral skills A2 (but in which
dialect?), cultural skills B2, no
written skills

28. Skills Profile
Listening
C2
Speaking
C2
Reading
C2
Writing
C2
Culture
C2
Learning
C2
Listening
C1
Speaking
C1
Reading
C1
Writing
C1
Culture
C1
Learning
C1
Listening
B2
Speaking
B2
Reading
B2
Writing
B2
Culture
B2
Learning
B2
Listening
B1
Speaking
B1
Reading
B1
Writing
B1
Culture
B1
Learning
B1
Listening
A2
Speaking
A2
Reading
A2
Writing
A2
Culture
A2
Learning
A2
Listening
A1
Speaking
A1
Reading
A1
Writing
A1
Culture
A1
Learning
A1
Listening
C2
Speaking
C2
Reading
C2
Writing
C2
Culture
C2
Listening
C1
Speaking
C1
Reading
C1
Writing
C1
Culture
C1
Listening
B2
Speaking
B2
Reading
B2
Writing
B2
Culture
B2
Listening
B1
Speaking
B1
Reading
B1
Writing
B1
Culture
B1
Listening
A2
Speaking
A2
Reading
A2
Writing
A2
Culture
A2
Listening
A1
Speaking
A1
Reading
A1
Writing
A1
Culture
A1

29. New Skills Test Formats
Example Listening Comprehension
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
 ?

30. Modularized Coursebooks for
modularized programs

31. Variable Learning Spaces

32. Moving on
Unicert® is
> a well established system,
> a success,
> and work in progress.
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 34

33. Thank you for your attention!
8 January 2016 Peter Tischer, Saarbrücken 35
UNIcert® website
www.unicert-online.org
Peter Tischer, contact details
p.tischer@szsb.uni-saarland.de