SPECIAL PROJECTS

As from the initial period of its operation (1972 – 1978) CEEL focused on the delivery of language courses that had a strong socially responsible dimension and reach. They aimed at the training and certification of socially vulnerable groups, including long-term unemployed, political refugees, rehabilitated drug addicts and ex prison detainees. Ventures of this nature provided the foundation for on-going research and assessment, and triggered the accomplishment of major projects that have attracted extensive scientific attention:

  • Computerized evaluation of spoken language, International Review of Applied Linguistics XV1/4, 1978. A second article was later published in Practice and Problems in Language Testing, Verlag Peter D. Lang, Frankfurt, 1979
  • A count of phono-graphemic correspondences in British English Vowels, International Review of Applied Linguistics X 1/2 1973
  • Research into eye movements in reading, ELT Journal XXV11, No 1 1973
  • Self-assessment of Listening Ability, International Review of Applied Linguistics, XVB1/2, 1978

A number of international assignments were implemented on behalf of prominent organizations and institutions, including the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, the World Health Organization, the Supreme Headquarters of Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), the UNICEF in Peru, the Danish Refugee Council, the CERN Geneva, the High Commission for Refugees, the International Red Cross, GAIDAI the University of Modern Languages in Osaka, the Universities of Durango Mexico, Colorado, Guadalajara Mexico, Beijing, Victoria Canada, Regina Canada, UCLA, the International Buddhist University Osaka and others. IBM, Hewlett Packard, Caterpillar Overseas, Credit Suisse, Chase Manhattan, Olivetti, Philip Morris, are a few examples of multinationals and large corporations for which CEEL organized training on language and inter-personal skills.

In the 1980s, special projects were undertaken that focused on the factors that influence learning:        

  • The effect of perceived value on success
  • The relationship between participation and progress
  • The relationship between comprehension and production of a foreign language, published in International Review of Applied Linguistics
  • The influence of music on stress and learning potential
  • Instructor interference
  • Test NSD/74 to evaluate learner attitude to language learning
  • Self-directed learning

Additionally, work was carried out in Japanese to examine the relationship between graphemes and syllables in Hiragana and Katakana.

One of the results of this project was the creation of five language courses, broadcast daily for two years over the Swiss National Radio, whereas the German course was subsequently adopted by the Department of Education for the Italian speaking part of Switzerland:

  • Threshold - English
  • Umbral - Spanish
  • Dunque - Italian
  • Gruezi - Swiss German
  • Deutsch durch Lernziele - German

In the 1990s, innovative projects were initiated so as to cover the increasing language communication needs of industry and academia:

  • Premiers Contacts - A basic language course for in-flight personnel from Air Canada
  • Relationship between the FSI and OLAF - Research for Canadian National Railroad
  • E-mail and technical report writing - Training materials for Caterpillar Overseas
  • Improve your reading ability and much more - Training materials for Nestle
  • English for the eyewear industry - Training materials in negotiating contracts, financed by the Leonardo grant of EEC
  • First Contacts - A basic English course prepared for the French Chambers of Commerce
  • Phone contacts - Prepared for the French chambers of commerce
  • International contacts - Training materials financed by the Leonardo grant of EEC
  • Problem solving and decision taking - Training materials for Petroconsultants
  • A dictionary of eyewear terms - English/French/English
  • SAPL, Self-Access Pair Learning - Composed for the Intl. Buddhist University, Osaka
  • Test N96 - Evaluation of comprehension for telebankers prepared for the Credit Suisse
  • Test JFTA - A type analysis profile (in English, Spanish and French) prepared for a number of multinational organizations
  • Dynamic business presentations - Training materials for Caterpillar Overseas.
  • The New World – Training materials of English for children from the age of 8

 The outset of the 21st century marked the full alignment of CEEL with the evolution of language certification and industry trends at European and international level. The Common European Framework was published and CEEL restructured its assessment schemes into a comprehensive battery of tests in English, French, German and Italian, called Value Based Language Testing (VBLT). The VBLT present a number of features and advantages, which constructively challenge traditional methods of language certification.

Today CEEL cooperates with more than 50 experts around the world that continuously revise and update VBLT, to meet up with current developments and evolving methods in language certification. VBLT have gained the recognition of governments, academic communities, the corporate sector and prominent market representatives.