LANGUAGE POLICY FOR PREPARING PARTICIPANTS FOR MOBILITY
All Upper VET students already have a B1 level of English guaranteed under the national curriculum. They acquired this level before starting Higher Education when they did Post-Compulsory Secondary Education. Although our students already have a B1 level, our institution proposes a series of measures that would lead them to improve their current level or even achieve an upper one within an extended period of time.
The importance of mastering the language of the destination country is a crucial element of mobility Consequently, INS Illa dels Banyols language policy for mobility ensures that outgoing mobile have attained the necessary level of linguistic proficiency.
The preparatory actions for mobility are the following ones:
- The Languages Department provides with intensive English courses in order to ensure that students meet the necessary requirements to travel abroad. These courses are offered outside school hours and are free or charge.
- Students can attend courses in English, French or German organised by the Official Languages School in El Prat de Llobregat (EOI del Prat) which is located next to our High Education Institution. They offer language courses at reasonable public prices fixed by the Regional Ministry of Education.
- EOI del Prat is a course provider and also an accredited centre in Spain to issue official certificates according to CEFR, so students also have the opportunity to take official exams. The content of the exam is prepared according to European Language Portfolio and it consists of five parts: Grammar in Use, Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, at the proficiency level of B1/B2. Outgoing students have to get minimum 65 points out of 100 to pass the exam and take part in mobility programmes.
- Students also have an opportunity to improve their foreign language skills by using Erasmus OLS (Online Linguistic Support). Our Languages Department strongly recommends using this tool and offers full guidance to participants before mobility and once at their destination.
- For staff mobility, participants must have a B2 official language certificate in order to be trained in a foreign country.