El Plan Bolonia, un programa Educativo Europeo

These days having a second language is becoming more and more important as the world seems to be getting smaller due to the growing use of the internet and the rise in international trade. It is for this reason that a lot of people are studying English.

English is the most widely spoken language in the world and therefore it is in high demand among language learners. Of course, we all know the importance being placed on having a second language by universities these days.

Today a lot of the countries of Europe are apart of ‘The Bologna Plan’. This is an agreement that was signed in 1999 by the Ministers for Education of the countries within the European Union. It was designed with the aim of adapting all the particularities of the different national education systems. This would in turn give students the opportunity of free exchange within the European Union.

The idea was to adapt an education system that would be recognised as equal throughout the European Union and therefore if students wanted to travel abroad to further their education they would be able to do so more easily.

Along with this, a new system of university credits was applied. This system was called the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). These credits measure a student´s work in class but also take into consideration assignments, work experience and study time too. Adapting this credit system has made it possible for academic titles to be compared throught the E.U, making it easier for universities to recognise one´s qualifications.

For these reasons, it is no wonder that emphasis is being placed on having a second language and of course in order to obtain a degree you must reach a particular level of competency in a second language.

The Callan Method offers students the chance not only to learn grammatical structures and vocabulary but to speak the language like a native. Through this method a student will learn to speak English directly without translating back into their own language.

This is achieved by repetition. The teacher asks the student a question twice, giving them the opportunity to hear exactly how the question is formed, and then helps the student with the answer. The B1 level is consider to be between level 7-8 of the Callan Method and by this stage if a student has studied and practiced sufficiently they are at a point where they could take the exam to certify that they are B1 level. Not only would they be able to take the written exam but they will be able to speak the language to this extent too. This is what makes the Callan Method different to the traditional method of teaching English. It doesn´t place emphasis of only Reading and writing in order to pass an exam but it ensures that the student learns how to speak the language, which of course is the main reason people study languages in the first place.

G. Harman