UNIcert
Encyclopedia
The UNIcert is an international system of certification and accreditation for various language
s learnt in a university
context. The main goal of UNIcert is to support language education for universities and to provide an accepted certificate that proves language knowledge outside universities.
The system was set up in 1992 by the German
Association of Language Centres, Language Teaching Institutes and Institutes of Foreign Languages (Arbeitskreis der Sprachenzentren, Sprachlehrinstitute und Fremdspracheninstitute, AKS). This association acts as a forum for the exchange of information, experience and ideas between institutes and people involved in language work at universities and training institutes, and those taking part in research into language teaching and learning. More than 100 language centres in Germany, Austria
and Switzerland
are members of the association. The AKS is also one of the founding members of CERCLES, the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education, "a confederation of independent associations from 21 countries of Europe" http://www.cercles.org/.
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s learnt in a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
context. The main goal of UNIcert is to support language education for universities and to provide an accepted certificate that proves language knowledge outside universities.
The system was set up in 1992 by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Association of Language Centres, Language Teaching Institutes and Institutes of Foreign Languages (Arbeitskreis der Sprachenzentren, Sprachlehrinstitute und Fremdspracheninstitute, AKS). This association acts as a forum for the exchange of information, experience and ideas between institutes and people involved in language work at universities and training institutes, and those taking part in research into language teaching and learning. More than 100 language centres in Germany, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
are members of the association. The AKS is also one of the founding members of CERCLES, the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education, "a confederation of independent associations from 21 countries of Europe" http://www.cercles.org/.
Levels
The levels correspond to levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for LanguagesCommon European Framework of Reference for Languages
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, abbreviated as CEFR, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe and, increasingly, in other countries...
- UNIcert I (European Level B1) - basic knowledge of the language
- UNIcert II (European Level B2) - extended (field of study specific) knowledge of the language (for studying in a foreign country)
- UNIcert III (European Level C1) - extended (field of study specific) knowledge of the language for postgraduate (for example doctorate) studies in a foreign country
- UNIcert IV (European Level C2) - (field of study specific) knowledge on the level of an academic native speaker