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Language Network for Quality Assurance Final Report

This report on the work of the Language Network for Quality Assurance (LanQua) will be of particular interest to higher education learning and teaching staff with responsibility for designing and evaluating curricula in the field of languages and related studies. It will also be of interest to European funding bodies, agencies and projects, especially those working in the field of quality assurance.

LanQua was a three-year project (October 2007-September 2010) funded by the Commission of the European Communities Lifelong Learning Erasmus Network programme. The main aim of the project was to build on emerging European networks concerned with languages, bringing a wide range of providers and stakeholders together to produce a European quality benchmark for the area of languages, which enables institutions and stakeholders to assure and enhance the quality of provision in higher education.

The network involved 60 partners from 29 countries across Europe. It was coordinated by the UK Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies, based at the University of Southampton. Many members of the partnership consortium had previous experience of working on European Commission funded networks in the area of languages, and several (including the lead institution) had coordinated projects and worked together before.


The project was divided into five thematic sub projects, each with its own coordinator and deputy:

1. Intercultural communication

2. Language teacher education

3. Content and language integrated learning (CLIL)

4. Literature and culture

5. Language learning


During Year 1 of the network, each sub project produced a synthesis report mapping their particular subject area with a focus on quality assurance mechanisms. In Year 2, the groups identified learning outcomes specific to their subject area and developed a series of illustrative examples of practice. These aforementioned outputs fed into the final product, the LanQua Toolkit, which was published in Year 3. The downloadable Toolkit comprises a five-stage Quality Model to guide reflective practice; a Frame of Reference providing an overview of languages and related studies in higher education; a series of relevant examples from practice; guidance notes on using the LanQua resources; and the LanQua website (www.lanqua.eu). The Toolkit will be of use to higher education language teaching and quality assurance/enhancement communities, and in the longer term to students, employers and policy-makers.

The Toolkit was launched at the final network conference which was held in the UK in July 2010. It will continue to be made available beyond the lifetime of the project and will be further disseminated at relevant conferences, e.g. the European Quality Assurance Forum, 18-20 November 2010. As a result, it is hoped that other subject areas and sectors will be able to use and adapt the Toolkit to meet their own needs.


Table of Contents

1. Project Objectives.........................................................................5

2. Project Approach..........................................................................7

3. Project Outcomes & Results...........................................................9

4. Partnerships...............................................................................11

5. Plans for the Future.....................................................................13

6. Contribution to EU policies............................................................14