Language Training for Administrative Staff

1. Introduction

Learning languages at the European University Institute serves several purposes:

• to enhance the staff member’s linguistic skills in an international environment;
• to support the improvement of the staff member’s competences to work in the interest of the service in other languages  (in order to be promoted, a staff member must be able to work in a third language);
• to help the staff member be more effective in his/her job.

 “Staff” herein includes all EUI administrative staff. 

The language policy for administrative staff has been created to ensure that staff benefit as much as possible from attending courses at the Centre for Academic Literacies and Languages (CALL).

2. Language Courses

• Language courses in various languages of the EU (organised and taught by the CALL):

- English;

- French;

- German;

- Italian;

- Spanish.

Most language courses and some academic literacies courses are open to all EUI members, including researchers, postdocs, academic assistants, administrative staff, etc. You can find the target audience of each course included in the description.

• Additional languages (organised by the CALL and taught by freelance teachers)

Please consult by email EUI_HRTraining in case you should be interested in a language offered but not mentioned above.

The Staff members who attend the language course are bound by the Guidelines. Please refer to point 4 on guidelines at the end of this document for enrolment.

All courses take place on weekdays (Monday to Friday) during working hours (9:00-19:00) during the Academic Year (from September until June). 

Exceptionally and upon request of the Director of the Service, taking into consideration the interests of the EUI, one-to-one language courses might be organised.  

Further information can be found on the CALL webpages. Always check the CALL webpages for up-to-date information.  

3. How to enrol

1. The CALL sends an email before each semester informing the EUI community about new courses, and inviting enrolments; 
2. Consult the language centre offer - timetable - choose a course;
3. Insert your request in PDM under the title "Language Training”;
4. Wait for your HS/HD approval & HR approval;
5. Once your request has been approved, enrol in the language course;
6. Attend the placement test (if necessary).

The staff member must enter a new request into the PDM at the beginning of each academic term.

Enrolment generally opens the month before each of the four teaching periods. The only exception is the pre-sessional period, September: the enrolment for this period opens in June. You should regularly check the language pages for the latest information.

You can enrol in a course until the week before it begins.

Note, however, that most of the language courses begin in October and run through the academic year, so if, for example, you want to join a course in January, you will have to speak with the teacher concerned, sit a placement test, and commit to catching up with any work you may have missed.

You can, exceptionally, enrol in a language course outside the enrolment period, but only within the first two weeks after the beginning of the course and only on approval from the language teacher.

The maximum number of participants in a language course is fifteen.

A. PLACEMENT TESTS

If you are an absolute beginner, no placement test is necessary. You can enrol directly on the CALL webpages. Please note that if you wish to enrol in an Italian course, you must fill in a Pre-enrolment form.

If you have recently been following a course at the EUI in this language, no placement test is necessary. Your teacher will indicate the best course for you, and you can enrol directly on the CALL webpages.

If you are enrolling in a language course for the first time or after an extended period away, you will have to sit a placement test. This placement test allows the CALL to place you in an appropriate course.  

Important note: A placement test is not an assessment test, therefore it does not indicate a staff member’s ability to work in a third language in the context of Article 45.2 of the Staff Regulations.

B. COMPOSITION OF COURSES

The CALL is responsible for the organisation of the language courses, including the composition of groups and levels, and the organisation of placement testing. If you have questions, contact the CALL.

Where groups fall below a minimum number, the course may: (i) be cancelled, or (ii) be reorganised by bringing together two different classes.

C. TESTS

• Learning progress tests

There are regular tests during each language course (sometimes at the end of each term, sometimes only at the end of each course, in June). These allow you and the teacher to track your learning progress.

• Third language certification for promotion purpose

The HR will contact the Staff member when he/she becomes eligible.

• International proficiency certificates

If you wish to study for an international proficiency certificate in Italian, French, German or Spanish, you can apply to follow preparatory courses at the CALL. You will have to sit the exam at an accredited examination centre outside the EUI. See the CALL webpages for more information.

4. Guidelines

If you enrol in a course, you must commit to participating fully. By enrolling in a language course, you agree to the following conduct:

• You will only be allowed to enrol in one course per semester; enrolment in a second course will be possible only if there remain free spots in language classes after having considered first the staff where a service need exists. A second language class frequency will be outside working hours and the cost will be borne by the staff member.  
• You  will not be allowed to change language once the training coordinator has validated the request, unless exceptionally approved by Head of Unit;
• You must fill the request in PDM at the start of each academic term and wait for confirmation before beginning a course;
• You must attend regularly. This is not only to ensure the optimal use of resources, but also to ensure that the pedagogical objectives of the course are met. Regular attendance means you must be present for at least 75% of a course each term.
• You are expected to arrive on time and be present for the entirety of the lesson. HR will withdraw its approval for the course if you do not adhere to this rule. Where the course has been organised expressly for administrative staff, HR reserves the right to cancel the course if the number of attendees remain low.

If you are unable to attend or need to arrive late or leave early, you may ask for a ‘Justified Absence’. The procedure is as follows:

Email EUI_HRTraining with your teacher and Line Manager in copy if you are ill or your absence is work-related.

• You are committing to participation in the course; the HR Training Team checks the attendance sheet. If you attend less than 75% of a course you will be automatically suspended from following language courses;
• Please consult your selected language course webpage in order to find out whether you need to buy a book, or whether the CALL provides materials.

For further information, see the CALL webpages or contact the CALL at [email protected].