Accreditation

Accueil examinations

Foreign Language Competence for the Hospitality and Tourism Industries

Accueil was created within the framework of a European project supported by the LEONARDO vocational training programme of the European Commission and the Swiss Federal Ministry of Education and Science. Coordinated the International Certificate Conference (ICC) – the international language association, Hamburg, institutions from seven European countries set out to define common standards for foreign language competence in the hospitality and tourism industries. The result of this co-operation is an examination system whose main features are:

  • a suite of accueil examinations in English, French and German.
  • close-to-life accueil testing of exclusively occupationally relevant language use.
  • a flexible, modular accueil system which allows further developments based on the specific, occupational needs of the hospitality and tourism industries.
  • accueil test modules are related to the scales of competence defined in the Common European Framework of the Council of Europe.
  • the accueil certificate testifies to the successful candidate’s language skills in terms of ‘can do’ statements.
  • dates of examinations can be determined individually by accueil Test Centres.

For more information please visit the accueil website www.accueil-language.com or contact:

ICC Head Office
info@icc-languages.eu

Contacting accueil
accueil Language Centre
Hotelfachschule Thun
Mönchstrasse 37
CH-3602 Thun
Tele +41 (0)33 227 77 81
Fax +41 (0)33 221 62 50
www.accueil-language.com
accueil@hfmail.ch

Quality Assurance

Certificate of Quality Assurance QAS

The ICC European Language Network has its own Certificate of Quality Assurance recognising excellence and best practice in materials, products and services related to language training.

The Certificate of Quality Assurance aims to improve and publicise quality in language learning materials, products and services Europe wide and between Europe and the rest of the world.

The scheme is administered by the Quality Assurance Committee (CQA) in conjunction with the board and head office of the ICC International Language Network.

The CQA provides expert assessment of materials, products and services submitted to it and offers a kitemark of excellence and best practice throughout the language learning world.

Materials, products and services awarded certification by the ICC European Language Network are publicised by through the Network’s website and all its meetings and publications.

Successful materials, products and services are entitled to display the ICC Certificate of Quality Assurance on the product packaging and publicity.

Swedex

Examinations in Swedish as a foreign language

A surprising number of people learn Swedish as a foreign language to be able to work or study in Sweden. Many others who live outside Sweden have contacts with Sweden or with Swedish companies and need to be able to communicate in Swedish. So, for an increasing number of people, it has become important to be able to document their knowledge of Swedish. And the Swedex examinations provide an opportunity for them to prove their competence in the language.

Swedex examinations

  • are international examinations in Swedish as a foreign language
  • certify practical language skills in Swedish
  • test all language skills
  • are related to the Council of Europe level of attainment
  • are available at two levels: A2 and B1 on the scale of levels of the CEF
  • can be taken in Sweden and other countries no matter where you have learnt Swedish.

To find out where your nearest examination centre is click here:
http://www.swedex.info/taex_utanfor_eng.asp

What does Swedex test?

Swedex tests all four language skills and comprises five different papers at levels A2 and B1:

  • reading comprehension
  • all vocabulary and grammar
  • listening comprehension
  • written production
  • oral production

Duration of the written part:
A2: approximately 2 hours, including one break
B1: approximately 3 hours, including two breaks

The speaking test is taken individually (A2) or in pairs (B1) according to a special timetable.

Duration of the oral part:
A2: approximately 8 minutes
B1: approximately 15 minutes + 15 minutes preparation time

Mock examinations are available for A2 and B1, illustrating the different test papers of the examinations.
They can be downloaded directly from the Swedex home page: http://www.swedex.info/def_eng.asp

For further information, please see the Swedex examination regulations: