Law enforcement English language examination system (LforS), future dimensions

Absztrakt

Aim: Introduction to the – unique at European level - law enforcement language examination system, comparing to other general and special language examination systems, accredited in Hungary. Presentation of the assessment descriptors, divided into language skills on the basis of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (KER). Possible roles of the law enforcement language examination system in different fields at national and international level.

Methodology: The study demonstrates the language examination system from a linguistic and law enforcement point of view, provides a conformity analysis of the content, validity, and measurement methods of the examination, and explores options for its future developments through needs assessment and analysis.

Findings: The law enforcement language examination also fills a gap in Europe and world-wide. The theme of the examination covers all the law enforcement – broadly defined – fields, the level system matches the descriptors of the Common European Framework as regards the four language skills. The measurements methods are in line with the Accreditation Manuals, either published by the Council of Europe or by the Accreditation Centre for Foreign Language Examinations of Educational Authority in Hungary. Due to an appropriate articulation with the language knowledge level classification accepted and applied in Europe and the monolingualism of the language examination, makes that particularly suitable for use in other countries as well.

Value: As in Hungary, only a limited number of the population as a whole – hence included law enforcement employees – can speak foreign languages compared to other European countries, presence of a law enforcement language examination system, which is suitable for measuring the level of the language knowledge, standardisation and learning of law enforcement terms, and motivating to improve the language knowledge, might be of great importance. Cross-border crime, organized crime, migration, and other law enforcement related fields at international level are requiring the communication between law enforcement authorities at both bilateral and multilateral levels, with it being essential a common language, appropriate law enforcement language knowledge.