| General Information
The State Language Certificate (KPG) is an examination program
which focuses on the certification of different levels of knowledge
in a foreign language. In other words it examines the level
of ability of understanding that a person has developed in writing
and speaking the particular language.
Those who are eligible to participate in these examinations
are Greek citizens or expatriates, European Union citizens,
or foreigners who are legally staying in Greece.
The KPG examinations check and evaluate the knowledge of
different foreign languages particularly among Greek users.Therefore,
they take into consideration the social circumstances of the
language used and measure communication and negotiation skills
from the Greek languageto any other foreign language. This
contrasts with other evaluating systems which design the examinations
in only one language, independent of the user and the environment
in which it is used.
The design of these examinations was based on:
• a united framework of programmes for all languages and
• common specifications set by examination boards for measuring
the understanding and production of written and oral language.
The evaluation system was designed on the basis of international
experience. The knowledge levels that are certified were determined
by the scale of the learning levels specified by the European
Committee Report on the Common Framework for Languages.
The KPG is not in competition with other international awarding
bodies which provide language certification in Greece onthe
behalf of other foreign organisations.
However, the KPG has no commercial interest and does not
operate for profit. It is not system of certification that
has been developed for financial gain. It is supported and
subsidised by the state, so the cost of participation for
the candidates is nominal.
The Ministry of Education and Religion Affairs has entrusted
a Central Examination Board for the design, preparation and
supervision of the examinations. The Board is comprised of
experienced and specialist University lecturers. The educational
support is undertaken by the department of Foreign Languages
and Literature at the Universities of Athens and Thessaloniki.The
educational responsibility for the course content of every
language is overseen by a recognised and validated member
of the two universities mentioned above.
The KPG exams which are organised by the Department for Certification
of Foreign Language Learning, part of the Ministry of Education
and Religion Affairs, are held twice a year (in May and November)and
are well-supported by the fully - equipped tertiary education
system.
In the first phase of the KPG system in (April2003) examinations
were designed and implemented at 'upper intermediate' level(B2
on the European Council System) in 4 languages: English, French,
German and Italian. In 2007 B1 level 'Intermediate' was introduced
and in May 2008 a combined exam for A1+A2 ('Beginner + Elementary')
was introduced. In November2008 'full mastery' C2 level will
be examined for the first time in Spanish. The full expansion
of the system has already been designed so that very soon
all 6 graded levels will be examined and certified.
The educational and administrative support for these examinations
by experienced and specialised personnel, contributed to the
direct award of this new institution, which is now considered
a particularly competitive and reliable system of certification
language learning.
Thus it is already recognized as evidence of knowledge of
a foreign language in most Institutes of Higher Education
in this country. It is also recognised by ASEP.
It is included in the all bilateral education agreements
that are contracted by the Ministry.
A concerted effort is being made to inform the appropriate
institutions responsible in all EU countries, and brief them
about the KPG. |
