Memberships

European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education
Founded in 1991 in Strasbourg, CercleS is an umbrella organization for independent language centers in 21 European countries; it includes seminars, institutes, departments and language programs in nearly 250 language centers and post-secondary educational institutions whose main assignments are language education. Its member organizations employ a total of several thousand individuals (academic, administrative, and technical personnel). About 250,000 students (novices and advanced learners) attend professional and vocational language courses in all of the world’s main languages. CercleS sees itself responsible for maintaining the highest standards in instruction and research.

NULTE, short for Network of University Language Testers in Europe, works under the umbrella of CercleS and, at present, consists of six systems of certification from different countries: Acert (Poland), CertAcles® (Spain), CLES (France), UNILANG (United Kingdom and Ireland), UNIcert® (Germany and beyond) and UNIcert®LUCE (Slovakia and Czech Republic).

In providing a forum for identifying and pursuing the common interests of university language testers, the Network of University Language Testers in Europe seeks closer cooperation and mutual recognition between university language certificates. Tests within in the NULTE-context are context sensitive and university-based and framed within the context of higher education. Rigorous procedures for validation purposes and quality assurance are core elements of each testing system.

Working Group of Language Centers, Language and Foreign Language Institutes (AKS)
Since its founding in 1970, AKS has concerned itself with the improvement and scientific funding of vocational and technical language education at post-secondary educational institutes. AKS has pursued this goal through both political-educational engagement and by acting upon questions of content. AKS regularly organizes conferences and symposia on language learning and teaching, thus actively supporting teaching staff, and edits scientific publications on language teaching in Higher Education Institutions.

UNIcert® is a quality label for teaching, testing and certifying language competencies in a university context within a common international framework for excellence promoting university-specific, intercultural and action-oriented approaches to teaching and learning mainly foreign but also heritage languages. The UNIcert® network is composed of approx. 60 language centers in Germany as well as UNIcert®LUCE (Slovakia and Czech Republic) and, most recently, UNIcert®China. UNIcert® is one of the founding members of CercleS, the European Confederation of Language Centres in Higher Education, and of NULTE, short for Network of University Language Testers in Europe.

Professional Association for German as a Foreign Language (FaDaF)
FaDaF’s goal is to promote and assist acquisition of the German language and resulting intercultural encounters. With this goal in mind, FaDaF advocates the acquisition ofin-depth understanding of foreign cultures; furthermore, the Association helps promote the German language education of foreign students in Germany, as well as individuals and institutions employed and engaged in this field. FaDaF provides support for the education and professional development of instructors of German as a Foreign Language as well as for doctoral candidates in this field.

Tandem® Fundazioa was a teacher training center (a foundation with seat in Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain) that developed material for language teaching and cultural exchanges worldwide according to the "Tandem Method". The material may be downloaded and disseminated for free as long as the source is mentioned.