Quality Assurance in the Assessment of Students Learning Romanian as a Foreign Language, According to ARACIS Standards

Abstract

Quality assurance in the teaching-learning-assessment process, carried out in higher education, is a duty for any university in Romania, according to the Higher Education Law. The present article presents some positive didactic experiences, highlighting the specific aspects of the process of assessment the Romanian language communication skills of foreign students. The suggestions offered come from research and own experiences, based on the author's quality as an expert evaluator within Commission no. 2 of Humanities and Theology of the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS), but also based on the didactic experience in teaching Romanian as a foreign language. According to the ARACIS Standards, in order to ensure quality in the evaluation of students learning Romanian as a foreign language, the professor will use the assessments along the term and the final assessment. Evaluation is a continuous, fluid process that unfolds and develops throughout the teaching activity, and not a static, fixed method that a professor can adopt definitively. In assessing the Romanian language knowledge of foreign students, the professor must maintain a balance between competition between students and their cooperation. On the other hand, we need to curb the tendency towards standardized testing, which places an exaggerated emphasis on results. The assessment tools that help us measure the students' progress in acquiring and using the Romanian language are also important. It is mandatory for the professor to establish some operational objectives clearly formulated in observable and measurable actions.