This is an innovative strategic partnership in the national context because of the universal and inclusive scope it aims to achieve, and also because of the bet on the social and personal value of the language level it provides to all students: a convinced stake on the level of excellence and value that is conferred by the recognition of the C1 level: a competent and autonomous user.
The implementation of the protocol begins now with various actions in the area of teacher training and assessment of the language level of students; it will be carried out over several school years, and starting from the next school year, 2022-23, the language certification of students will be ensured at specific moments in their school career.
The consolidation of the measures envisaged by this initiative is structured around four lines of action: the increase in students' language skills, their certification by a body of unquestionable international recognition, investment in ongoing teacher training, and the adoption of teaching methodologies aimed at improving communication in different contexts, using teaching materials specially selected for this purpose.
The Salesian commitment in this field acknowledges that mastery of the English language, at the level of competence and autonomy that is offered and duly certified here, is an essential value in the formation of citizens capable of integrating into academic and professional contexts without borders, those where, precisely, English is increasingly used as a universal language of communication. It is also a challenge for all the students who attend Salesian schools, from the age of 3 to the end of secondary school, and for their families, who will thus be able to see assured, in a formal school context, a formative dimension that has not always been given the right importance, but which must be valued as an irreplaceable tool on the path to professional success.
Fr Tarcízio Morais, Coordinator of the Educational Area Team of "Fundação Salesianos", stated on the subject that “education is one of the most important pillars of our society, helping us to build a future based on formation, and at the Salesian Foundation we constantly invest in the talent of our young people. We live in a global society and in an era marked by increased mobility of students and future professionals, which brings new challenges. It is with these needs that our young people face in mind that the Salesian Foundation today announces this collaboration with 'Cambridge University Press' and 'Cambridge Assessment English', which aims to promote innovation and the social and pastoral value of integral formation. We are an institution that accompanies the evolution, transformation and development of the best curriculum for our students.”
And he concluded: “The universality of English allows Salesian students to prepare themselves in the best possible way, so that in the near future they can apply to foreign universities, as well as in the future they can more easily access the job market, with the 'Cambridge Assessment English' certification.”
Speaking of this innovative strategic collaboration, Elaine Blaus, Commercial Director of “Cambridge English” for the European region, said: “The protocol we signed today with 'Fundação Salesianos' in Portugal is of great importance for 'Cambridge University Press' and 'Cambridge Assessment English'. It represents our commitment to support thousands of students from the various Salesian schools every year, accompanying them with our textbooks and other teaching materials on their learning path and ensuring their progress is monitored through our internationally recognized exams.”
Each year, more than 7 million people from 130 countries take the Cambridge Assessment English exams, which are recognized by more than 25,000 government agencies, universities and businesses worldwide.
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