Laying the foundations. Devising a model for work-related language competence in German
There is little doubt that language competence is a key to a successful professional career. But what exactly are the language requirements placed on employees? And how can such requirements be tested? Research has so far only addressed these questions selectively; a systematic model of professional language competence in German has not yet been developed.
In this presentation, a method will be presented for identifying communication situations based on the life cycle of employees which they must be able to successfully realize at work. By analyzing texts and genres, it is then possible to describe those linguistic competences that are required for participation in the world of work and calibrate them to the scale system of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The result is a comprehensive model of professional language competence that maps different levels of this competence from job search to retirement.