Language Policy

LANGUAGE POLICY FOR CREDENTIALED COMMUNITY LANGUAGE (CCL) TESTS

NAATI sets language policies to help candidates understand how NAATI will assess language use during their test. This includes how examiners will assess language variation or borrowing.
NAATI’s general policies on language variation and borrowing, as well as specific information for each language we offer tests in, are below. The language-specific policies complement, but don’t override, the general policies.
- Language variation is the different ways people from different regional areas or social groups use the same language.
- Borrowing is how people borrow words and signs from languages other than their own.

General Policies

Policy A: Language variation

It is recognised that variations in vocabulary and usage may arise in the same languages as spoken in different countries, e.g. Portuguese in Portugal and in Brazil; French in France and in Canada, English between Australia and other English-speaking countries.
Individuals sitting a CCL test must be able to understand regional variations within the language. In these cases, markers also make allowances for variation. Examiner panels are aware of regional variations and make allowances for this during the marking process.

Policy B: Use of English words

NAATI recognises that there are languages in which English words are regularly and commonly used by speakers of languages other than English (LOTE) and this usage is widely understood within the LOTE-speaking community in Australia.
NAATI accepts that there may be LOTE words that could have been used (as an alternative to the English word) but the candidate will not be penalised where the English word is regularly and commonly used by LOTE speakers.
It is also considered appropriate for the limited use of English words in a CCL test dialogue where the usage is part of the language norms and conventions.