Are the C2 exams for the 14-year-olds?
by Gerasimos Ioannou, ELT Instructor
“I want my kid to take the C2 certificate.”
“It doesn’t have to be the difficult one; she could go for something easier.”
“Which certificate would you recommend for a child who […]?”
“Our school doesn’t teach the test. We teach the language. However, our students’ pass rates are 98% overall.”
“I want him to ‘finish with’ English before starting studying for the Panhellenic Exams.”
We are all familiar with these quotes. They are part of the context of how children in Greece end up going for the Proficiency certificate when they are 14 or 15.
A survey from a decade ago (Cambridge English Centenary, p.16) recorded a Greek phenomenon of monumental magnitude: in 1991 46% of the CPE candidature worldwide were from Greece. In 2012 they still constituted almost 28% of the candidates of all the CPE candidates anywhere in the world. The survey furthermore finds that in 1991 “The younger age group in this data is heavily influenced by the Greek candidates who take the exam at the age of 16.” And in 2012 “The Greek population is still very young compared to the rest of the world.” Not just younger, “very young”.
It could be argued that back then a C2 certificate was a qualification that could potentially help someone to get a respectable job. But this prospect for a career could hardly explain the urge to obtain the certificate. And it definitely can’t explain it, now that the qualification is off the table; and with the C2 candidates in Greece becoming younger and younger.
Of course, we can agree that nowadays 13-year-olds and 12-year-olds, even primary school students, are surprisingly fluent in English, with levels of proficiency comparable to those of a native speaker. That is where we give in to the temptation to force those children to adjust their minds into thinking like a C2 candidate. We are amazed by their fluency when they are speaking with their mates, or quarreling with their teacher, or playing videogames. But trying to tackle the writing paper, or the reading part, or the formal part of the speaking paper needs a lot more skill. Watching videos and films online is what comes naturally to them, but confronted with the academic and formal speech of lectures in the listening is probably beyond them.
The quite daunting aspect of a C2 exam, a skill that these young ages naturally lack, is the skill to understand how reasoning works. The Junior High School students find it difficult to understand what an argument is; what a main idea looks like and how it is supported or opposed with the use of arguments; what the role of an example is or that of paraphrasing. At this age, reasoning faculties are still in the process of development.
This is why 14-year-old Greek students do not take Panhellenic exams, in contrast to what they are forced to do with foreign languages. Even if they wanted to, they cannot be tested on the subject of Greek Language and Literature, whose exam is quite similar to the foreign language certification ones. Being a native speaker does not necessarily qualify children at this young age to sit an exam leading to the University.
Because originally that is what C2 exams were for: they were created to assess the level of proficiency of prospective university students. The CEFR also describes a C2 level speaker, with mental capacities which are more relevant to those of an 18-years-old person. If we carefully read the descriptions of the levels, we see that a language speaker even at the C1 level should be able to:
“[..] understand in detail a wide range of lengthy, complex texts likely to be encountered in social, professional or academic life, identifying finer points of detail including attitudes and implied as well as stated opinions.”
or
“[..] write clear, well-structured texts of complex subjects, underlining the relevant salient issues, expanding and supporting points of view at some length with subsidiary points, reasons and relevant examples, and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion.”
And the scales describe more complex abilities as we reach the C2 level, abilities for more mature children than 14-year-olds.
The C2 level being what it is, and unfit for very young ages, we do however have younger C2 holders. That of course could be the feat of exceptional minds. It could also be due to the fact that the students are channeled towards certifications which do not have such strict criteria in the areas of reasoning and argumentation. Or it could be the case that candidates are made to study vocabulary and grammar excruciatingly well –at times under an extremely strict regime of endless hours of tuition, mock exams and rote learning– and with their fluency in informal speech they attain the overall passing score.
Can we understand what we ask of our children?
Can we decide what we want our children to have? A “paper”? Fluency? Culture?
We need some answers. The kids desperately need some answers. This (new?) era is already calling for answers.
