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COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK OF REFERENCE

FOR LANGUAGES – WHAT IS BEHIND IT?

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SESSION OUTLINE

• The need for a change• Basics of CEFR e• Background• The new approach• Competence as the Key Term• Scales and Subscales• Self-assessment and CEFR• Projects within CEFR• Issues and Critique• CEFR and IELTS

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Hands up!

• Who owns a copy of the CEFR – the BlueBook?

• Who has read it?• Who is familiar with its contents?

• Who has already heard of the CEFR?

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The World Is Changing

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Traditional Approaches• Memorization

• Teacher-centeredness

• Rote- learning

• Short term study habits

• Structures as a course subject

Recent Approaches

• Teaching English as it is

• Learner-centeredness

• Learning rather than teaching

• Teaching technology and the internet

• Promoting autonomy and awareness

• Teaching English as a means of communication

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THE KEY CONCEPTS OF THE NEW CURRICULUM

• Learner Centered Approach• Communicative competence• Intercultural competence• Study Skills• Self-assessment • Four language skills• Cooperative learning• Learning to learn• Learner autonomy• Cross curricular • Socio-affective skills• CEFR

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The new curriculum has been prepared in the light of CEFR

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What do these initials stand for?

• C…………….

• E……………..

• F………........

• R……………..

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COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK OF REFERENCES FOR LANGUAGES

• COMMON

• EUROPEAN

• FRAMEWORK

• REFERENCES

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COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK of REFERENCE

(CEFR)

LEARNING, TEACHING,ASSESSMENT

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Common European Framework of References for Languages: teaching, learning and assessment

a single framework for all aspects of language teaching and learning: planning, instruction, and assessment & a common criteria for a description of language competencies.

designed by the Council of Europe

What is CEFR ?

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WHY CEFR?

• Mobility among the members of the Council of Europe

• Paying respect to other languages and cultures

• To assist learners, teachers, course designers, examining bodies and educational administrators to situate, coordinate their efforts and cooperate among educational institutions in different countries

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Council of Europe Policy

“providing a common basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, examinations, textbooks, etc. across Europe” (CEFR, p.1)

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The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) was developed to support the Council of Europe policy How?

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Background

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Notional-functional syllabus (Wilkins, Morrow)– Threshold– Waystage– Vantage– Learning target specifications

1970s work encouraged by the Council ofEurope

1986-2001 (European Union Council Resolution)

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Pluralingualism and Pluriculturism

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What is important today is

Not only… But also…

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Council of Europe Policy

– To combat intolerance and xenophobia

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The Council of Europe also attaches great importance to language learning

– To preserve linguistic and cultural identity

– To improve communication and mutual understanding

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Council of Europe Policy

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The Council of Europe has principal ideas

to develop its linguistic policy

Which ones?

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Council of Europe Policy

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Transparency and coherence

Learning throughout life

Plurilingual and Pluricultural competences

Mobility and cooperation

So, the CEFR purpose is …

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CEFR: purposes

1. Elaboration of language syllabuses and curriculum guidelines.

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2. Design teaching and learning materials.

3. The assessment of language proficiency

The CEFR aims are

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CEFR: characteristics

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Main Factors to Take into Account

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Competences as the Key Aspect

1. General Competence

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2. Communicative Language Competence

Two main types to draw on

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Knowledge (declarative knowledge): academic and empirical

Skills and Know-how

Existential competence

Ability to learn

General Competences

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Linguistic competence (lexical, phonological, syntactical knowledge and skills)

Sociolinguistic competence (sociocultural conditions of language use)

Pragmatic competence (functional use of linguistic resources – production of language functions, speech acts etc)

Communicative Language Competence

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Practice makes PERFECT!!!• Being more competent means to be able to carry out more and more

activities

competences activities

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LevelLevel Division Division

PROFICIENT

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CEFR: levels

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Basic User

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/ManualRevision-proofread-FINAL_en.pdf

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CEFR: levels

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Independent User

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/ManualRevision-proofread-FINAL_en.pdf

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CEFR: levels

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Proficient User

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/ManualRevision-proofread-FINAL_en.pdf

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Subdividing Levels

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CEFR: dimensions

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The CEFR is based in 2 dimensions:

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Our communications

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Dimensions of our language

COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE COMPETENCE

1. Reception

2. Production

3. Interaction

4. Mediation CONTEXT

BODY LANGUAGE

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Sub-scale (Conversation)

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Subscale – Turntaking (strategies)

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Subscale – Orthographic Control

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Subscale – Vocabulary range

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Subscale -???

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Subscale - ???

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Subscale (substr.)- ???

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CAN DO STATEMENTS

The levels are described in the form of Can Do statements

e.g. “Can give directions” or “Can introduce him/herself”

AND

This gives teachers and students concrete goals from real life situations.

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Self-assessment checklist

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Teaching or Learning?

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Sample Descriptors (Basic User-A1)GLOBALLY:Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases

Can introduce him/herself and others

Can ask and answer questions about personal details

Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

SPECIFICALLY Can understand instructions

addressed carefully and slowly to him or her and follow short simple directions

Can understand short simple messages on postcards

Can ask people for things and give people things

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Sample Activities - Learning to Learn(Cooperative Learning)

Speaking production:B. 1. Can initiate, maintain, and close simple face to face conversation

on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. Types of Holiday

Activity.3. Work in pairs and talk with your partners and use theprompts in the box. I would prefer….. because I wouldn’t prefer….. because e.g. What kind of holiday would you prefer? Why/Why not?

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Sample Activities – Communicative Competence

Speaking production:A.2.3: can handle very short social exchangeseven though they don’t understand enough toKeep the conversation going themselves.

A.2. can express himself/ herself understood in short contributions, even though pauses, false starts and reformulation are very evident.

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Sample activities - Speaking Interaction: A.2.3.exchange infromation about society and social life.

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CEFR: purposes

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The CEFR aims to develop 4 projects

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CEFR: purposes

The Portfolio

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CEFR: purpose

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The Dialang Project

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CEFR: purpose

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Common groups of exams

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CEFR: purpose

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Specific documents

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USE of CEFRin international practice

• • levels for school-leaving (A2,B1, B2), • for University graduation (C2!), • for migration (A1 minus to B1), • for citizenship (A1 to B2)

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Possible Issues

• Terminology problems: synonymy or not?• Inconsistency?• Lack of definition• Gaps

Inconsistency?• I can understand familiar names, words andvery simple sentences, for example on noticesand posters or in catalogues” (page 26)• “Can recognise familiar names, words andvery basic phrases on simple notices in themost common everyday situations” (page 70)

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Some Issues

• Lack of definitions:Simple, the most common, everyday, familiar,concrete, predictable, straightforward, factual complex, specialised, highly colloquial, short,long• Ambiguity:Is a short text necessarily “easier” than alonger text?

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Some Issues: synonymy

Operations at A2• Understand• Take• Get• Follow• Identify• Infer

• Operations at B2• Understand• Scan• Monitor• Obtain• Select• Evaluate• Locate• Identify

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Some issues - FAQ

1. How can we ensure that we elicit targetlanguage features?2. How can we check both what the learners areable to do and also what they freely choose todo?3. How can we ensure that tasks at a given CEFRlevel are parallel? Is my B1 your B1?4. We need banks of validated reading andlistening tasks to illustrate CEFR levels

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Limitations of the CEFR

• Not enough information for test development– DIALANG experience• Lack of specificity as to how language• proficiency develops• No reference to specific languages - but seereference level descriptions:www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/DNR_EN.asp

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CEFR and IELTS

• “As we grow in our understanding of the relationship between IELTS and the CEFR levels, so the frame of reference may need to be revised accordingly.”

Taylor, L (2004a) 'Issues of test comparability', Research Notes, 15, 2-5.

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CEFR vs IELTS - FAQ

*Has the IELTS changed?

No,it hasn’t.

*Some IELTS band scores are shown as borderline (e.g. it is not clear whether band 6,5 is B2 or C1). How should institutions and organisations interpret this?

Our research shows that a C1 minimum threshold would fall between the 6.5 and 7 bands on the IELTS scale. Therefore, whilst many 6.5 candidates would be at C1, a number will be marginally below.

*Does IELTS differentiate at C2 level? Band scores of 8.5 and higher are recognised as C2. Band 8 is borderline.

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References• A Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

Learning, Teaching, Assessment. — Strasbourg, 1986. • Common European Framework of reference for languages //Council of

Europe: http://www.coe.int/ and http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Source/ManualRevision-proofread-FINAL_en.pdf

• IELTS (official site) http://www.ielts.org• Общеевропейские компетенции владения иностранным языком:

изучение, преподавание, оценка / Департамент современных языков Директората по образованию, культуре и спорту Совета Европы; Перевод выполнен на кафедре стилистики английского языка МГЛУ под общ. ред. проф. К. М. Ирисхановой. — М.: Изд-во МГЛУ, 2003

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Thank youvery much

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Council of Europe and…

Elena Golubovskaya,

Associate Professor,English Language DepartmentHigher School of Economics