General facts about the CEFR

• CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment.

• Year of publication: 2001

• Published by: The Council of Europe

• Objective: The CEF is a guideline which “provides a common basis for the elaboration of languages syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, examinations, textbooks, etc. (CEF:2001:1).

1. What is the Common European

Framework and how did it evolve?

Origins of the CEF

• Respond to a lack of homogeneity among languages teaching, especially as for levels descriptions.

• Before the CEF, levels meant different things among different institutions, in different countries and in different foreign languages.

Origins of the CEF

• Responds to a need of a common language for teachers:

→ which gives them a way to specify what the learners are able to do at certain levels.

→ which helps them to know how these levels can guide the teaching.

→ which helps them to select course books and resources.

The aim of the CEF

• Establish international standards for learning, teaching and assessment for all modern European languages.

The Global Scale of the CEF

• To describe what a learner can do at six specifics levels (from A1 to C2).

Basic User

Independent User

Proficient User

The Global Scale of the CEF

In the CEF, each level is complemented by a deep description of:

• Competencies necessary for effective communication.

• Skills and knowledge related to language learning.

• Situations (people, place, time, organization, etc.) and contexts (study, work, social, tourism, etc.) in which communication takes place.

The Global Scale of the CEF

Competencies, skills, knowledge, situations and contexts are detalled for three areas of communication:

• Understanding (Listening and Reading)

• Speaking (Spoken Interaction and Spoken Production)

• Writing

The Global Scale of the CEF

• Can be used with virtually any language (not language specific).

• Can be used to compare achievement and learning across languages (B1 in Spanish = B1 in French).

• Helps teacher, academic coordinators and course book writers to decide on curriculum and syllabus content.

The Global Scale of the CEF

“Can do” statements:

• Set of statements that describe what a learner can do.

• Always positive.

• Help all learners see that learning has value and that they can attain language goals.

Self-Assessment Grids

• Language used in the CEF simplified for learners.

• Help students understand what their level is and where they will go next with their language learning and use.

• Encourage learners to reflect on their current and future levels.

• Used as part of a Language Portfolio.

Influence of the CEF on foreign languages learning & teaching

• Framework translated into more than 30 languages, including non-European languages such as Arabic and Japanese.

• Accessible to nearly everyone around the world.

• Positive impact on learning, teaching and assessment.

2. How can teachers make use of the CEF to help

achieve their classroom goals?

Benefits of the CEF for teachers

• Meaningful and useful point of reference to measure language knowledge and skills.

• Detailed description of learning, teaching and assessing languages.

• Specific levels and specific goals of those levels to follow along with the students.

• To help learners achieve new levels of proficiency using a methodology which best fits the way of teaching of the teacher and the way of learning of the learners.

Benefits of the CEF for teachers

•A support to select teaching materials.

• Indication of performance and ability to function in communicative contexts in a foreign language.

• To reflect on their approach to teaching, learning and assessment.

The CEF to “map” a journey

• Tool for “mapping” a learner’s journey in learning a language.

• Similar to a road map and used by teachers and learners to find the best route for their journey.

How to reach the different levels?

Depends on many factors:

• Teaching methodology.

• Students’ motivation.

• Their reason or purpose for learning.

• The course book and materials used.

• The amount of time taken.

• Etc.

Amount of time needed to reach CEF level

Learning a language is like climbing a mountain: the higher you go, the harder it gets.

Amount of time needed to reach CEF level

• Amount of time different to reach each level and different for every learner.

• It will take longer to get to B2 from B1 than it does to get to A2 from A1.

• As the learner progresses with the language, he/she needs to acquire a larger range of language knowledge and competencies.

• Beyond B1 level: linguistic plateau (adquisition slows)

• Language learning process: continual & individualized.

Amount of time needed to reach CEF level

Guidance on the number of guided teaching hours needed to fulfill the aims

of each CEF level

Association of Language Testers of Europe (ALTE)

Amount of time needed to reach CEF level

Factors which have influence on the number of hours needed for different learners to reach each CEF level:

• Age and motivation.

• Background; Origins (native language).

• Amount of prior study and extent of exposure to the language outside the classroom.

• Amount of time spent in individual study.

Importance of team work

With other teachers (as a group):

• Read through the levels in the CEF Global Scale and self-assessment grids.

• Decide how they think they fit the classroom goals, the curriculum, the syllabus and the course book chosen.

• Share ideas, advices and points of view.

3. How can the CEF help students reflect on their

learning?

The learners and the importance to understand the CEF levels

• They can use self-assessment, reflection and learner autonomy to become more effective learners inside and outside the classroom.

• Inspired and motivated learners (by their teachers) take control of their learning and become more effective autonomous learners.

• Role of the teacher: to help learners understand how they learn and how they can acquire useful tools that will enhance their progress.

Encouraging reflection on learners’ learning process

• Good teachers should encourage self-reflection and facilitate learner training.

How to encourage reflection?

The teacher can ask learners concrete questions to help them understand the benefits of reflection (reflection on general learning ability, on learning a language and aims…).

What do you think are your strengths as a student?

What expectations do you have of the language teacher?

What do you find easy or difficult about learning a language?

Language Portfolios

• Designed to help learners become more conscious of their language learning.

• To encourage them to monitor their own progress.

• To encourage them to engage in self-assessment using “can do” statements.

Language Portfolios

• Promote creativity.• Help students explore their interests and understand their profiles as language learners. • Property of the learners. • Allow learners to take control of their learning and to showcase examples of their best work.

Language Portfolios

Language portfolio divided in three parts:

1. The Language ‘Passport’: To reflect on the language learning experiences; To define learning needs; To plan a learning route.

2. The Language Biography: Learner’s personal language learning experiences (self-assessment).

3. The Language Dossier: Collection of learners’ work from throughout the course (in written, audio, video, etc. form).

The CEF…An indispensable language learning’s tool for teachers

and learners!