Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

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The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, or CEFR, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe. It was put together by the Council of Europe as the main part of the project "Language Learning for European Citizenship" between 1989 and 1996. Its main aim is to provide a method of assessing and teaching which applies to all languages in Europe. In November 2001 a European Union Council Resolution recommended using the CEFR to set up systems of validation of language ability. The six reference levels (see below) are becoming widely accepted as the standard for grading an individual's language proficiency. Nonetheless, existing examination boards have retained their own naming conventions, e.g. "Intermediate", which are, arguably, easier for them, and their students, to remember.

UNIcert (for different languages of both European and non-European countries), which is used in several European countries, is a university-language-education standard based on the CEF.

1 Development
2 Levels
3 Use in language testing
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Development

In 1991 the Swiss Federal Authorities held an Intergovernmental Symposium in Rüschlikon, Switzerland, on "Transparency and Coherence in Language Learning in Europe: Objectives, Evaluation, Certification". This symposium found that a Common European Framework for languages was needed to improve the recognition of language qualifications and help teachers co-operate, eventually leading to improved communication and cooperation generally in Europe.

As a result of the symposium, the Swiss National Science Foundation set up a project to develop levels of proficiency, to lead on to the creation of a "European Language Portfolio" - certification in language ability which can be used across Europe.

[edit] Levels

The Common European Framework divides learners into three broad divisions which can be divided into six levels:

A Basic User

A1 Breakthrough

A2 Waystage

B Independent User

B1 Threshold

B2 Vantage

C Proficient User

C1 Effective Operational Proficiency

C2 Mastery

The CEFR describes what a learner is supposed to be able to do in reading, listening, speaking and writing at each level, in detail, for example this descriptor for C2:

"Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations."

These descriptors can apply to any of the languages spoken in Europe, and there are translations in many languages.

[edit] Use in language testing

The ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) "Can Do" project developed a simplified set of 400+ descriptors for language examinations which relate to the Common Reference Levels. These descriptors are in the form of "can-do statements", each saying more simply what a learner can do at every level. There are four sections: general, social/ tourist, work and study. The ALTE project also gave its own names to the CEF levels: "Breakthrough level" - "Level 5".

The ALTE was founded by the University of Cambridge in conjunction with the University of Salamanca so the first exams to be related to their "Can-Do" statements were the Cambridge EFL exams. However, today many more examining boards link their exams to the system. Below is a table of some examinations as an example.

ALTE level	CEFR level	Goethe-Institut and/or TELC exams *)	Alliance française exam	Cambridge exam	UNIcert (different languages)
Level 5	C2	Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung, kleines Dt. Sprachdiplom	-	CPE	UNIcert IV
Level 4	C1	Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung, Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch	Diplôme Supérieur d’Etudes Françaises Modernes	CAE	UNIcert III
Level 3	B2	Zertifikat Deutsch Plus ), Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf )	Diplôme de Langue Française	FCE	UNIcert II
Level 2	B1	Zertifikat Deutsch *)	Certificat d’Etudes de Français Pratique II	PET	UNIcert I
Level 1	A2	Start Deutsch 2 *)	Certificat d’Etudes de Français Pratique I	KET	-
Breakthrough level	A1	Start Deutsch 1 *)	-	-	-