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CEFR: Proficiency Levels, Communication, Assessment, and Adaptation

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a widely used framework for describing language ability. This lesson introduces its purpose, origins, and six reference levels.

The CEFR—also abbreviated CEF or CEFRL—is a guideline for describing what learners can do in a foreign language. It supports clearer communication about language achievement across educational institutions, employers, teachers, and learners. A shared descriptive framework can help an admissions office or employer interpret a candidate’s language qualifications.

All flashcards

What does CEFR stand for?
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
What four language activities does the CEFR distinguish?
Reception, production, interaction, and mediation.
What are the CEFR’s four broad domains of language use?
Educational, occupational, public, and personal.
What are the three particular communicative competences named in the CEFR?
Linguistic, sociolinguistic, and pragmatic competence.
What does the CEFR Companion Volume say about its descriptors?
They are resources for reflection, discussion, and development, not mandatory standards.

Quiz questions

  1. What need did the 1991 Rüschlikon symposium identify?Answer: A common framework to improve recognition of language qualifications and cooperation among teachers.
  2. What did the Council of Europe reject regarding language testing?Answer: The idea that the CEFR promotes one shared testing system for all member states.
  3. How should proposed correspondences between the CEFR and scales such as ACTFL or ILR be interpreted?Answer: As approximate alignments that may depend on direction and skill assessed.
  4. Which proficiency standard does the 2020 CEFR Companion Volume remove?Answer: A native-speaker standard for judging language ability.
  5. Which competence concerns using language appropriately in social contexts and relationships?Answer: Sociolinguistic competence

Based on the Wikipedia article Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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