The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching and assessment
The European Survey of Language Competences centres on the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching and assessment (CEFR), which sets out to do two things:
- Provide ‘a common basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, examinations, textbooks, etc. across Europe’, by describing ‘in a comprehensive way what language learners have to learn to do in order to use a language for communication and what knowledge and skills they have to develop so as to be able to act effectively.’
- Define ‘levels of proficiency which allow learners’ progress to be measured at each stage of learning and on a life-long basis’. (CEFR p 1)
The Survey will report all outcomes in terms of the CEFR levels, and will support the Council of Europe’s objectives in providing a common basis for thinking about language learning, teaching and assessment in Europe.
In this respect it shares many values with the Reference Level Descriptors projects such as English Profile, which are about describing progression in language proficiency in ways which reflect and provide useful information to many specific groups of learners.