Raising Standards

The Common European Framework,

ALTE and TKT

By Cambridge University Press

 Intermediate Level
• What does ‘intermediate’ mean to
you?
• Think of 3 things an intermediate
student should be able to do.
• Compare and discuss with the person
next to you.
• What conclusions can you come to?
 Quote

• I know 80% the

English!
 Quote
•‘I have divided my
students into two
groups; beginners
and advanced.’
So,what does ‘intermediate’
mean?
• Levels are abstract
• Evaluations are often
unreliable
• Language objectives
differ greatly
 So we need some kind
of framework…

• WHY?

• To Standardise levels
• To Set global objectives
• To Create reliable evaluations
 The Council of Europe

Founded 1949
Promotes languages for
• mutual understanding
• personal mobility
• access to information
 The Council of Europe’s work is based
on 2 main aims:
• to convert the diversity of languages
(and cultures) from being a barrier to
communication into a source of mutual
enrichment and understanding.
• to facilitate communication and
interaction among people of
different mother tongues in order
to promote mobility, mutual
understanding and co-operation.
 Quote

•‘Language
learning is a life
long task.’
 The Common European
Framework of Reference for
Language Learning, Teaching
and Assessment
• 10 years research
• 41 member states of Council of Europe involved
in the development of CEF
• Developed for standardising levels in European
languages (Spanish, French, German, etc)
 Why do we need CEF?

• To provide a common basis

for the elaboration of
language syllabuses,
curriculum guidelines,
examinations and textbooks.
 • It describes in a
comprehensive way what
language learners have to
learn 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.
Language programs need to consider...

• What will the learners need to do with the

language?
• What do they need to learn in order to be able to
use the language to achieve those ends?
• What makes them want to learn?
• What sort of people are they?
• What knowledge, skills and experience do their
teachers possess?
• What access do they have to materials?
• How much time can they spend on learning?
 CEF sets out to help teachers,
trainers, examining boards, etc.
to…

meet the real needs of

the learners for whom
they are responsible
 CEF Criteria

• Comprehensive – covers the

widest possible range of language knowledge, skills and
use

• Transparent – clearly formulated,

explicit, available and readily comprehensible

• Coherent – free from internal

contradictions, has a harmonious relation among
components
So how many levels are there?

6
 How are they divided?

A1
• Basic User
A2 B1
• Independent User B2
C1
• Proficient User
C2
 LEVELS
Level Meaning ESOL Exam Approx. Time
Equivalent
A1 Beginner
A2 Elementary KET 250
B1 Low PET 400
Intermediate
B2 High FCE 700
Intermediate
C1 Advanced CAE 850+
C2 Very CPE 1000+
Advanced
How do we measure the levels?
• Descriptors
• Competences
• 5 skills:
1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Speaking – Interaction
4. Speaking – Production
5. Listening
 Descriptors
• B1 – low intermediate (PET)
• Can understand the main points of clear
standard input on familiar matters regularly
encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
Can deal with most situations likely to
arise whilst travelling in an area where the
language is spoken.
 Can Do Statement: B1

Listening/Speaking Reading Writing

CAN express opinions CAN understand CAN write letters or
on abstract/cultural routine information and make notes on familiar
matters in a limited articles, and the or predictable matters.
way or offer advice general meaning of
within a known area, non-routine
and understand information within a
instructions or public familiar area.
announcements.
‘Can do’ Statements – Global Scale
• Can understand with ease virtually everything
heard or read
• Can introduce him/herself and others and can
ask and answer questions about personal
details…
• Can express him/herself spontaneously, very
fluently and precisely…
• Can interact in a simple way, provided the other
person talks slowly..
• Can summarise information from different
spoken and written texts…
 Qualititive aspects of spoken
language use
• Range • High degree of grammatical
control
• Accuracy • Controlled use of connectors
and cohesive devices
• Interweaves fully natural turn-
• Fluency
taking
• Expresses him/herself fluently
• Interaction ans spontaneously
• Has a good command of
• Coherence idiomatic expressions
 Competences (Skills and
knowledge)
• Linguistic competences – lexical,
phonological, syntactical knowledge and skills

• Sociolinguistic competences – knowledge

and skills of social conventions

• Pragmatic competences – functional use of

linguistic resources, mastery of discourse
 Five skills

Listening

Reading

Spoken Interaction

Spoken Production

Writing
CEF - four domains (areas of
concern)

personal occupational

public educational
 Themes – personal domain
• Personal identification
• House and home, environment
• Daily life
• Free time, entertainment
• Travel
• Relations with other people
• Health and body care
 Free time, entertainment (sub-
category)
• Leisure
• Hobbies and interests
• Radio and TV
• Cinema, theatre, concerts
• Exhibitions, museums
• Intellectual and artistic pursuits
• sports
 Sports (specific notions)
• Location: field, ground, stadium
• Institutions and organisations: sport, team,
club
• Persons: player, captain
• Objects: cards, ball
• Events: game, race
• Actions: to watch, to play, to race, to win
 The Common European
Framework (CEF)
C2 Mastery
C Proficient User
C1 Effective
Operational Proficiency

B2 Vantage
B Independent User
B1 Threshold

A2 Waystage
A Basic User
A1 Breakthrough
 Implications for learning and
teaching
• The CEF does not set out to recommend
any specific approach to learning and
teaching languages
• Promotes learner autonomy
• Emphasis on helping learners learn how to
learn
• Focus more on skills and strategies than
mechanical grammar practice
Is the CEF relevant to Latin America?
• Council of Europe has 45 member states: not just EU
• CEF applies to European languages
• Many points in the rationale for developing CEF which apply equally
outside Europe
– need for communication & understanding global issues
– stress on functional uses of language
– common domains: Leisure & Tourism, Work, Study
• Research going on for over 30 years, with a large investment of
resources by some of the most experienced researchers
• Widespread adoption by international stake-holders: curriculum
developers, publishers, examination providers, Ministries of Education
 Bogotá Bilingüe, Colombia
• Launched in 2003 as Bogotá Bilingüe; now
expanded to ‘Bogotá y Cundinamarca Bilingües en
10 Años’
• Aim of the project is that within 10 years:
• All primary students will have a level of English equivalent
to A2 on the CEF
• All secondary students will have a level of English
equivalent to B1 on the CEF
• All teachers of English will have a level equivalent to B2
on the CEF
• Colombian government now looking to expand
project nationwide
 El Inglés Abre Puertas,
Chile
• National English project launched in 2003
• Aims of the project:
• “By 2010 all primary school leavers should reach
Cambridge KET level (A2), all secondary school
leavers should reach Cambridge PET level (B1), and
all English language teachers should reach Cambridge
FCE level (B2).” (Sergio Bitar, Minister for Education)
• Cambridge ESOL recently contracted by the Ministry of
Education to test the current levels of 8th & 12th Grade
students throughout Chile
 Mexico
• An increasing number of universities are
incorporating the CEF into their language
programmes
• Current initiative to help all English
teachers nationwide reach a minimum of
B1 level English
CEF and ESOL Exams
 Levels

Cambridge ESOL Levels Council of Europe Levels

Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) Mastery C2

Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) Effective Proficiency C1
First Certificate in English (FCE) Vantage B2
Preliminary English Test (PET) Threshold B1
Key English Test (KET) Waystage A2
 Further Information
European Union
http://europa.eu.int/abc/index_en.htm

Council of Europe
www.coe.int

ALTE
www.alte.org
 University of Cambridge
ESOL Examinations
1 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB1 2EU, UK
Tel: +44 1223 553355
Fax: +44 1223 460278
E-mail: ESOLHelpdesk@ucles.org.uk

Keep up to date via the Cambridge ESOL website:

www.CambridgeESOL.org
Teaching Resources website:

www.CambridgeESOL.org/teach
 Thank you
• For attending this seminar on
•

CEF
jwatson@cambridge.org
ALTE ‘Can Do’ Project Example
Statements
• C2/Level 5: CAN keep up casual conversation
for an extended period of time
• C1/Level 4: CAN show visitors round and give a
detailed description of a place
• B2/Level 3: CAN scan texts for relevant
information and grasp main topic of text
• B1/Level 2: CAN write a simple routine request to
a colleague
• A2/Level 1: CAN leave a simple message giving
information
 How many levels?
• 6 levels
• From Beginner to very
advanced
• Based on international
examination board levels for
languages