Unit 1

Unit 1
Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills
The Common European

Framework for
Languages: Principles and
Guidelines
Index
Scheme 3
Key Ideas 4
1.1. Introduction and Objectives 4
1.2. The User/Learner General Competences:
Declarative Knowledge, Practical Skills, “Existential”
Competence, Ability to Learn 5
1.3. Communicative Language Competences:
Linguistic, Sociolinguistic, Pragmatic 11
1.4. Language Activities: Reception, Production,
© Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)
Interaction and Mediation 15

1.5. The Common Reference Levels of Attainment
and their Descriptors 19
1.6. Bibliographic References 21
In Depth 22
Test 25
THE COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK FOR LANGUAGES: PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES
THE USER/LEARNER COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE CEFR LEVELS OF

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES
GENERAL COMPETENCES COMPETENCES ATTAINMENT
Declarative Knowledge Linguistic Reception A (Basic User)
Practical Skills Sociolinguistic Production B (Independent User)
“Existential” Competence Pragmatic Interaction C (Proficient User)
Ability to Learn Mediation

Scheme
Unit 1. Scheme
3
Key Ideas
1.1. Introduction and Objectives
This unit introduces some basic concepts we need to know for teaching the four
macro skills: reading, listening, writing, and speaking. It focuses on the Common
European Framework for Languages, its competences, levels of attainment, and
activities.
Firstly, it deals with the user/learner general competences: declarative knowledge,

practical skills, “existential” competence, and ability to learn. Secondly, it discusses
the definitions of the three communicative language competences: linguistic,
sociolinguistic, pragmatic. And finally, it looks at the types of language activities:
reception, production, interaction, and mediation and the Common Reference levels
of attainment with their descriptors.
The objectives of this unit are as follows:
 To identify the essential user/learner general competences and relate them to the
development of communicative competences.
 To distinguish linguistic, sociolinguistic, and pragmatic competences and their
role in teaching the four macro skills.
 To recognize the Common Reference levels of attainment and their descriptors,
based on the four main types of activities: reception, production, interaction, and
mediation.

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Unit 1. Key ideas
1.2. The User/Learner General Competences:
Declarative Knowledge, Practical Skills,
“Existential” Competence, Ability to Learn
The Council of Europe has long worked to overcome language barriers to promote
intercultural communication, considering the fact that mobility and interaction have
become essential part of the deep transformation of our society. National
governments are responsible for offering programs that allow their citizens to learn
other languages, so that they can communicate effectively in an international
environment. However, it was the Council of Europe that identified the need for a
framework that addresses the complexity of language competences and helps all
those involved in the teaching/learning process define shared communication
objectives and achievement standards. Thus, the Common European Framework for
Languages (CEFR) (2001) was elaborated to provide coherent and comprehensive
guidelines for the design of syllabuses and learning materials, but also to ensure
unified assessment criteria for language examinations and certificates. It is precisely
its comprehensiveness and complexity that some educators perceive as “one of the
strengths and paradoxically one of the weaknesses” of the CEFR (Morrow, 2004, p.
6). They argue that many readers “find the sheer amount of detail, the range of
descriptors, and the plethora of terminology completely baffling” (Morrow, 2004, p.
7). The value of the CEFR, however, goes beyond the levels of attainment and their
detailed descriptors, for its guidelines are a powerful factor in choosing
methodological options that emphasize learner autonomy and encourage open-
mindedness, tolerance, and cooperation. The CEFR has also been adopted by the
European Commission and applied to the EUROPASS project.
Recent years have witnessed a profound shift in the understanding of the aim of
language education, which is no longer seen as the mastery of one or more languages,
but as the development of a “linguistic repertory in which all linguistic abilities have
a place” (Council of Europe, 2001). This paradigm shift is the result of demographic

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Unit 1. Key ideas
trends and the growing interest of the Council of Europe in plurilinguism. To work
towards a model of plurilingual education, it is essential to understand the difference
between multilinguism and plurilingism.
Multilinguism vs. Plurilinguism

Multilinguism is: The learner:
 The knowledge of a number of languages.  Does not keep the languages/cultures of
 The co-existence of different languages in a other peoples in separated mental
given society. compartments; languages interrelate and
 A competence that can be attained by interact.
diversifying the languages on offer in a  Can call upon the knowledge of a number of
given school. languages to make sense of a text, written
or spoken in a previously “unknown”
language.
 Can mediate between individuals with no
common language and achieve some
degree of communication.
Table 1. Multilinguism vs. Plurilinguism. Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2001, p. 4.
The concept of plurilinguism gained prominence in the Companion Volume with

New Descriptors, launched by the Council of Europe at the end of 2017.
The main aim of the Companion Volume was to update and extend the CEFR
illustrative descriptors by:
 Highlighting certain innovative areas of the CEFR, which have become increasingly
relevant over the past twenty years, especially mediation and
plurilingual/pluricultural competence.
 Building on the successful implementation of the framework by more fully defining
“plus levels” and a new “Pre-A1” level.

 Improving the description of listening and reading in existing scales and including
descriptors for other communicative activities such as online interaction, using
telecommunications, expressing reactions to creative text and literature.

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Unit 1. Key ideas
 Enriching the description at A1, and at the C levels, particularly C2.
(Council of Europe, 2017)
Life is increasingly non-routine and problem-based, which is why educators have

moved from content-led approaches to developing general competences, i.e. a set of
knowledge, skills, and characteristics that enable learners to cope in a complex world.
The need to develop students’ key competences has increasingly gained importance,
leading in recent years to broadening the scope of these key competences into a new
set of skills, often called “21st century skills”. Thus, communicative competence is
part of students’ general competences and as such should be built in relation to
essential 21st century skills, such as Critical Thinking and Problem Solving,
Creativity, Media Literacy, Flexibility and Adaptability, Initiative and Self-Direction,
Social and Cross-Cultural Skills (for further information on 21st century skills, see the
British Council blog post in the “In Depth” section). Competences and their
dimensions will be discussed in detail later, but to be able to work with the CEFR
descriptive scheme, we should also take into account the definition of some other
concepts, such as language strategies and language activities (for further
information on communicative language activities, see “Communicative Language
Teaching: Jeremy Harmer and Scott Thornbury” in the “In Depth” section).
Language strategy vs. Language activity

A strategy is any organized, purposeful and Language activities involve the use of one’s
regulated line of action chosen by communicative language competence in a
individuals to carry out a task which they specific domain in processing (receptively
set for themselves or with which they are and/or productively) one or more texts in
confronted order to carry out a task
Table 2. Language strategy vs. language activity. Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2001, p. 10.
To be able to implement the CEFR guidelines, teachers should be familiar with the
structure of its descriptive scheme. The CEFR distinguishes four types of general
competences: savoir (knowledge), savoir-faire (skills and know-how), savoir-être
(existential competence), and savoir-apprendre (ability to learn).

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Unit 1. Key ideas
Figure 1. The structure of the CEFR descriptive scheme.
Source: adapted from Council of Europe (2018).
General Competences
Knowledge
On the one hand, human communication depends on shared knowledge, on the

other, sharing knowledge (empirical or academic) requires active communication. In
the field of foreign language teaching, shared knowledge is not limited to formal

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Unit 1. Key ideas
learning and language use. Knowledge about daily life, beliefs, and values is an
essential part of understanding and interpreting oral or written texts in a foreign
language. Some teachers assume that students’ factual knowledge of the L2 country
is enough for them to interpret texts properly and do not pay enough attention to
their “knowledge of the world”. The descriptive categories of the “knowledge of the
world” are divided into four domains: personal (e.g. home, family), public (e.g.
transport, shops), occupational (e.g. farms, firms), and educational (e.g. school,
university).
Skills and Know-How
Skills, like playing the piano or blackboard writing, are a combination of knowledge
and the ability to complete procedures. In order to acquire a skill, students initially
need self-awareness and concentration. Once they have mastered a skill, it becomes
a series of automatic processes. Mastery requires repetitive actions with rich and
abundant target language input. The CEFR divides skills into practical skills and
intercultural skills.
Practical skills
The ability to act in accordance with the types of convention in
Social skills a certain context
The ability to carry our effectively routine actions such as
Living skills dressing or cooking
Vocational and The ability to perform specialized actions related to the duties
professional skills of employment
The ability to carry our effectively actions such as painting,
Leisure skills jogging, or photography
Table 3. Practical skills. Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2001, p. 104.
There is no universal consensus about the definition of intercultural skills and their
relation to intercultural awareness. These terms present some ambiguities.
However, most educators agree that intercultural skills develop respect towards a
foreign culture and mutual recognition of values and beliefs. In the CEFR,

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Unit 1. Key ideas
intercultural skills are defined as the ability to bring one’s own culture into relation
with the foreign language culture, adopting culture-sensitive strategies.
Existential Competence
Existential competence depends on the individual characteristics of a learner, on

his/her personality. Learning a foreign language cannot be separated from learners’
motivations, attitudes, beliefs, values, and cognitive styles. It is also interesting to
see how teachers’ existential competence affects the teaching/learning process and
how differences between teachers’ and students’ beliefs, values, and other personal
characteristics can successfully be overcome in the EFL classroom.
Ability to Learn
Theories in language acquisition provide evidence of the considerable value of the

ability to learn. Spontaneous foreign language acquisition should not be
underestimated, but it is in guided language learning where teachers and their
pedagogical approach become prominent. There is a considerable variation in
scholars’ understanding of the relation between the teacher’s role and the student’s
ability to learn, and some consider that “we have no reasons to assume that this
ability can be freely manipulated”; which is to say that it “resists the various methods
of instruction to varying degrees” (Klein, 2003, p. 19). The ability to learn combines
to a certain degree the three previously mentioned general competences, depending
on the characteristics of the individual. The ability to learn competence in the CERF
is centered on three skills: language and communication awareness (sensitivity to
language and language use), general phonetic awareness and skills (perceive,
distinguish, and produce unfamiliar signs), and study skills (understand the aims of a
task, keep attention on the information, presented in the learning material).

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Unit 1. Key ideas
1.3. Communicative Language Competences:
Linguistic, Sociolinguistic, Pragmatic
The introduction of communicative competence as a guide to teaching and

evaluating learners dates from the 1970s (for further information on theories about
communicative competence, see Sandra J. Savignon’s essay in the “In Depth”
section). Later research into communicative competence has led to a diversity of
models with different number of components and often different terminology to
refer to them. Thus, to refer to the components of the communicative competence,
theorists use terms such as “knowledge of”, “competence”, “skills”, or “dimensions”.
We should not forget that one of the key competences in the Ley Orgánica 8/2013,
de 9 de diciembre, para la mejora de la calidad educativa (LOMCE) is the
Competence in linguistic communication, which is yet another term for
communicative competence.
In order to use the attainment descriptors effectively and relate them to the
objectives established in the LOMCE, we should be aware of the areas where the
components of the communicative competence, as defined in the two documents,
intersect or overlap. Some of the components in the LOMCE are further divided into
“dimensions”. For instance, the pragmatic/discursive component comprises three
dimensions: sociolinguistic, pragmatic, and discursive.

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Unit 1. Key ideas
Figure 2. Comparison of the CEFR model and LOMCE model of communicative competence.
Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2001; LOMCE, 2013.
Linguistic Competence
Language is essentially a set of items, such as sounds, words, sentences, grammatical

items, etc. Hence, linguistic competence comprises dimensions such as: lexical,
phonological, syntactical, among others, and focuses on the formal features of a
language. Exposure to a foreign language and guided learning allow for the
acquisition of knowledge of the grammar rules and, thus, learners are gradually able
to recognize ill-formed or ungrammatical forms and produce well-formed utterances
in written or oral form. The CEFR, published in 2001, distinguishes six parameters
within the linguistic competence: lexical, grammatical, semantic, phonological,
orthographic, and orthoepic. In the Companion Volume, the description of these
parameters has been improved and some of the terms slightly modified to include
recent theories on linguistic competence. For instance, phonological competence in
CEFR (2001) has been replaced by phonological control in the Companion Volume
(2018). The scales discussed below draw on the Companion Volume version.

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Unit 1. Key ideas
The CEFL provides descriptors for general linguistic range, i.e. what type of language
learners use to express their ideas, how and in what contexts language is used, and
the extent to which the user has limitations in non-routine situations. Another
component to consider is the range of vocabulary that a learner employs, which
varies from words and sentences, related to everyday routines to idiomatic
expressions and colloquialisms. Closely related to the general linguistic range scale
is vocabulary control, which is the ability to choose the appropriate word or
expression, depending on the setting and nature of interaction.
Studies in the process of language teaching/learning have proved that in focusing on

grammatical accuracy, teachers may miss other important factors that contribute to
successful communication. When confronted with complex tasks, students tend to
pay less attention to grammatical accuracy and thus make more mistakes. Last, but
not least is the orthographic control, which concerns spelling, punctuation and
layout.
Sociolinguistic Competence
Our speech, our linguistic choices, provide information about different aspects of our
identity and at the same time we construct a certain type of social identity through
language. Sociolinguistics studies the relationship between society and language and
how language conveys meaning in different social contexts. In an attempt to define
distinguishable patterns based on a variety of social factors, sociolinguists are
interested in the linguistic variations that reveal the social background of individuals,
their gender, age, ethnicity, etc.
In communication, not only who is speaking and to whom or what is the relationship
between the participants is important in the conversation, but also the context, the
formality of the setting. We choose different registers to produce a socially
meaningful message in formal and informal settings. The medium of expression also
affects the production and interpretation of a message. For instance, in online
communication, like in WhatsApp or Twitter, we use some expressions that would be

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Unit 1. Key ideas
inappropriate in other medium. Finally, we should not forget that sociolinguistics
deals not only with social variations, but also with regional dialects and international
variations, such as the grammatical, vocabulary, and pronunciation differences
between British English and US English.
Sociolinguistic competence refers to the knowledge and skills of how to use language
appropriately, which means making the appropriate choice of words and expressions
for a particular setting, medium, participants, topic, and other variables that affect
communication. Learners should be aware of different dialects and registers, which
implies the need for extralinguistic knowledge.
The Companion Volume presents only one scale for the sociolinguistic competence -
sociolinguistic appropriateness. Descriptors vary from basic social contact, such as:
saying please, sorry, thank you, greetings, etc. (A1) to the use of sophisticated
language, idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, and the ability to mediate
effectively between speakers of his/her own community and speakers of the target
language.
Pragmatic Competence
Identifying the boundaries of the field of pragmatics is somewhat problematic, for

there is not a clear-cut universal definition of what pragmatics studies. However,
there is a broad agreement that pragmatics engages with context-dependent
meaning or, in other words, with the relationship between context and meaning.
Pragmatics is interconnected with semantics, sociolinguistics, and discourse analysis,
among other branches of linguistics. If we assume that the main components of
linguistics include morphology, syntax, semantics, and phonology, then we can say
that pragmatics is interested in all these components, but it not limited to their study.
It is “distinguished from ‘core’ linguistics by being concerned not just with the
linguistic component of the mind but with the much larger set of knowledge and
cognitive processes concerned with the interpretation of communication in context”
(Chapman, 2011, p. 11).

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Unit 1. Key ideas
In the Companion Volume, pragmatic competence includes the following scales:
 Flexibility: The ability to adjust language to new situations and reformulate

thoughts whenever necessary; no descriptors are available for A1 level.
 Turntaking: This ability is associated to interaction (conversation, debate, etc.) and
the capacity of the learner to initiate, maintain, and end a conversation or to
intervene in a debate.
 Thematic development: The ability to develop a topic, organizing one’s ideas in a
logical sequence. It ranges from telling a story or describe something (A2 level) to
communicating complex ideas (C2 level).
 Coherence and cohesion: The ability to use diverse linguistic devices to produce
well-organized and coherent messages at the level of the sentence and at the level
of the text.
 Propositional precision: The ability of the learner to communicate his/her ideas in
a nuanced way, in detail, and with precision.
 Spoken fluency: The ability to maintain a lengthy conversation (with pauses at
lower levels) with sufficient ease and spontaneity of expression.
1.4. Language Activities: Reception, Production,

Interaction and Mediation
In the process of communication, learners engage in four types of activities:

reception, production, interaction, and mediation, and must adopt several related
strategies to carry out a diversity of communicative tasks. Some activities, such as
reading and understanding the general ideas of a text or listening to a speaker giving
instructions, are reception activities and some others, such as describing an

experience orally or in a written form, are production activities. Sometimes, the user
acts “as a channel of communication (often, but not necessarily in different
languages) between two or more persons who for one reason or another cannot

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Unit 1. Key ideas
communicate directly” (Council of Europe, 2001, p. 57). This process is called
mediation. In most cases, communication involves interaction and, thus, inevitably
production and reception, as well.
Reception
In reception activities, the user/learner receives and processes input in written or oral
form. Reception strategies include identifying cues and inferring. Reading
comprehension can take several forms, e.g. scanning and skimming. Audio-visual
reception is a key activity in the present-day language classroom.
Reception activities
Overall listening comprehension Overall reading comprehension
Understanding interaction between other speakers Reading correspondence
Listening as a member of a live audience Reading for orientation
Listening to announcements and instructions Reading for information and argument
Listening to audio media and recordings Reading instructions
Reading as a leisure activity
Audio visual (watching TV, films, etc.)
Table 4. Reception activities. Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2018, p. 54.
Production
Production activities can be both written and spoken. Planning is a production

strategy associated to formal settings, such as those in occupational or academic
domain. A valuable strategy, particularly in spoken production is compensating for

gaps in vocabulary. Users/learners are expected to give presentations, deliver
announcements, or handle questioning in spoken production. Written production
varies from giving basic personal information in writing with the use of a dictionary
(A1) to writing smoothly flowing, complex texts (C2).

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Unit 1. Key ideas
Production activities
Overall spoken production Overall written production
Sustained monologue: Describing experience Creative writing
Sustained monologue: Giving information Written reports and essays
Sustained monologue: Putting a case (e.g. debate)
Public announcements
Table 5. Production activities. Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2018, p. 68.
Interaction
Interaction involves two or more participants, using strategies such as asking for
clarification or turntaking. Setting is particularly relevant in interaction, as the
user/learner must adapt his/her register to its characteristics. It is important to note
that the Companion Volume developed the descriptors for a new category, namely
online interaction. Some scholars consider that in online interaction the boundaries
between written and spoken discourse are somewhat blurred and written interaction
acquires some of the features of spoken interaction.
Interaction activities
Overall spoken interaction

 Understanding the interlocutor  Obtaining goods and services
 Conversation  Information exchange
 Informal discussion  Interviewing and being interviewed
 Formal discussion (meetings)  Using telecommunications
 Goal-oriented co-operation
Overall written interaction Online interaction
Correspondence Online conversation and discussion

Goal-oriented online transactions and
Notes, messages and forms collaboration
Table 6. Interaction activities. Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2018, p. 82.

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Unit 1. Key ideas
Mediation
The concept of mediation has been greatly expanded with new descriptors in the
Companion Volume (for further information on mediation, see “Linguistic mediation:
What does this mean for our classes?” in the “In Depth” section). In mediation
activities, the user/learner acts as an intermediary between interlocutors who are
not able to understand each other.
Mediation activities
Mediating a text Mediating concepts

Relaying specific information in speech and Facilitating collaborative interaction with
writing peers
Explaining data (e.g. in graphs, charts, etc.) in
speech and writing Collaborating to construct meaning
Processing text in speech and writing Managing interaction
Translating a written text in speech and writing Encouraging conceptual talk
Mediating communication
Note taking (lectures, seminars)
Facilitating pluricultural space
Expressing a personal response to creative texts Acting as an intermediary in informal
(including literature) situations
Analysis and criticism of creative texts (including Facilitating communication in delicate
literature) situations and disagreements
Table 7. Mediation activities. Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2018, p. 104.
Think about it!

How are the four macro skills grouped in Spanish legislation that regulates education?
Are the four skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking organized in a similar way to
the CEFR? If they are not, should teachers base their practice on one of the sources or on
both and how?

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Unit 1. Key ideas
1.5. The Common Reference Levels of Attainment
and their Descriptors
The CEFR describes foreign language proficiency at six levels: A1 and A2, B1 and B2,
C1 and C2 and three ‘plus’ levels (A2+, B1+, B2+). The levels are defined through “can-
do” descriptors.
Figure 3. Common Reference Levels. Source: adapted from Council of Europe, 2001.
The Common Reference Levels are presented in a global scale with three to four
descriptors for each level. The global scale offers educators general orientation. It is
suitable for non-specialist users. For practical purposes, the CEFR provides teachers
and learners with a checklist of detailed descriptors or self-assessment grid. It
contains thirty-four scales of reading, listening, spoken interaction, spoken
production and writing activities. For each of the six levels, the self-assessment grid

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Unit 1. Key ideas
in the Companion Volume presents descriptors organized in four categories and a
number of sub-categories: reception (listening and reading) , production (spoken
production and written production), interaction (spoken interaction and written and
online interaction), and mediation (mediating a text, mediating concepts, mediating
communication). The grid Qualitative features of spoken language (expanded with
phonology) provides descriptors for the six levels and the three plus levels in six
categories: range, accuracy, fluency, interaction, coherence, and phonology. Three of
these categories - range, coherence, and accuracy - appear also in the Written
assessment grid, complemented by the categories: overall, description, and
argument.
The CEFR provides a guidance for the development of quality education in the field
of language teaching.
European Language Portfolio (ELP).
Access to the video through the virtual campus

Teaching skills as part of a course syllabus.
Access to the video through the virtual campus

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Unit 1. Key ideas
1.6. Bibliographic References
Chapman, S. (2011). Pragmatics. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave

Macmillan.
Council of Europe. (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for

Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Council of Europe. (2017, September 19). The CEFR Companion Volume with New
Descriptors is now available online. Retrieved from
https://www.coe.int/en/web/education/-/the-cefr-companion-volume-with-new-
descriptors-is-now-available-online-
Council of Europe. (2018). Common European Framework of Reference for

Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment: Companion Volume with New
Descriptors. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing. Retrieved from
https://rm.coe.int/cefr-companion-volume-with-new-descriptors-
2018/1680787989
Klein, W. (2003). Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press.
Ley Orgánica 8/2013, de 9 de diciembre, para la mejora de la calidad educativa.

Boletín Oficial del Estado, Madrid, España, 10 de diciembre de 2013.
Morrow, K. (2004). Background to the CEF. In K. Morrow (Ed.), Insights from the
Common European Framework (pp. 3-11). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Unit 1. Key ideas
In Depth
Communicative Competence
Savignon, S. J. (2018). Communicative Competence. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL

Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching (pp. 1-7). Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc. First published in Wiley Online Library on 2017, March 7. Retrieved from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0047
In “Communicative Competence”, Sandra J. Savignon examines the development of

theories and empirical studies on second/foreign language teaching from mid-20th
century to present-day. She reflects on the implications of recent theories of
language and language behavior for the model that revolves around the four macro
skills.

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Unit 1. In Depth
Linguistic mediation: What does this mean for our classes?
Connolly, L., & Belda, E. [Macmillan Spain]. (2019, September 27). Linguistic mediation:
what does this mean for our classes? [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3390&v=LK1cgForLt8
This webinar in part of Macmillan Webinar series for EFL teachers. Esther Belda, who
has been the coordinator of the Innovation Project on Mediation in various Escuelas
Oficiales de Idiomas in the Valencia region since 2017, describes the most common
situations in which we need the mediation skill and some aspects, such as attitude,
cultural difference, and empathy on the part of the mediator.

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Unit 1. In Depth
Communicative Language Teaching
Thornbury, S., & Harmer, J. [The New School]. (2013, July 22). Communicative Language
Teaching: Jeremy Harmer and Scott Thornbury | The New School [Video file]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoUx036IN9Q
In this video, Scott Thornbury and Jeremy Harmer discuss a wide range of issues
related to the Communicative Approach in foreign language teaching. They reflect on
the evolution of the approach, as well as on its strengths and its weaknesses from the
perspective of their own experience. They also comment on the nature and
characteristics of a communicative activity in practical terms.
What does the term 21st Century Skills mean to you?
Pinard, L. (n.d.). What does the term 21st Century Skills mean to you? Retrieved from
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/lizzie-p/what-does-term-21st-century-skills-
mean-you
The British Council official website provides a variety of sources for teachers, this blog
post among them. The text offers some easy ideas of how to develop 21st Century
skills in the language classroom. They propose blogging, curation, Twitter chats,
Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, and Google hangouts to make the most of the
opportunities to network with other teachers.

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Unit 1. In Depth
Test
1. Multilinguism is:
A. The knowledge language strategies that combine with 21st century skills.
B. The knowledge of how to mediate between individuals with no common
language.
C. The co-existence of different languages in a given society.
D. The knowledge of how cultures and languages interrelate and interact.
2. 21st century skills include:

A. Social and Cross-Cultural Skills.
B. Critical Thinking.
C. Media Literacy.
D. All of the skills mentioned in A, B, and C.
3. The CEFR distinguishes four types of general competences:

A. Reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
B. Personal, public, occupational, and educational.
C. Knowledge, skills and know-how, existential competence, and ability to
learn.
D. Social, living, vocational, leisure.
4. Phonological and orthographic control are part of:

A. The personal component.
B. The grammatical component.
C. The linguistic competence.
D. The sociolinguistic competence.

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Unit 1. Test
5. In a conversation, participants choose a register, depending on:
A. Their age and gender.
B. Their age, gender, and ethnicity.
C. The formality of the setting and their relationships with the other
participants.
D. A, B, and C are correct.
6. The general linguistic range scale measures:

A. Vocabulary control.
B. Semantic control.
C. The medium of expression.
D. A, B, and C are wrong.
7. The “ability to learn” refers to:

A. Study skills.
B. General phonetic awareness and skills.
C. Language and communication awareness.
D. All of the above.
8. Flexibility, turntaking, and thematic development are scales for the assessment of:
A. Spoken fluency.
B. Sociocultural skills.
C. Pragmatic competence.
D. Linguistic competence.
9. Mediation activities include:

A. Collaborating to construct meaning.
B. Online conversation and discussion.

C. Using telecommunications.
D. All of the above.

26
Unit 1. Test
10. The self-assessment grid in the Companion Volume presents descriptors organized
in four categories:
A. Spoken production, spoken interaction, written production, and written
interaction.
B. Oral and written reception, oral and written production, oral and written
interaction, oral and written mediation.
C. Oral comprehension, written comprehension, oral production, written
production.
D. Reception, production, interaction, mediation.

27
Unit 1. Test

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Unit 1

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

The Common European

Interaction and Mediation 15

THE COMMON EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK FOR LANGUAGES: PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES

THE USER/LEARNER COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE CEFR LEVELS OF

Declarative Knowledge Linguistic Reception A (Basic User)

Practical Skills Sociolinguistic Production B (Independent User)

“Existential” Competence Pragmatic Interaction C (Proficient User)

Ability to Learn Mediation

1.1. Introduction and Objectives

Firstly, it deals with the user/learner general competences: declarative knowledge,

The objectives of this unit are as follows:

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Multilinguism vs. Plurilinguism

The concept of plurilinguism gained prominence in the Companion Volume with

“plus levels” and a new “Pre-A1” level.

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Life is increasingly non-routine and problem-based, which is why educators have

Language strategy vs. Language activity

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

On the one hand, human communication depends on shared knowledge, on the

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Skills and Know-How

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Existential competence depends on the individual characteristics of a learner, on

Theories in language acquisition provide evidence of the considerable value of the

task, keep attention on the information, presented in the learning material).

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

The introduction of communicative competence as a guide to teaching and

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Language is essentially a set of items, such as sounds, words, sentences, grammatical

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Studies in the process of language teaching/learning have proved that in focusing on

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Identifying the boundaries of the field of pragmatics is somewhat problematic, for

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

 Flexibility: The ability to adjust language to new situations and reformulate

1.4. Language Activities: Reception, Production,

In the process of communication, learners engage in four types of activities:

instructions, are reception activities and some others, such as describing an

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Overall listening comprehension Overall reading comprehension

Understanding interaction between other speakers Reading correspondence

Listening as a member of a live audience Reading for orientation

Listening to announcements and instructions Reading for information and argument

Listening to audio media and recordings Reading instructions

Reading as a leisure activity

Audio visual (watching TV, films, etc.)

Production activities can be both written and spoken. Planning is a production

domain. A valuable strategy, particularly in spoken production is compensating for

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Overall spoken production Overall written production

Sustained monologue: Describing experience Creative writing

Sustained monologue: Giving information Written reports and essays

Sustained monologue: Putting a case (e.g. debate)

Overall spoken interaction

Overall written interaction Online interaction

Correspondence Online conversation and discussion

Methods for Teaching EFL: Skills

Mediating a text Mediating concepts