The impact of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) on the assessment of the writing skills in German language teaching in Slovenia

Abstract

CEFR is a didactic framework used to describe foreign language competencies. All foreign language curricula in Slovenia refer to this framework. CEFR language proficiency levels have an influence on the testing and assessment of writing competence. In order to quantify this impact, a study using a questionnaire was conducted among teachers of German as a foreign language. It comprised questions about the usefulness of the CEFR in teaching students how to improve their writing ability and in setting the criteria for the evaluation of writing assignments. Furthermore, questions were asked about the importance of selected categories for the evaluation of writing assignments at levels A1-B1 as well as about an appropriate classification of various text types at levels A1-B2 in the context of using the CEFR to teach German. The results of the study showed that German language teachers do not consider the CEFR to be an important teaching aid when setting the criteria for the evaluation of written assignments. The teachers may have reached this conclusion on the basis of the existing criteria used in the external evaluation of writing assignments, on the basis of personal criteria as well as of other circumstances.