CEFR Descriptors Research Articles

Making a Case for Poetry in Action-oriented Foreign Language Courses

"The present article describes a small-scale poetry project intended to foster culturally responsive learning in the C1-level university language course. The instructor of this course had the opportunity to invite an aspiring poet, Ivan Bio from Sierra Leone, to a reading of three of his poems to be performed during one of the sessions. Designed as an extension activity for one of the course units, the project required students to complete a set of tasks to prepare for the poetry reading as well as engage in follow-up activities to reflect on the experience. By describing and analyzing the implementation of this reading session, the authors aim to explore the potential benefits of poetic discourse for language courses based on action-oriented, learner-centered approaches. Against the background of the CEFR descriptors relating to the reception of creative/literary language and the mediation of texts, the authors intend to show that the interpretation and analysis of poetic texts can help students not only to increase their sensitivity to and awareness of the ambivalence of language, but also to in turn expand their communicative language competences, most notably their mediation skills. To achieve these goals, students were asked not only to analyze and explain the poems to their peers, but also to formulate personal responses to the texts. A striking observation was that the context of remote learning where students communicated in a Zoom meeting did not seem to interfere with their willingness and ability to express their attitudes and even their emotions. This made the meeting an emotionally profound experience for everybody involved, and the authors will argue that not only the range but also the intensity of the language learning experience can be greatly enhanced by integrating poetry in the foreign language classroom. The article intends to demonstrate that the CEFR with its Companion Volume (CEFR/CV) and their operationalization in action-oriented approaches form a perfect basis for expanding learners’ language competences through poetry. "

Integrated foreign languages teaching: development of learning outcomes for IT majors

Introduction. Design of descriptors for achieving objectives of foreign language education in case of non-language majors at tertiary level on the basis of the existing scales of the Common European Competences in Foreign Language (CEFR) promotes the policy of cultural diversity and multilingualism implemented by the Council of Europe. The motivation for the research lies in the fact that Russian universities lack a clear and transparent system of criteria that can be used for planning and assessing foreign language competences for non-language majors. The paper presents a developed scale of descriptors for planning learning outcomes and assessing language proficiency of undergraduate students majoring in information technologies in the context of Russian education at tertiary level. With regard to federal state educational standards for higher education, foreign language competence is described as integrative foreign language professional communicative competence which combines professional and linguistic constituents. Materials and methods. The exploration adopted combined methods of analysis of previous studies, CEFR descriptors, interviews with master and bachelor students of IT majors (Togliatti State University, Russia), and foreign language communicative needs analysis in the IT industry. The obtained data were then processed in the backward design of targeted learning outcomes following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages format. Research results. The study elicited cross-cultural communicative needs in the industry in question, and then there were selected appropriate CEFR descriptors for their subsequent modification. The choice of the CEFR format was justified by its high adaptability and the author’s previous successful experience of elaborating such scale descriptors for automotive engineering majors. The author designed a scale for A2, B1 and B2 levels, where learning outcomes are presented as descriptors of communicative language activities with CEFR level distinctions being combined with activities involved in on-the-job cross-cultural communication. Conclusion. The initiated research should be helpful to investigate ways of devising and testing adequate sets of CEFR-based descriptors to improve the quality of university syllabi. The proposed scale of descriptors has certain limitations, therefore, further exploration directions are outlined. Keywords: integrative foreign language professional communicative competence, learning outcomes, CEFR-based descriptors, assessment, IT majors

Teaching pronunciation: toward intelligibility and comprehensibility

Abstract Pronunciation is a common topic of interest in ELT but teachers may be unsure of what features of pronunciation to prioritise, especially in multilingual classes. While research calls for explicit pronunciation instruction that focuses on improving intelligibility and comprehensibility, implementation is still a challenge. This article presents pedagogical applications following the new CEFR descriptors for phonological control. We discuss a 40-hour pronunciation course for international ESL students from diverse L1s in a Canadian university. Pronunciation instruction was delivered through controlled speech practice and drama tasks for practice of extemporaneous speech. Students completed weekly audio recordings, received extensive feedback and completed self-reflections. Moreover, the teacher assessed pre- and post-course recordings to identify change over time. Results show that students developed awareness of pronunciation features that can contribute to more intelligible and comprehensible speech and that a listener’s lack of familiarity with speech diversity can play a role in how speech is perceived.

English language entry requirements in EMI degree programs at Bachelor level in Italy

The internationalization of education at university level is rapidly leading to the proliferation of English Medium Instruction (EMI) programmes in many educational contexts around the globe. This study deals with the entry requirements for prospective candidates for accessing EMI degree programmes at bachelor level (BA) in Italian universities, with a focus on English language proficiency. So far, this particular aspect has received little attention, especially from a comparative perspective among Italian universities. However, language competence is crucial to learn effectively in an EMI context. This paper illustrates the results of a survey involving eighteen Italian universities which offer such programmes at bachelor level. To identify the English language requirements, the relevant webpages of the institutions have been explored, starting from the Universitaly website - a platform which presents an overview of the Italian universities providing EMI programmes. All the undergraduate degree courses delivered in the English-only formula have been considered. The results show that not only are the institutional webpages and their admission requirements sections quite different from one another but, most importantly, the required level of English proficiency varies considerably across universities and degree courses, ranging from B1 to C1 (according to the CEFR descriptors). In addition, programmes also differ in terms of how students' English proficiency is verified. This study, therefore, suggests that, at least as far as entry language requirements are concerned, EMI in Italy is far from being a homogenous phenomenon and that local practices tend to shape this educational policy.

РАЗВИТИЕ НАВЫКОВ ОНЛАЙН-ОБЩЕНИЯ НА ИНОСТРАННОМ ЯЗЫКЕ: ПОЛОЖЕНИЯ ОБНОВЛЕННОЙ ВЕРСИИ ОБЩЕЕВРОПЕЙСКОЙ ШКАЛЫ ЯЗЫКОВЫХ КОМПЕТЕНЦИЙ

Covid-19 pandemic has brought about sweeping changes to the whole education system, language teaching being no exception. In this article the author touches upon new challenges and opportunities that online language teaching implies. In particular, the article touches upon the latest CEFR descriptors to the aspects of communicative competence that refer to online interaction and suggests some implications for EFL teaching that are to enhance students’ communicative performance in this regard.

Teachers’ self‐reported L1 and L2 use and self‐assessed L2 proficiency in primary EFL education

This study investigates teachers’ first language (L1, German) and second language (L2, English) use in the primary English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom in two federal German states. It particularly focuses on the question of whether a more frequent, (self-reported) use of the L2 is positively correlated to teachers’ professional qualification as well as (self-assessed) L2 proficiency. To this end, data was collected in 2017 through an online survey among German primary teachers teaching EFL in year 4 (N = 844). L2 use was assessed through a 4-point Likert scale comprising 16 items on various classroom situations. L1 use was surveyed with an open question on situations of L1 use in the L2 classroom. Moreover, teachers self-assessed their L2 proficiency with a 4-point Likert scale and adapted CEFR descriptors for speaking. Findings indicate that teachers claim to use the L2 more in L2-related situations and the L1 more in classroom management situations. The study shows that teachers with a higher formal qualification tend to assess their L2 proficiency higher and claim to use the L2 more often in the primary EFL classroom. In contrast, teachers with a lower formal qualification tend to assess their L2 proficiency lower and claim to use the L1 more frequently in the L2 classroom.

Assessing pragmatic competence in oral proficiency interviews at the C1 level with the new CEFR descriptors

Abstract The study of pragmatic competence has gained increasing importance within second language assessment over the last three decades. However, its study in L2 language testing is still scarce. The aim of this paper is to research the extent to which pragmatic competence as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has been accommodated in the task descriptions and rating scales of two of the most popular Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) at a C1 level: Cambridge’s Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) and Trinity’s Integrated Skills in English (ISE) III. To carry out this research, OPI tests are first defined, highlighting their differences from L2 pragmatic tests. After pragmatic competence in the CEFR is examined, focusing on the updates in the new descriptors, CAE and ISE III formats, structure and task characteristics are compared, showing that, while the formats and some characteristics are found to differ, the structures and task types are comparable. Finally, we systematically analyse CEFR pragmatic competence in the task skills and rating scale descriptors of both OPIs. The findings show that the task descriptions incorporate mostly aspects of discourse and design competence. Additionally, we find that each OPI is seen to prioritise different aspects of pragmatic competence within their rating scale, with CAE focusing mostly on discourse competence and fluency, and ISE III on functional competence. Our study shows that the tests fail to fully accommodate all aspects of pragmatic competence in the task skills and rating scales, although the aspects they do incorporate follow the CEFR descriptors on pragmatic competence. It also reveals a mismatch between the task competences being tested and the rating scale. To conclude, some research lines are proposed.

The new CEFR descriptors for the assessment of written mediation: Exploring their applicability in a local context in an effort towards multilingual testing

Focusing on the process of written mediation, this paper deals with the newly developed descriptor scales presented in the CEFR Companion Volume with New Descriptors (CEFR/CV) (Council of Europe (CoE) 2018). It investigates the views of both language education experts and teachers in Greece regarding these new descriptors in an effort to explore the extent to which they can be exploited in a local context. The questions this study addresses are: Which descriptors can be useful in the Greek educational context, and to what extent? The research project was organised into two phases. In Phase 1, 18 language experts (mainly from the two major state universities in Athens and Thessaloniki) completed online questionnaires containing the 90 new CEFR written mediation descriptors and they judged the clarity of these descriptors in terms of language, their usefulness for assessment purposes, and their relevance for the Greek context. Phase 2 involved 94 language teachers in Greece who were invited to judge the degree to which the same 90 CEFR descriptors correspond to the proficiency level for which they had initially been designed. Based on empirical evidence, the present paper stresses the urgent need for language testers to consider (cross-lingual) written mediation as a fundamental ability which needs to be both taught as well as tested, and discusses the possibility of transforming the monoglossic paradigm in assessment.

Trolls, unicorns and the CEFR: Precision and professionalism in criticism of the CEFR

This article starts by recalling the reasons that have been given for the CEFR’s success, for example its neutrality, the way it encourages the constructive alignment of planning, teaching and assessment and helps educators to fulfil both instrumental and educational goals. It then reviews and responds to some of the main criticisms that have been made of the CEFR over the past twenty years concerning the relationship of the CEFR to linguistic theory, the compatibility of the CEFR descriptors with research in second language acquisition and corpus linguistics, the development methodology and formulation style of the descriptors, the intended scope of the CEFR itself and its relationship to socio-political power. It points out that many of these criticisms are based on misunderstandings or misrepresentations and underlines that a sustained constructive engagement with the CEFR is necessary if criticism is to inform future revisions. The article also draws attention to some of the innovations brought by the CEFR, which have tended to be overlooked, and which are reinforced and further developed in the recently published update to the CEFR, the CEFR/CV, which has just in its definitive form.

Restructuring Achievement Standards in National English Curriculum

This study aims to select three main issues in the field of 2015 English national curriculum focused on Achievement Standards (AS) and provide ways of improving AS structure. To achieve this purpose, Focus Group (FG) Method and literature review are employed. A total of 11 FG members are participated from February 2019 to September 2019 for six months in five time group meetings. Data collection was conducted through discussions in FG meetings, and relevant literature review was also conducted and discussed in the process of the FG meetings. The major opinions provided from the FG meetings were mainly selected as supporting data to reconstruct the AS format. CEFR and ACTFL descriptors are analyzed to draw implications to redesign the connectivity of AS in grades three to nine. The results show three issues and respective ways of improving AS structure; the need to employ cultural AS in alignment with objectives of English curriculum, reformat of the AS in vertical dimension connecting grade levels shown in the Singapore curriculum, and comprehensive AS descriptors at the end time of each grade cluster level.

Foreword

Any scientific discipline undoubtedly encounters different challenges in their development over time. However, with the rise of modern technologies, such challenges expanded to new dimensions.
 In linguistics, corpus studies have already proven their advantages, and many researchers and other users enjoy the richness of different corpora, spreading enthusiasm and courage to treat linguistics interdisciplinarily. At the same time, minority languages and poorly studied languages are also gaining researchers' attention. Modern technologies further motivated different translation tools, which globalize the world with an enormous speed and seems to dicrease the relevance of language study and foreign language learning. However, the needs for interest in languages remain high. Though perhaps in a different form.
 This issue comprises the above ideas in five articles.
 Mayuri L. DILIP and Rayesh KUMAR coauthored the article “Clitic or Agreement Restriction in Santali: A Typological Analysis”, in which they investigated the syntactic configuration of pronominal number marking in Santali, the third most-spoken Austroasiatic language, from syntactic, morphological and prosodic perspective.
 The following article “Contextual factors and language: an analysis of order placements” was written by Andrej BEKEŠ. It tackles Japanese in a specific social context, namely written ordering requirements on a crowdsourcing website, and reports negative correlation between the level of added value of such requirements and the quality of linguistic expression, comparing it to the Grice’s maxims of conversation.
 ITO Hideaki's article “Orthoepic Competence Descriptors in Japanese Language Education: CEFR Levels B1 to C2” overviews the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education to discuss the benefits of their merging. In particular, the author re-examines CEFR descriptors for levels B1 to C2 in a non-alphabetically transcribed Japanese, which have not yet been attempted, and combine them with the results for levels A1 and A2 to present descriptors for levels A1 to C2 in overall.
 KIM Yu Young in his article “Development and Operation Results of Japanese Accent Perception Test Based On e-learning System” introduced the [AJ-phonetic Test] system, an online tool for practicing perception of Japanese word accent, presented its benefits through a longitudinal study on Korean learners of Japanese. 
 Finally, Miha PAVLOVIČ wrote an article entitled “Grammar Errors by Slovenian Learners of Japanese: Corpus Analysis of Writings on Beginner and Intermediate Levels”. In it he first presents how to construct such a corpus, and then presents his analysis of grammar errors that a collection of 182 written texts written by Japanese learners contained. 
 Editors and Editorial Board wish the regular and new readers of the ALA journal a pleasant read full of inspiration.
 
 ALA editorial board

Marrying achievement with proficiency – Developing and validating a local CEFR-based writing checklist

Abstract Many language course providers face the challenge to align internal, often intuitive assessments to internationally recognised proficiency frameworks for accountability reasons. We report a development and validation project for assessing writing in a university languages centre, where an intuitive, achievement-oriented grading system was aligned to the proficiency levels of the CEFR. We took an iterative approach to developing and validating local writing checklists that combine proficiency-oriented learning outcomes with classroom-based, achievement-oriented assessment goals. Our collaborative approach to checklist development and validation was modelled on the approach reported in Harsch and Martin (2012) : Relevant CEFR descriptors were adapted by teachers to fit our context and purpose; the resulting checklist drafts were trialled and revised by teachers in two sessions. Our approach has implications beyond our local context, as it illustrates how such a benchmarking and validation endeavour can be facilitated in a university context where the CEFR has been adapted as the curricular framework. Most importantly, we would like to share our experiences of collaborating in a group of 18 teachers, three course coordinators and two researchers, in order to draw on the expertise of all relevant stakeholder groups, and to ensure that teachers are the central agents in this endeavour.

A new model of literary competences and the revised CEFR descriptors

Abstract This article presents a new theoretical model of literary competences for use in the language classroom. The work has been both triggered by an unintended consequence of the introduction of the original CEFR in 2001, namely the marginalization of literature teaching, and inspired by the inclusion of literature in the 2018 Companion. It proposes ways to move away from a pure language-based approach to using literature by providing a model for developing literary literacy in the learner. It outlines four basic literary competences, defines each, and illustrates how they can be both used in class and related to the new CEFR descriptors and existing levels.

Can Do and Cannot Do

The focus in this paper is on the introduction and implementation of learning outcomes based on the descriptors in the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). It discusses reaction to the introduction by teacher educators as well as the influence on teacher assessment practice in courses for prospective teachers of English as a foreign language. The paper presents some of the results from a case study concerning changes made in connection with the Bologna process in a department of education within a university college in Sweden. The results show that the adoption of the CEFR descriptors was contested and had a minimal influence on assessment practice. The aim of the paper is to explore possible reasons for the lack of influence, something that was not developed fully in the original case study.

Comparing the outcomes of two different approaches to CEFR-based rating of students’ writing performances across two European countries

Abstract This study investigated to what extent two teams of experienced raters from different European countries (Finland and Austria), using their own CEFR-based rating scale (one holistic and one analytic), agreed on the CEFR level of students’ writing performances. Both teams rated one hundred performances written by Austrian secondary school students based on two tasks. The Finnish raters (N = 3) applied a holistic CEFR-linked rating scale consisting of verbatim CEFR descriptors developed in Finland, while the Austrian team (N = 6) used an analytic CEFR-linked rating scale consisting of four criteria developed in Austria. The ratings were analysed using the Rasch model. Although there were individual differences in rater severity among both teams of raters, a clear pattern emerged from the data: The Austrian raters were slightly more lenient than the Finnish raters. Although there was a statistically significant difference in rater severity between the two groups, the actual scope of disagreement was small. Thus, overall, the two teams agreed to a large extent on the CEFR levels of the participants.

Students’ Accounts of Their First-Year Undergraduate Academic Writing Experience: Implications for the Use of the CEFR

ABSTRACTThis article addresses the suitability of the CEFR as the basis for decisions about the readiness of individuals to engage in academic writing tasks in undergraduate university courses, and as a guide to progress. The CEFR offers potentially relevant general scales and subscales, but also more specific subscales for writing in the academic context. However, recent challenges to traditional views of academic writing have potential implications for assessment frameworks such as the CEFR when they are used to identify readiness for, and progress in, academic study. In this article we explore the views of students on what it means to “do” academic writing. Questionnaires, interviews, and short reflective texts were used to investigate the changing perceptions of first-year undergraduate students at an Australian university. The analysis of student data confirms the reality of the more complex view of academic writing suggested by the recent literature. The article then considers what implications this has for the adequacy of the definitions provided in the CEFR. It suggests that the CEFR descriptors underrepresent the complexity of the challenges of academic writing, particularly its cognitive demands. A new and rather different approach will be required to inform assessments used to manage the admission of students in`to academic writing contexts and the monitoring of their progress.

Fine-tuning descriptors for CEFR B1 level: insights from learner corpora

Despite the current importance of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in the learning, teaching, and assessment of languages, limitations arise in the use of the CEFR descriptors, which are also present in the European Language Portfolio (ELP). This article highlights the main challenges posed to CEFR and ELP users by the linguistic competence descriptors—with a particular focus on the grammatical accuracy descriptors, and strategy descriptors for monitoring and repair at B1 level—when they try to self-assess their written production activities. In order to address these limitations, a Computer-aided Error Analysis (CEA) was performed on a learner corpus comprising B1-level texts produced by Spanish learners of English. The results obtained enabled the reformulation of the descriptors for written production activities at CEFR B1 level aimed at L1 Spanish learners of English, by complementing the existing descriptors with further linguistic information on the most frequent errors at that level.

Exploring the adaptability of the CEFR in the construction of a writing ability scale for test for English majors

BackgroundThe CEFR, ever since its inception, has had profound impact on language teaching, learning, and assessment not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world. This study focuses on the adaptability of CEFR writing descriptors in the context of Test for English Majors (TEM).MethodsFirst, we constructed a questionnaire based on the descriptors collected from various sources in order to elicit university teachers’ views on the importance of these descriptors. A revised version was produced based on the feedback from the initial questionnaire survey. In order to further investigate what level or levels these remaining descriptors would fall into, 35 university teachers of English were invited to complete the revised questionnaire while rating 36 TEM writing scripts.ResultsBand-setting of the descriptors was initially determined on the basis of the questionnaire data, the result of which was the draft scale of writing ability. In order to collect further evidence for our calibration of the descriptors, eight university teachers of English were interviewed. Based on the interview data, some descriptors were fine-tuned before the scale was finalized.ConclusionsThe results have shown that CEFR writing descriptors can be used in the description of the writing ability of TEM candidates, but most of the CEFR descriptors surveyed have had their original level altered in our writing ability scale.

The Impact of the CEFR on Teaching and Testing English in the Local Context

The paper presents communicative language teaching and testing in Slovakia. In the late 1990s, Slovakia as many other Central and Eastern European countries being involved in piloting the first draft of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (2001) started the reform of the school-leaving examination to change the traditional approach of testing structural aspects of foreign languages. The reform was induced by foreign language teachers who were not satisfied with the imbalance between teaching and testing as using books published in Great Britain changed their attitude to teaching. Based on a long-term study, the author of the article will discuss problematic issues concerning the changes in teaching and testing, focusing on the impact of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its model of language use. The article underlines the importance of being familiar with CEFR descriptors and illustrative samples in order to implement the CEFR effectively. The study reveals the extent to which the CEFR has generated change and how the framework might be further exploited to improve the effectiveness of teaching and testing English.

Learners between Childhood and Adulthood: Assessing Writing Competences of Teens Learning French as a Foreign Language

The article introduces learners between two age groups: childhood and adulthood. The aim of the author is to analyse the writing skills of French primary school learners – mostly 14 years old – and to determine which descriptors could be used to assess them. The article begins with a presentation of the learners’ characteristics and continues with a review of the position of the French language in Slovenian primary schools, where French is taught as a second foreign language and an elective subject. Since French is a rather infrequent subject in primary schools, it is difficult to obtain comparable materials. Finally, 36 written compositions from the national French competition serve as the basis for analysis. The detailed analysis is accompanied by a presentation of the CEFR and AYLLIT descriptors for writing, as well as reflection on which descriptors are appropriate for assessing compositions and placing them on the CEFR levels. The AYLLIT descriptors seem more relevant, as they are more explicit and appropriate for the target group.