Common European Framework Research Articles

Kielitaidon arviointi on ideologisesti latautunutta toimintaa

Language assessment is an activity guided by prevailing language ideologies as well as more general ideas that permeate the entire society. In this chapter, we will examine the ideologies of language proficiency descriptors and assessment, based on the theoretical perspectives of critical language testing (e.g. Lynch 2001; Shohamy 2001). More specifically, we will present some of the key concepts of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR, Council of Europe 2001, 2020a) and assessment based on the framework, especially on test assessment. With the help of concrete examples, we will also show that a deep understanding of the effects of language assessment and the development of assessment require recognition of both its ideology, its origin, and the mechanisms of its effects.

Results of standardized government tests: an educational quality indicator

Considering the advances of standardized government assessments and their impact on the quality of education around the world, the aim of this paper was to characterize the influence of the results of the Saber 11 standardized test on Colombian public policies and on the quality of education, especially in Bogotá, from 2012 to 2022. To achieve this objective, a non-experimental methodology was designed using a mixed descriptive approach and a documentary source. Following the two phases of the methodology, the public policies, the characteristics of the test, the students assessed, the assessors, and the results for Bogotá were described. When achieving the proposed characterization, the discrepancy between the results of those evaluated and the goals proposed in the government plans was also observed. This discrepancy has not subsided despite the evolution of related public policies. The results of the standardized government tests for Bogotá were better than in the rest of the country, without implying that they were good. The national average and the average of the global scores for Bogotá were very close to half of the possible score to obtain. The results of the English tests placed Bogotá in the lower part of the scale of the Common European Framework.

Examining Fijian first-year university students’ English proficiency on CEFR levels

English is the main lingua franca among the various ethnolinguistic groups in Fiji. This results in a sociocultural problem when students enter universities from different high school backgrounds. To this end, this study analysed the level of difference in writing abilities at the beginning of the first year of study and at the end of the first-year program of undergraduate students. The goal was to generate new insights that could inform ongoing efforts towards ameliorating academic English language proficiency in Fiji. The study took place at a university in Fiji where 120 students were sampled at the beginning of the first year and at the end of their first year of university program. This study used the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to evaluate student writing skills and for the development of curricula to meet students’ needs. The study employed quantitative research design to a longitudinal language testing research context. The CEFR was successful in gauging the student’s preparedness for university study and work life. Out of the 120 students, it was observed that from the 62 students who were at the A1 level at the end beginning of the year progressed to levels B1 and B2. Out of 62, 21 moved to B1 where 41 moved to B2. Further, 49 students from A2 level also progressed as 44 of these students had B2 and another 5 made substantial improvement by moving up to C1 level. The findings of this study can be used in improving support systems to enhance the smooth transition of multilingual students from high school through university and into the workforce. The analyses have the potential to provide insights into how Fijian undergraduate students are performing compared to students in other countries and how the EFL curriculum might be adapted to students’ needs.

Readability of Reading Texts as Authentic Materials Issued by ChatGPT: A Systemic Functional Perspective

Selecting the appropriate texts as the authentic material for English teaching, particularly at the university level, matched with students’ mastery level is still challenging. This study attempts to investigate the readability level of reading texts through the framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) issued by ChatGPT, focused on whether the complexity level of the texts matches the standard level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) by proposed British Council. Through the qualitative design with content analysis, this study examines eighteen texts classified following CEFR levels issued by ChatGPT. It analyzes their lexical density, grammatical intricacy, and lexical variation to know the complexity of the texts. The analysis revealed that the complexity level of the texts issued by ChatGPT has not thoroughly followed the standard level of the texts used by the British Council on the CEFR level, indicating that several texts are inappropriate with their complexity levels. It is found that the complexity level of the texts issued by ChatGPT is determined by the length of the texts that increase from the basic level to the proficient level seen from the number of words in each text, not by their lexical density, grammatical intricacy, and lexical variation indexes. The study provides implications for the lecturer to carefully select the text used as teaching material issued by ChatGPT by relying on the lexico-grammatical analysis of the text to help students achieve the comprehension stage.

Revisiting Communicative Language Teaching Approach in Teaching ESL Speaking Skills

As the world heads into modernisation, English is widely spoken by non-native speakers due to the globally competitive market. Teaching speaking in ESL classrooms has always been a massive problem since many learners are struggling to utter simple sentences despite years of learning English. By introducing the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) into the existing curriculum, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach is being prioritised to teach spoken interaction among ESL pupils. This systematic review aims to investigate the implementation of the CLT approach in teaching speaking skills in ESL classrooms. By adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) review methodology, 37 were extracted out of 360 CLT-related articles from Google Scholar and ERIC databases based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Based on the selected articles from 2018 to 2022, the findings reveal that teachers and pupils view the CLT approach positively regarding its effectiveness in sustaining speaking skills in ESL classrooms despite the challenges faced. Future research is suggested to fill in the gap of this study by investigating the perceptions of the education stakeholders towards implementing the CLT approach under the ESL context.

Model Language Tests for the Writing Skill of the Beginner Level Based on CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference)

The Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR), is a method and tool for measuring a person's language skills by using tests according to special procedures for classifying beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level abilities. Therefore, this measurement tool is one of the researchers' goals: to provide examples of various language tests of beginner's writing skills that are classified according to the CEFR measures at levels A1 and A2. This research will analyze examples of writing skill tests for beginners based on the CEFR method. This research was carried out using a desk study design with reading and writing data sources related to language testing forms based on the CEFR method and scoring techniques using desk research methods. The results of this research indicate that the CEFR method is effective for measuring students' abilities and that the writing skill test models can be classified for beginners.

Arabic vocabulary range in the beginner level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

يتناول هذا البحث موضوع نطاق المفردات العربية في المستوى المبتدئ وفقًا للإطار الأوروبي المرجعي الأوروبي المشتركCEFR. ويهدف البحث إلى الإجابة عن السؤالين التاليين: ما الإطار الأوروبي المرجعي للغات CEFR؟ وما نطاق المفردات في ذلك الإطار وما علاقتها بقوائم الشيوع.
 يحدد الإطار الأوروبي المرجعي المشترك CEFR ستة مستويات لكفاءة اللغة، ولكل مستوى متطلباته الخاصة لنطاق المفردات. ويوصي الإطار باتباع بعض المعايير عند اختيار المفردات وتشمل: مجالات الموضوعات المطلوبة لتحقيق المهام التواصلية ذات العلاقة بحاجات المتعلم، والوحدات المعجمية الأكثر ترددًا في المجال العام أو في مجال موضوعات محددة، والقيم الثقافية والمعتقدات التي يتميز بها الناطقون باللغة المتعلمة.
 يمكن من خلال واصفات الإطار الأوروبي المرجعي المشترك CEFR التوصل إلى حجم المفردات المناسب لكل مستوى من مستوياته. ولكن هناك ندرة شديدة في الدراسات التي سعت إلى قياس حجم المفردات لدى متعلمي اللغة العربية غير الناطقين بها.
 وتناول هذا البحث موضوع نطاق المفردات وفقا للإطار الأوروبي المرجعي الأوروبي المشترك (CEFR). بالتعرف على هذا الإطار أولا ومستوياته التعليمية المختلفة ثم التطرق إلى نطاق المفردات فيه وعلاقته بقوائم الشيوع ومعايير اختيار المفردات المناسبة لمستوياته، ومناقشة مستوياته وصولا إلى عرض النتائج والتوصيات.

The CELI corpus: Design and linguistic annotation of a new online learner corpus

This article introduces the CELI corpus, a new learner corpus of written Italian consisting of ca. 600,000 tokens, evenly distributed among CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) proficiency levels B1, B2, C1 and C2. The collected texts derive from the language certification exams administered by the University for Foreigners of Perugia all around the world. The corpus contains rich metadata pertaining to text-related and learner-related variables. It expands the domain of learner corpora by being, among other things, both freely available online to the research community, and by focusing on a target language other than English. The article also presents and evaluates the POS-tagging procedure, thus contributing to best practices in learner corpus annotation.

Code Switching as a Teaching and Learning Strategy: Opinions and Perceptions of University-Level Students of French as a Foreign Language (FFL) in Ghana

The ongoing debate on code switching (CS) in multilingual societies and Foreign Language (FL) classes is still relevant and worth considering. This linguistic phenomenon simply refers to altering from one language to another during speech and writing (Richards and Schmidt 2013). While some authorities propose that interactions between learners and instructors in the FL class be carried out only in the target language, other opinions favour a careful blend of both target and source languages. Ghana, a multilingual country in West Africa, adopted English as its official language during the colonial era. French was later introduced to promote regional integration among Ghana and her neighbours, especially since Ghana is greatly surrounded by francophone countries within the subregion (Gandolfi et al. 2021). French has since then been the second most widely taught FL in the country, with a presence in almost all stages of the Ghanaian academic trajectory. This multilingual position of Ghana makes it common to find elements of CS present in FL classrooms, where both instructors and learners occasionally resort to English for instructional conversations (Chachu 2016). This study focuses on university students’ perceptions of CS between English as the source language and French as a foreign language (FFL) during the instruction of the latter. Some frameworks for teaching and learning FFL in Ghana prefer that the language of instruction and interaction be limited to the target language only (Soku and Azanku 2015). The Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR) however, suggests the possible use of CS for purposes of instruction when there are favourable conditions (Council of Europe 2001). To identify the roles of CS and investigate FL students’ opinions on this, our data was gathered from classroom observations and questionnaires that had both Likert scale and open-ended questions. This was at the end of their first semester of studying university-level FFL. It was observed that CS plays a significant role in the understanding of linguistic concepts and greatly improves students’ engagement and participation in the FL class. Of the 36 respondents, 34 felt their academic needs were met when the language of instruction and interaction alternated between French and English. Twenty-nine students reported losing focus easily in the FFL class in instances where the medium of interaction was limited to French alone, while 26 reported feeling nervous whenever they were asked to only communicate in French. For metalinguistic aspects of the language, 33 students, constituting 91.7% were of the view that a careful blend of English and French could go a long way to aid their understanding and foster the learning of grammatical concepts. Generally, students attested to better retention of vocabulary in the target language when there was a good blend of both languages. It is recommended therefore that language instructors resort periodically to CS to ensure understanding and engagement from students. CS also helps learners have the opportunity to intervene with their limited linguistic structures when they are faced with linguistic challenges in the FL classroom. Click here to read the corresponding ISSOTL blog post.

Heat health action plans: a European perspective

Abstract Background With average temperatures on the rise, collaboration of European countries regarding climate change adaptation and climate resilience of their health systems is becoming an important lever for protecting older people, while recognising the diversity of older people's living environments, socio-economic conditions, as well as intersectionalities with gender and race within different subgroups of older people. Heat-health action plans (HHAPs) are one example where a common European framework (e.g. within the WHO-European region) may guide general measures, yet without being able to account for context-specific, geographic and population-specific conditions in each country, or at the subnational level. Objective Along WHO-Europe's framework for HHAP, this presentation aims to provide an overview of the core elements in place at the European level that public health officials can utilise to protect older people from heat and/or prevent heat impacts on older people, and will highlight the barriers and enablers for action. The presentation will also examine current levers and assets that exist at European, sub-national and local/municipal level to strengthen responses. Results Using examples from across European countries, the presentation summarises the current strategic and policy context framing responses to heat health for older people and will highlight what has worked well and where further work needs to be done. The presentation will also inspire dialogue among attendees, sharing knowledge from their countries and contexts. Conclusions A more targeted approach leveraging existing strategies and assets is needed to support policy-makers in implementing interventions to protect older people within the context of current HHAPs at different governance levels.

Tren penelitian dan tantangan penerapan Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) di Indonesia

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in language learning is incredibly beneficial to language learners, language teachers, and educational institutions. However, the implementation of CEFR does not appear to be comprehensive, one of which is due to the weakness empirical research on CEFR and various other factors. Therefore, this research aims to provide a comprehensive information regarding the extent to which CEFR studies in Indonesia have been carried out and various challenges in implementing CEFR in Indonesia. This research is a systematic review with the object of study are articles published in scientific journals during 2011—2021. This systematic review found surprising results where from 2011-2015, there was not found a single study on CEFR in Indonesia. The peak of articles publication on CEFR in Indonesia occurred in 2020, with a total publication of 15 articles. Other findings show that English is the dominant target language in CEFR studies in Indonesia. The challenges and problems of implementing CEFR in Indonesia are generally divided into three, challenges and problems related to educational institutions, teachers and CEFR itself.

The Effect of Action-Oriented Approach on Low-Performing Students’ Achievements

Teaching a foreign language to low-performing students necessitates thinking multi-dimensionally. It is not only to convey the knowledge to the students, but also it is to be able to take into consideration their needs, expectations, interests, and backgrounds. Thus, educators use some approaches as a base and apply a lot of teaching methods to provide learning in the best way according to their students. However, it is not easy to reach all of the students. Thanks to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference)’s Action Oriented Approach (AOA), educators can reach the objectives of their curriculum even by considering Inclusive Education and increasing the active participation of low-performing students. In this study, it is aimed to determine how an AOA is effective in low-performing students’ achievements. This study was conducted during 4 weeks with a 1-hour duration of 12 classes. A quasi-experimental method with one pretest-posttest group and the sequential explanatory pattern was employed to explain and narrate quantitative results of the effect of the AOA on low-performing students’ achievements. There were 9 students 3 girls, and 6 boys who were in 8th grade (13-14 years old). They were chosen according to their cumulative grade point average (GPA) in English lessons the previous year. All of the students had a standardized achievement pretest and posttest. The data were supported by a parental questionnaire which was prepared by taking an expert opinion. At the end of the study, it was observed that there is a significant difference between the previous and current achievements of the students. Moreover, according to the parents’ interview forms, it was understood that there has been a positive change in the attitudes of students toward English lessons and learning English.

Literary and Aesthetic Competencies in Literature Course: Whether Innovative Information Technologies Hinder Their Growth?

The purpose of this article is (1) to determine the set of literary and aesthetic competencies when reading literature and (2) to quantify the possible effect for the formation of Literary and Aesthetic competence when using innovative information technologies. The establishment of the array of literary and aesthetic competencies was achieved through the synthesis of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (2018) and a comprehensive analysis of relevant scholarly literature. The researchers determined the substantial effect of mobile applications in building three out of five aesthetic competencies ( D = 1.12 for expressive perception, D = 1.55 for emotional closeness and D = 0.82 for cognitive elaboration). Hence, based on the research outcomes, the approach adopted by the experimental group (utilisation of mobile applications for reading) facilitates the attainment of heightened literary competence through a more aesthetically comprehensive experiential engagement with the study of literary works.

Speaking French, German and Spanish in Swedish lower secondary school

This study investigates levels of oral proficiency in French, German and Spanish attained by Swedish speaking students in lower secondary school. A total of 122 students performed two tasks: one production task and one interaction task. The oral performances were rated using scales from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The rating was done in successive steps by researchers in the project and external raters. The results show that slightly less than half of the students’ performances were rated at or above the expected proficiency level at the end of lower secondary school (A2.1). While there was no difference in rated levels between the two tasks, the performances by the students of German were significantly more often rated at or above the A2.1 level than the performances by students of French and Spanish. In the article, we discuss the results in relation to the few previous studies available on the topic, as well as some aspects of the learning conditions that might contribute to the interpretation of the results. In addition, certain structural phenomena regarding language education in Sweden are briefly considered in relation to equity at a general level.

English language proficiencies – recasting disciplinary and pedagogic sensibilities

ABSTRACT The notion of language proficiency in English Language Teaching (ELT), as an internationalized educational enterprise, has tended to be operationalized in terms of stable lexicogrammar and enduring normative patterns of social use. It will be argued that this ‘established’ stability has been challenged by the scholarship in several fields of applied language studies that has demonstrated the ‘leaky’ and mutable language boundaries and emergent communicative enactments in situated use. The main theme of this article is on the coalescing professional and curricular recognition of the fact that use of English is contextually and functionally variegated, and can include resources from other languages. I will draw on relevant works from research fields such as academic literacies, English as a Lingua Franca, flexible multilingualism, and translanguaging to illustrate this growing understanding. Some aspects of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) will be discussed as a curricular example of the movement towards a more linguistically fluid and interactionally accomplished notion of language proficiency. In the final part of the discussion I will look at the key challenges brought about by this more contingent and situated view of language proficiency/ies in terms of pedagogy and assessment, and some of the potentially productive directions of investigation for further development.

Cefr-Based Mahara Al-Kitabah Competencis in Class V Textbooks at Madrasah Tsanawiyah Level in Indonesia

In Indonesia, the achievement standards for learning Arabic in Maharah Al-Kitabah are core competencies and basic competencies in each sub- and sub-sab in the teaching materials used, while in international forums the reference used is the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR). Competency standards are divided into several levels and can be modified according to the level of ability of students. In addition, the CEFR is also equipped with an assessment instrument to measure the development of students' abilities in all language skills, namely maharah istima', kalam, qiroah, kitabah. This study aims to examine CEFR-based maharah al-kitabah competencies in Arabic textbooks for class VII at the Tsanawiyah Madrasah level. This research is a qualitative research using a descriptive analysis approach that uses documentation to collect data. The results of this study are: the achievement of maharah al-kitabah class VII at the madrasah tsanawiyah level is at level B1.

Explicit Frameworks to Teach Spoken Discourse Markers: Present- Practice-Produce and Illustration-Interaction-Induction

Researchers and language instructors have attempted to utilize the most influential teaching frameworks which are related to enhance language production and how they influence the learners’ outcome positively. The study aims at exploring two explicit teaching frameworks; Present – Practice – Produce (PPP) and Illustration – Interaction – Induction (III) on learning spoken discourse markers by Kurdish non-native speakers of English. The current research reports findings from an experimental design conducted at Knowledge University in Kurdistan Region which is a private university. 66 Kurdish EFL learners participated and they were on the Upper intermediate or B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference Ability Scale (CEFR). Two different experimental groups were taught the same categories of spoken discourse markers compared to a control group. One way ANOVA and post-hoc S-N-K test of post-test revealed statistically significant differences of PPP group compared to III and control groups in relation to the higher mean scores of the total spoken discourse markers used in the post-test. The qualitative findings showed that PPP group insisted on the usefulness of their method that helped them exhibit good performances in their speaking test. Moreover, participants from both PPP and III groups gave importance to practicing as a crucial aspect of learning the target language forms.

The Development of the Learning Management System-Based Übungtest Schreiben at Level A1 for Students of PASCH School SMAN 1 Malang

This research and development aim to understand the process of developing Übungtest Schreiben to improve the writing skills of PASCH A1 students using the Learning Management System (LMS) and to find out the effectiveness of its use. By improving students' writing skills, it is hoped that the LMS-based Übungtest Schreiben can assist students in preparing for the German A1 exam. The background of this research and development is the situation of the PASCH A1 students who need a lot of writing exercises before taking the German language exam Goethe-Zertifikat A1 which corresponds to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This research and development uses the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) and the product is Moodle-based Übungtest Schreiben that consists of a module, Schreibübungen, and Schreibtest/Modelltest for PASCH students at SMA Negeri 1 Malang. The type of data in this development is qualitative data and supported by quantitative data. Qualitative data is obtained in the analysis, design, development, and evaluation phases with a logbook and a questionnaire for material validation and the data is analyzed using the descriptive analysis technique. Quantitative data is obtained through the adequacy test in the implementation stage and the effectiveness test of Übungtest Schreiben. Based on the results of the material validation, test, and student questionnaires, LMS-based Übungtest Schreiben is very adequate and effective as a digital learning media to improve writing skills.

Analyzing the Suitability of English Reading Materials: The Correlation between the Readability Level and Narrative Reading Comprehension

The observed low reading proficiency among Indonesian students can be attributed to several variables, such as the level of readability or the degree of text difficulty. The comprehension of the suitability of texts for students was of utmost importance for English teachers. The correlational research methodology was employed in this study to ascertain the presence or absence of a statistically significant relationship between student reading comprehension and the outcome variable under investigation. The participants of this study consisted of tenth-grade students from SMA Gajah Mada and SMAN 7 Bandar Lampung, who were selected to participate in the research project conducted throughout the 2020-2021 academic year. To acquire pertinent data regarding the reading comprehension abilities of pupils, an assessment specifically designed to evaluate reading comprehension was administered. A total of 12 narrative reading materials were identified in this study, sourced from three different textbooks: the Pathway to English Textbook published by Erlangga, the Talk Active Textbook authored by Yudhistira, and the Bahasa Inggris Textbook developed by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The researcher evaluated text readability using the Flesch Reading Ease Formula, with the subsequent classification of the readability level based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Level. The results of this study revealed a statistically significant positive correlation (r = 0.9054). A selection of six narrative reading materials, deemed suitable for tenth-grade students, was made accessible.

Teaching GBL Principles to Japanese Students of Education in an EFL Setting

A growing body of evidence shows that game-based learning (GBL) has become an invaluable tool for educators. Despite this fact, Japanese teacher training programs routinely ignore its inclusion. Aiming to address this issue, an innovative content language and integrated learning (CLIL) curriculum was developed in order to teach Japanese students of education the basics of GBL within their English communication classes. This paper presents a comprehensive account of the curriculum's development, the rationale behind it, and explores preliminary evidence regarding students' attitudes towards using GBL principles in their prospective teaching careers following course completion. A total of 147 students with English communication classes were included in the study, ranging from Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels B2 to C1. Although exploratory in nature, early evidence suggests that after having undergone the course, students recognized the value of GBL principles and considered them useful for their future careers as educators. From an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) perspective, instructors observed that the method of teaching described herein fostered a livelier, more enthusiastic, and interactive learning environment compared to traditional EFL classrooms. These findings imply that GBL and game design principles might be useful to include in teacher-training programs, both in Japan and elsewhere.