The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, abbreviated as CEFR, is a guideline used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe and, increasingly, in other countries (for example, Colombia and the Philippines). It was put together by the Council of Europe as the main part of the project "Language Learning for European Citizenship" between 1989 and 1996. Its main aim is to provide a method of learning, teaching and assessing which applies to all languages in Europe.

1. Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages
Presented by Joel Acosta

2. Agenda
• Background
• Results of the Symposium
• Main Purpose
• Version Manual
• Common Reference Levels
– Level A
– Level B
– Level C
• Skills to be developed
• The CEFR’s action-oriented approach

3. Background
It was put together by the Council of Europe as the
main part of the project "Language Learning for
European Citizenship" between 1989 and 1996.
In November 2001 a European Union Council
Resolution recommended using the CEFR to set up
systems of validation of language ability

4. Background
In 1991 the Swiss Federal Authorities held an
Intergovernmental Symposium in Rüschlikon, Switzerland,
on "Transparency and Coherence in Language Learning in
Europe: Objectives, Evaluation, Certification".
Common European framework for languages was needed
to improve the recognition of language qualifications and
help teachers co-operate, eventually leading to improved
communication and cooperation among language
teachers in Europe

5. Results of the Symposium
• A project to develop levels of proficiency, to lead
on to the creation of a "European Language
Portfolio"
• Certification in language ability which can be used
across Europe.

6. Main Purpose
To provide a method of learning, teaching and
assessing which applies to all languages in
Europe

7. Version Manual
A preliminary version of the Manual for Relating
Language Examinations to the CEFR was published
in 2003
• Linking a single test to the CEFR
• Linking suites of exams at different levels
• National studies by exam boards and
research institutes

8. Common Reference Levels
The Common European Framework divides
learners into three broad divisions that can be
divided into six levels
The CEFR describes what a learner is supposed to
be able to do in reading, listening, speaking and
writing at each level

9. Level A

10. Level B

11. Level C

12. Skills to be developed
The Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages ​​defines the capabilities
that a student must be controlled in each of the
levels for categories
• Understand
• Speak
• Write

13. The understanding category integrates listening skills
and reading comprehension
The speaking category integrates oral interaction and
speaking
The writing category includes the skill of writing.
Skills to be developed

14. Skills to be developed

15. Skills to be developed

16. Skills to be developed

17. The CEFR’s action-oriented approach
Since the 1970s the Council of Europe has promoted
an action-oriented approach to the description of
language use.
As elaborated in the CEFR this approach is complex,
technical and extensive

18. Characteristics of CEFR
Language is one of the foundations of human
behavior: we use it continuously to perform
communicative acts. Those acts may be external and
social.
Communicative acts may also be internal and private.
All forms of reading and some forms of listening are
examples of this

19. Characteristics of CEFR
Communicative acts comprise language activity, which
is divided into four kinds
Reception
Production
Interaction
Mediation

20. Reception
entails understanding language
produced by others, whether
in speech or in writing
Production
entails producing speech or
writing
Interaction
refers to spoken or written
exchanges between two or
more individuals
Mediation
makes communication possible
between individuals or groups
who are unable to communicate
directly

21. In order to engage in language activity, the
communicative language competence includes
To understand and
produce language.
• Knowledge of the words
• Knowledge of the sounds
• Knowledge of the syntactic rules
The ability to use
such knowledge

22. The language
activity
communicative
acts
Context
conditions and
constraints
CEFR proposes four
main domains of
language
personal, public,
educational and
occupational

23. Communicative acts
are always contextualized
CLC includes sociolinguistic
and pragmatic components

24. Allow us to face with
the social and cultural
dimensions of
communicative
behaviour
knowledge
Ability
sociolinguistic
competences
Pragmatic
competences
support our ability to use
language appropriately to
fulfil particular functions

25. .
Communicative Acts
Tasks
Strategies
understand and produce spoken or
written texts