1. PRACTICE II, DIDACTICS OF ELT and Practicum Primary School level.
Adjunto Regular a/c Prof. Estela N. Braun (2019).
Full Name/s: BUSTAMANTE MEZA Lucia, CORTESE Solange, LOPEZ Angela,
RUBIO Florencia, SCHMIDT Candela, TORRES Melina.
Practical number 6
Topic: CEFR
Date: May 6th, 2019
1. Read chapter 5, Describing Learners (Harmer, 2007: pp95) and answer:
a. Which different language levels are described for explaining
language proficiency?
When it comes to explain language proficiency, there are three levels used
to describe it: beginner, intermediate and advanced, and these categories are
further qualified by talking about real beginners and false beginners. Between
beginner and intermediate we often class students as elementary. The
intermediate level itself is often subdivided into lower intermediate and upper
intermediate and even mid-intermediate.
However, these terms are used indiscriminately and there is always some
variation about what students at certain levels are capable of doing.
b. What are the aims of the CEFR (Common European Framework of
Reference and ALTE (the Association of Language testers in Europe)
levels?
2. In order to define language competency levels for learners, the Council of
Europe and the Association of Language Testers created the Common
European Framework (a document defining in detail what students ‘can do’ at
various levels) and a series of ALTE levels ranging from A1 (roughly equivalent
to elementary) to C2 (very advanced)
ALTE levels and 'can do' statements are used by coursebook writers and
curriculum designers to measure proficiency. However, it is necessary to
remember that students’ abilities within any particular lever may be varied. (for
example, they may be better at writing than speaking)
2. Look at the ppt by David Little and answer:
-What is the rationale for the CEFR action-oriented approach?
The CEFR’s action-oriented approach states that we use language to
perform communicative acts which may be external and social (communicating
with other people) or internal and private (communicating with ourselves). When
we perform communicative acts we use strategies to make the most
appropriate and effective use of our linguistic resources. Taking this into
account, Language learning is, or should be, a kind of language use. The action-
oriented approach thus implies a task-based approach to language teaching
and learning.
3. -Describe the three bands and their use.
The CEFR defines language proficiency at six levels arranged in three
bands:
● A1 and A2 (basic user)
● B1 and B2 (independent user)
● C1 and C2 (proficient user)
Considering that the main idea of the CEFR’s action-oriented approach is
that we use language to do things, the successive proficiency levels are defined
in terms of what learners can do in the second/foreign language(s) they know or
are learning
By defining proficiency levels for five different language activities
(listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, writing) the CEFR
allows us to take account of partial competences and the fact that we are usually
stronger in reception than production
We can use these common reference levels as a starting point for:
● the elaboration of language syllabuses and curriculum guidelines
● the design of learning materials and activities
● the assessment of learning outcomes
-What kind of descriptors are used? What are their characteristics?
The kind of descriptors used are:
4. ● Positiveness: Instead of focusing on what students are not capable of
doing, descriptors should be designed to highlight what learners are able
to do, what encourages their motivation and help them perform better.
● Definiteness: descriptors should avoid ambiguity and describe clear tasks
and/or concrete degrees of skill in performing tasks.
● Clarity: descriptors should be as transparent as possible, avoiding
technical language. Written in simple syntax, comprehensible without
explanation, usable without training
● Brevity: descriptors should be short and brief.
3. After reading the article ECML's 2nd medium-term programme (2004-
2007) Training teachers to use the European Language Portfolio, answer:
a) Does the portfolio state the specific grammar and vocabulary for
each level?
The portfolio does not state explicitly what grammar and vocabulary are
required for the different communicative activities. This is with the purpose of
providing information about an individual’s knowledge of languages at a given
time.
b) What is the difference between communicative language activities
and communicative competences?
Communicative language activities
These activities refer to a description of what a language user can do with
a language.
The communicative language activities can be divided into reception,
5. production, interaction and mediation (principally translation and interpretation),
each of which can be accomplished orally or in writing.
These communicative language activities include:
Linguistic competence
Linguistic competence comprises the knowledge and skills related to lexis,
phonology and syntax and other features of language systems. It concerns not
only the range and quality of knowledge such as the range and precision of
lexical knowledge but also involves cognitive organisation, the way this
knowledge is stored in memory and the accessibility.
Sociolinguistic competence
Sociolinguistic competence refers to the knowledge and skills involved in
using language functionally in a social context. Since language is a social
phenomenon, its use requires sensitivity to social norms and customs which
affect all linguistic communication between representatives of different cultures,
even if the participants are frequently unaware of them.
Pragmatic competence
Pragmatic competence involves the functional uses of linguistic resources
using scenarios or predetermined scripts of interactional exchanges. It also
involves the discourse domain, cohesion and coherence, the recognition of text
types and genres, using irony or parody.
Transversal competences
In order to learn and develop the diverse competences, it is required a
process of acquisition and learning. The competence of acquisition or the ability
6. to learn, which we call “transversal”, applies to all the competences and at the
same time to all the activities.For this reason, we consider important to resort to
different competences and to apply different strategies when a task is especially
difficult.
Communicative competences
A competence is a set of areas of knowledge, or aptitudes and skills. The
proportion of knowledge and skill vary from one competence to another. In order
to carry out the communicative language activities, learners need to use a range
of competences which are acquired in the course of their previous linguistic
experience.
There are different kinds of competences:
● Individual general competences
● Psycho-social competence or existential competences (savoir-être)
Personal factors such as attitudes, motivation, values, beliefs and
cognitive styles affect learners’ communicative activities. These existential
competences are linked to the user’s own personality and should be considered
as frames of mind that human beings must take into consideration in
communicative or learning situations.
● Sociocultural Competence
Socio-cultural competence consists of knowledge, skills and existential
competences relating to the distinctive characteristics of a particular society.
These include the features of daily life, living conditions, interpersonal relations,
values, beliefs, behaviours, body language and social rituals.
7. Sociocultural competence is also considered as intercultural when it refers
to the comparison between the "world of origin" and "the world of the target
community".
● Acquisitional competence
It is the ability to observe new language experiences, to participate in them
and to integrate the new knowledge acquired, even if it means modifying previous
knowledge.
Competence involves being open to discover “otherness” whether it is
another language, another culture, other people or fresh knowledge. It also
comprises being a good listener (paying attention to what the other says and
being aware of the risks of cultural misunderstanding).
● Strategic competence
Strategic competence involves using mental competences and processes in
order to control the communicative process. It acts as a link between the learner’s
resources and what he / she is able to do with the communicative activities.
c) What do the competences of interacting and mediating imply?
The competence of interacting involves more than learning to receive and
produce utterances. Frequently, there is great emphasis placed on interaction in
both language learning and language use because of the central role it plays in
communication.
8. The competence of mediating involves both reception and production as
well as translation and interpretation, such as summarising,reporting or
reformulation of statements..
d) Describe achievement and avoidance strategies (SLA).
Avoidance strategy refers to the different ways of reducing ambitions to
fit resources in order to ensure success in a more limited area.
Achievement strategies makes reference to increase and find ways to
cope. Through the use of achievement strategies, the language user adopts a
positive approach with what resources he or she has, approximating with
paraphrasing or describing aspects of what he or she wants to say.
These strategies are characterized as communicative since they are used
with the intention of achieving successful communication. However, because
there are close links between using language to communicate and learning a
language, communicative strategies can support acquisition.
4. Which of the levels stated in the ALTE can do statements will your primary
school students be able to reach? Why?
Taking into account Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, in
which he states that children between 6 and 11 can work things out internally in
their heads but they do not develop the ability to think about abstract concepts or
hypotheses, we can explain that the propriety ALTE levels to primary school
students are A1 and A2, because they required a basic rage of vocabulary and,
9. about writing, it is all related with personal/real information rather than
imaginary/abstract situations as it is in B1 level where predictions are asked.
4. Focus on the macroskill and level of the textbook (*) you were given.
Explain the language level, choose 5 (five) activities or tasks and determine
through descriptors what the learners are expected to do.
Bowen, P. & Delaney, D. (2011). Champions: starter. Oxford, England: Oxford
University Press.
In the first activity, students have to write a description of a person taking
into account information provided some items above.They can look at the page
before in which they have an example of description of 30 words approximately.
(p.19)
In the second one, students have to imagine they are part of a celebrity
family and describe it, so they have to write about an imaginary situation without
information provided but with an example written above. (p.27)
Then, they are supposed to write about their favourite day of the week.
The book gives a model of brainstorming so as to know how to organise
information. That activity implies that students write around 70 words.(p.37)
In page 47, writing an email to “Rachel” is required telling her about
students’ school and their school day. In the same page, there is the email
received from Rachel so that students can use it as a guide as well as they are
pretended to write almost 100 words.
The last one that we chose is about writing a paragraph about students’
abilities and their free time activities taking as an example an activity above.(p.55)
10. It is a A1-A2 level book but as we were looking at the activities we chose,
we analysed them through descriptors and discovered that the activities must fit
with a B1 level.
To the B1 level is expected to:
● write straightforward connected texts on a range of familiar subjects
within his field of interest, by linking a series of shorter discrete
elements into a linear sequence.
● write straightforward, detailed descriptions on a range of familiar
subjects within his/her field of interest.
● write accounts of experiences, describing feelings and reactions in
simple connected text.
● write a description of an event, a recent trip – real or imagined.
● narrate a story.
● write personal letters and notes asking for or conveying simple
information of immediate relevance, getting across the point he/she
feels to be important.
