The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) provides common standards for teaching, learning, and assessing foreign languages across Europe. Published in 2001 by the Council of Europe, the CEFR describes foreign language proficiency at six levels from A1 to C2. It helps teachers set goals, select materials, and evaluate progress. Teachers can use the CEFR's detailed descriptions of language skills and example "can do" statements to guide instruction and help students self-assess. The CEFR also encourages students to reflect on their learning through language portfolios and take ownership of their progress toward communication goals.

2. General facts about the CEFR
• CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment.
• Year of publication: 2001
• Published by: The Council of Europe
• Objective: The CEF is a guideline which “provides a
common basis for the elaboration of languages syllabuses,
curriculum guidelines, examinations, textbooks, etc.
(CEF:2001:1).

3. 1. What is the
Common European
Framework and
how did it evolve?

4. Origins of the CEF
• Respond to a lack of homogeneity among languages
teaching, especially as for levels descriptions.
• Before the CEF, levels meant different things among
different institutions, in different countries and in
different foreign languages.

5. Origins of the CEF
• Responds to a need of a common language for teachers:
→ which gives them a way to specify what the learners
are able to do at certain levels.
→ which helps them to know how these levels can
guide the teaching.
→ which helps them to select course books and
resources.

6. The aim of the CEF
• Establish international standards for learning, teaching
and assessment for all modern European languages.

7. The Global Scale of the CEF
• To describe what a learner can do at six specifics
levels (from A1 to C2).
Basic User
Independent User
Proficient User

8. The Global Scale of the CEF
In the CEF, each level is complemented by a deep
description of:
• Competencies necessary for effective communication.
• Skills and knowledge related to language learning.
• Situations (people, place, time, organization, etc.) and
contexts (study, work, social, tourism, etc.) in which
communication takes place.

9. The Global Scale of the CEF
Competencies, skills, knowledge, situations and contexts are
detalled for three areas of communication:
• Understanding (Listening and Reading)
• Speaking (Spoken Interaction and Spoken Production)
• Writing

10. The Global Scale of the CEF
• Can be used with virtually any language (not language
specific).
• Can be used to compare achievement and learning across
languages (B1 in Spanish = B1 in French).
• Helps teacher, academic coordinators and course book
writers to decide on curriculum and syllabus content.

11. The Global Scale of the CEF
“Can do” statements:
• Set of statements that describe
what a learner can do.
• Always positive.
• Help all learners see that learning
has value and that they can attain
language goals.

13. Self-Assessment Grids
• Language used in the CEF simplified for learners.
• Help students understand what their level is and where
they will go next with their language learning and use.
• Encourage learners to reflect on their current and future
levels.
• Used as part of a Language Portfolio.

14. Influence of the CEF on foreign
languages learning & teaching
• Framework translated into more than 30 languages,
including non-European languages such as Arabic and
Japanese.
• Accessible to nearly everyone around the world.
• Positive impact on learning, teaching and assessment.

15. 2. How can
teachers make use
of the CEF to help
achieve their
classroom goals?

16. Benefits of the CEF for teachers
• Meaningful and useful point of reference to measure
language knowledge and skills.
• Detailed description of learning, teaching and assessing
languages.
• Specific levels and specific goals of those levels to follow
along with the students.
• To help learners achieve new levels of proficiency using a
methodology which best fits the way of teaching of the
teacher and the way of learning of the learners.

17. Benefits of the CEF for teachers
•A support to select teaching materials.
• Indication of performance and ability to function in
communicative contexts in a foreign language.
• To reflect on their approach to teaching, learning and
assessment.

18. The CEF to “map” a journey
• Tool for “mapping” a learner’s journey in learning a
language.
• Similar to a road map and used by teachers and learners to
find the best route for their journey.

19. How to reach the different levels?
Depends on many factors:
• Teaching methodology.
• Students’ motivation.
• Their reason or purpose for learning.
• The course book and materials used.
• The amount of time taken.
• Etc.

20. Amount of time needed
to reach CEF level
Learning a language is like climbing a mountain: the higher
you go, the harder it gets.

21. Amount of time needed
to reach CEF level
• Amount of time different to reach each level and different
for every learner.
• It will take longer to get to B2 from B1 than it does to get to
A2 from A1.
• As the learner progresses with the language, he/she needs
to acquire a larger range of language knowledge and
competencies.
• Beyond B1 level: linguistic plateau (adquisition slows)
• Language learning process: continual & individualized.

22. Amount of time needed
to reach CEF level
Guidance on the number
of guided teaching hours
needed to fulfill the
aims of each CEF level
Association of Language
Testers of Europe (ALTE)

23. Amount of time needed to reach
CEF level
Factors which have influence on the number of hours needed
for different learners to reach each CEF level:
• Age and motivation.
• Background; Origins (native language).
• Amount of prior study and extent of exposure to the
language outside the classroom.
• Amount of time spent in individual study.

24. Importance of team work
With other teachers (as a group):
• Read through the levels in the CEF Global
Scale and self-assessment grids.
• Decide how they think they fit the
classroom goals, the curriculum, the
syllabus and the course book chosen.
• Share ideas, advices and points of view.

25. 3. How can the CEF
help students
reflect on their
learning?

26. The learners and the importance
to understand the CEF levels
• They can use self-assessment, reflection and learner
autonomy to become more effective learners inside and
outside the classroom.
• Inspired and motivated learners (by their teachers) take
control of their learning and become more effective
autonomous learners.
• Role of the teacher: to help learners understand how they
learn and how they can acquire useful tools that will
enhance their progress.

27. Encouraging reflection on learners’
learning process
• Good teachers should encourage self-reflection and facilitate
learner training.

28. How to encourage reflection?
The teacher can ask learners concrete questions to help
them understand the benefits of reflection (reflection on
general learning ability, on learning a language and
aims…).
What do you think are your strengths as a student?
What expectations do you have of the language teacher?
What do you find easy or difficult about learning a language?

29. Language Portfolios
• Designed to help learners become more conscious of
their language learning.
• To encourage them to monitor their own progress.
• To encourage them to engage in self-assessment using
“can do” statements.

30. Language Portfolios
• Promote creativity.
• Help students explore their interests and understand
their profiles as language learners.
• Property of the learners.
• Allow learners to take control of their learning and to
showcase examples of their best work.

31. Language Portfolios
Language portfolio divided in three parts:
1. The Language ‘Passport’: To reflect on the language
learning experiences; To define learning needs; To plan
a learning route.
2. The Language Biography: Learner’s personal language
learning experiences (self-assessment).
3. The Language Dossier: Collection of learners’ work
from throughout the course (in written, audio, video,
etc. form).

32. The CEF…
An indispensable language
learning’s tool for teachers
and learners!