1. THE COMMON EUROPEAN
FRAMEWORK OF
REFERENCE FOR LANGUAGES:
Learning, Teaching, Assessment
MARCIA BENTO ZANOTELI

2. WHAT IS THE CEFR?
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning,
teaching, assessment (CEFR) was created by the Council of Europe to provide ‘a

3. It describes in a comprehensive way what language learners
have to learn to do in order to use a language for communication
communication and what knowledge and skills they have to
develop so as to be able to act effectively. The description also
covers the cultural context in which language is set. The
Framework also defines levels of proficiency which allow learners’
progress to be measured at each stage of learning and on a life-long
basis.
Common European Framework Of Reference For Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (P.10)

5. IT DESCRIBES LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ ABILITY IN TERMS OF SPEAKING,
READING, LISTENING AND WRITING AT SIX REFERENCE LEVELS. These six

6. LEVELS Description
C2
Mastery
The capacity to deal with material which is academic or cognitively demanding, and to use language to good
effect at a level of performance which may in certain respects be more advanced than that of an average native
speaker.
Example: CAN scan texts for relevant information, and grasp main topic of text, reading almost as quickly as a
native speaker.
All practice tests at this level
C1
Effective Operational
Proficiency
The ability to communicate with the emphasis on how well it is done, in terms of appropriacy, sensitivity and
the capacity to deal with unfamiliar topics.
Example: CAN deal with hostile questioning confidently. CAN get and hold onto his/her turn to speak.
All practice tests at this level
B2
Vantage
The capacity to achieve most goals and express oneself on a range of topics.
Example: CAN show visitors around and give a detailed description of a place.
All practice tests at this level
B1
Threshold
The ability to express oneself in a limited way in familiar situations and to deal in a general way with nonroutine
information.
Example: CAN ask to open an account at a bank, provided that the procedure is straightforward.
All practice tests at this level
A2
Waystage
An ability to deal with simple, straightforward information and begin to express oneself in familiar contexts.
Example: CAN take part in a routine conversation on simple predictable topics.
All practice tests at this level
A1
Breakthrough
A basic ability to communicate and exchange information in a simple way.
Example: CAN ask simple questions about a menu and understand simple answers.

7. THE COMMON REFERENCE LEVELS

8. GRAMMAR
AREAS:
A1
Adjectives: common and demonstrative
Adverbs of frequency
Comparatives and superlatives
Going to
How much/how many and very
common uncountable nouns
I’d like
Imperatives (+/-)
Intensifiers - very basic
Modals: can/can’t/could/couldn’t
Past simple of “to be”
Past Simple
Possessive adjectives
Possessives
Prepositions, common
Prepositions of place
Prepositions of time, including in/on/at
Present continuous
Present simple
Pronouns: simple, personal
Questions
There is/are
To be, including question+negatives
Verb + ing: like/hate/love

9. A2 Adjectives – comparative, – use of
than and definite article
Adjectives – superlative – use of definite article
Adverbial phrases of time, place and frequency – including
word order
Adverbs of frequency
Articles – with countable and
uncountable nouns
Countables and Uncountables:
much/many
Future Time (will and going to)
Gerunds
Going to
Imperatives
Modals – can/could
Modals – have to
Modals – should
Past continuous
Past simple
Phrasal verbs – common
Possessives – use of ‘s, s’
Prepositional phrases (place, time
and movement)
Prepositions of time: on/in/at
Present continuous
Present continuous for future
Present perfect
Questions
Verb + ing/infinitive: like/
want-would like
Wh-questions in past
Zero and 1st conditional

10. B1
Adverbs
Broader range of intensifiers such
as too, enough
Comparatives and superlatives
Complex question tags
Conditionals, 2nd and 3rd
Connecting words expressing
cause and effect, contrast etc.
Future continuous
Modals - must/can’t deduction
Modals – might, may, will, probably
Modals – should have/might have/etc
Modals: must/have to
Past continuous
Past perfect
Past simple
Past tense responses
Phrasal verbs, extended
Present perfect continuous
Present perfect/past simple
Reported speech (range of tenses)
Simple passive
Wh- questions in the past
Will and going to, for prediction

11. B2 Adjectives and adverbs
Future continuous
Future perfect
Future perfect continuous
Mixed conditionals
Modals – can’t have, needn’t have
Modals of deduction and speculation
Narrative tenses
Passives
Past perfect
Past perfect continuous
Phrasal verbs, extended
Relative clauses
Reported speech
Will and going to, for prediction
Wish
Would expressing habits, in the past

12. C1 Futures (revision)
Inversion with negative adverbials
Mixed conditionals in past, present
and future
Modals in the past
Narrative tenses for experience,
incl. passive
Passive forms, all
Phrasal verbs, especially splitting
Wish/if only regrets

13. THE COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH
The CEFR invites readers to be explicit about their own beliefs
about the process of learning; which teaching approaches they

14. The text of the CEFR emphasises learners’
‘communicative needs’, including dealing with the business of
business of everyday life, exchanging information and ideas,
and ideas, and achieving wider and deeper intercultural
understanding. This is to be achieved by ‘basing language
language teaching and learning on the needs, motivations,
characteristics and resources of learners.’ (2001a:3)
This conveys the CEFR’s communicative, action-oriented approach