CEFR and Examining our own Communicative Ability

Review

Common European Framework of References for Languages ヨーロッパ言語共通参照枠(CEFR)

The purposes of CEFR are the following

1. Introduce ‘common reference points’ so that courses and examinations can be related to one another.
2. Enable people to understand “where they are” or their own levels.

The purpose of CEFR is NOT the following

1. Recommend specific methods.
2. Tell learners “where they ought to be”.

Review history of CEFR

Kahoot quiz

Review words

Words from last class.

There are 6 levels. Match the levels with the descriptions.

1. Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
2. Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
3. Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
4. Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party.
5. Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst traveling in an area where the language is spoken.
6. Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation.

See Answers

Understanding Pre-A1 and A1 level Communicative Competencies

Review words here!

Show Description of Abilities

Sociolinguistic (A1)

Can establish basic social contact by using the simplest everyday polite forms of: greetings and farewells; introductions; saying please, thank you, sorry etc.

Examples (Self Assessment)

• I can introduce myself and other people.
• I can greet and respond to a greeting.
• I can apologise. I can say thank you.
• I can say please and thank you.
• I can say hello and goodbye to my teachers and classmates.
• I can ask for permission (to leave the classroom, to go to the toilet, to speak in the classroom).
• I can make and reply to simple requests.

Pragmatic

Coherence and cohesion (A1)

• Can link words or groups of words with very basic linear connectors like ‘and’ or ‘then’.

Propositional Precision

• Can communicate very basic information about personal details in a simple way. (Pre-A1)
• Can communicate basic information about personal details and needs of a concrete type in a simple way. (A1)

Spoken Fluency

• Can manage very short, isolated, rehearsed utterances using gesture and signalled requests for help when necessary. (Pre-A1)
• Can manage very short, isolated, mainly pre-packaged utterances, with much pausing to search for expressions, to articulate less familiar words, and to repair communication. (A1)

Linguistic (A1)

• Can use isolated words and basic expressions in order to give simple information about him/herself. (Pre-A1)
• Has a very basic range of simple expressions about personal details and needs of a concrete type. (A1)

Vocabulary (A1)

• Has a basic vocabulary repertoire of words and phrases related to particular concrete situations. (A1)

Examples (Self Assessment)

• I can understand some short sentences with names of people, animals, objects, plants and flowers, parts of the body, food, clothes, days of the week, months of the year, seasons of the year, means of transport, holidays and festivities, jobs.
• I can understand the days of the week.
• I can recognize the names of other countries in the world.
• I can understand the names of some animals and plants.

Grammatical Accuracy (Can do)

• Can employ very simple principles of word order in short statements. (Pre A1)
• Shows only limited control of a few simple grammatical structures and sentence patterns in a learnt repertoire. (A1)

Phonological Control (A1)

• Pronunciation of a very limited repertoire of learnt words and phrases can be understood with some effort by interlocutors used to dealing with speakers of the language group concerned. Can reproduce correctly a limited range of sounds as well as the stress on simple, familiar words and phrases. (A1)

Sound Articulation (A1)

• Can reproduce sounds in the target language if carefully guided. (A1)

Prosodic Features (A1)

• Can use the prosodic features of a limited repertoire of simple words and phrases intelligibly, in spite of a very strong influence on stress, rhythm, and/or intonation from other language(s) he/she speaks; his/her interlocutor needs to be collaborative.

Orthographic Control

• Can copy familiar words and short phrases e.g. simple signs or instructions, names of everyday objects, names of shops and set phrases used regularly. (A1)

Examples (Self Assessment)

• I can copy simple words and short sentences.
• I can copy words and short sentences.
• I can copy words from the board.
• I can copy words for colours and shapes from the board.
• I can copy words about transport from the board.
• I can copy sentences about seasons and festivals from the board.