View
241
Download
5
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
The CEFR and ELT in Australia: getting them together
NEAS 16th Annual ELT Management Conference, May 2012
Mary Jane Hogan
English Australia CEFR PD workshops
Bringing the CEFR into curriculum and assessment in ELICOS
Workshops held March – May 2012 in 5 cities
Average 15-35 participants
3 hour workshop:
gave a quick overview of the CEFR
presented an approach to aligning curriculum
looked at how the illustrative scales can be used
described and used some available resources
supplied a detailed reference list of resources
After this workshop …
You will:
say goodbye to the idea that you have to re-write all your curriculum and assessment
say goodbye to the idea that the CEFR is a pedagogic straightjacket
appreciate the depth of the CEFR
realize what resources are available to assist you with aligning curriculum and assessment
have some ideas on how to approach aligning the curriculum
see alignment to the CEFR as a Good Thing!
Let’s get this out of the way first
Difference between:
a rating scale
describes performance on specific tasks in a specific form of assessment at a point in time based on specific TLU or curriculum
and
a language framework
‘A language levels framework is a series of language descriptions arranged sequentially to indicate an expected order of language progression or development over time.’ O’Loughlin, NEAS 2007
The CEFR …
‘…provides a common basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, examinations, textbooks, etc. …. It describes in a comprehensive way what language learners have to learn to do in order to use a language for 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.’
CEFR 2001, 1.1
Asking questions … not making rules
Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state: •the communicative tasks in the personal, public, occupational and/or educational domains that the learner will need/be equipped/be required to tackle; •the assessment of learner needs on which the choice of task is based. CEFR 2001, Ch. 4 “Language use and the language user/learner”
The CEFR is flexible
Learning programmes and certification can be:
global
modular
weighted
partial CEFR 2001
Also:
CEFR ≠ your learning context Using the CEFR: Principles of Good Practice (Cambridge ESOL 2011)
The CEFR is “action-oriented”
The approach adopted here, generally speaking, is an action-oriented one in so far as it views users and learners of a language primarily as ‘social agents’, i.e. members of society who have tasks (not exclusively language-related) to accomplish in a given set of circumstances, in a specific environment and within a particular field of action.
CEFR 2001, Ch 2.
Two aspects of the CEFR
Vertical: the 6 levels A1 to C2 (++)
Horizontal: (1) the areas of competence:
general competences (knowledge and skills)
communicative language competences (linguistic, sociolinguistic, pragmatic)
(2) communicative language activities and strategies
(productive, receptive, interactive, mediating)
Using the CEFR: Principles of Good Practice (Cambridge ESOL 2011)
Current tensions in uses of the CEFR
The CEFR is: The CEFR is not:
descriptive not prescriptive
flexible not rigid and immutable
multi-faceted not linear
a work-in-progress not set-in-stone
plurilingualism not “NS” competence
complex not simplistic
a competence-based approach to LT
not just a set of descriptors
for language learning not just for assessment
Summary: CEFR documentation
Introduction to the CEFR:
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp
http://www.coe.int/t/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/documents_intro/common_framework.html
http://www.eaquals.org/cefr/
Curriculum guidance:
Cambridge ESOL: Using the CEFR. Principles of Good Practice
http://www.cambridgeesol.org/assets/pdf/what-we-do/research/cefr-pogp-oct-2011.pdf
EAQUALS Self-Help Guide to Curriculum and Syllabus Designhttp://www.eaquals.org/pages/?p=7400
ECEP (ECML): Pathways through assessing, learning and teaching in the CEFR:
http://ecep.ecml.at/
Start with your existing curriculum
The CEFR provides a framework to
• critique
• evaluate
• tighten
• develop
• renew
• create
curriculum documents
Cambridge ESOL: Using the CEFR. Principles of Good Practice (2011):
1Adapt the CEFR to fit your context.
2Focus on the outcomes of learning.
3Focus on purposeful communication.
4Focus on the development of good language learning skills. http://www.cambridgeesol.org/assets/pdf/what-we-do/research/cefr-pogp-oct-2011.pdf
The EAQUALS Self-Help Guide for Curriculum and Syllabus Design:
http://www.eaquals.org/pages/?p=7400
Curriculum documents
Ask:
Who are our students? = curriculum
Why are they learning English?
What are we teaching them?
What methodology do we use?
How are we teaching them? = syllabus
The CEFR principles
The CEFR:
asks you to reflect on your teaching practice
requires you to meet your learners’ needs
is action-oriented in its approach
regards language learning as a lifelong process
expects the learner to take responsibility for their own learning
Curriculum and the CEFR
The CEFR:
asks you to reflect on your teaching practice
who are your learners?
what are their language goals?
what teaching methodology do you use?
requires you to meet your learners’ needs
domains, competences, activities and strategies
The CEFR principles
The CEFR:
asks you to reflect on your teaching practice
requires you to meet your learners’ needs
is action-oriented in its approach
regards language learning as a lifelong process
expects the learner to take responsibility for their own learning
The CEFR levels
Proficient
C2
C1
Independent
B2
B1
Basic
A2
A1
What do the levels mean?
Productive skills:
performance features
Writing samples
http://www.coe.int/t/ DG4/Portfolio/documents/ exampleswriting.pdf
What do the levels mean?
Productive skills: performance features
Speaking samples
http://research.cambridgeesol.org/fitness-purpose/examples-speaking-tests
Veronica and Melisa B1
From Examples of Speaking Performance at CEFR levels A2-C2, Cambridge ESOL
http://research.cambridgeesol.org/fitness-purpose/examples-speaking-tests
Ongoing development of the CEFR
EAQUALS Revised CEFR Descriptors:
http://www.coe.int/t/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/documents_intro/Data_bank_descriptors.html
But there’s more!!
Lexico-grammatical expansion
BC/EAQUALS Core Inventory for General English:
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/Z243%20E&E%20EQUALS%20BROCHURErevised6.pdf With
a critique:
http://scottthornbury.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/c-is-for-core-inventory/
English Profile Project:
http://www.englishprofile.org/
Also: Research Notes (Cambridge ESOL) 33, August 2008
The CEFR principles
The CEFR:
asks you to reflect on your teaching practice
requires you to meet your learners’ needs
is action-oriented in its approach
regards language learning as a lifelong process
expects the learner to take responsibility for their own learning
European Language Portfolio (ELP)
Language learners/users record and monitor their own progress and achievements
ELP descriptors used for self-assessment
New website 2011: www.coe.int/portfolio
The CEFR and assessment
The scales are NOT intended to be used as rating scales (See Weir 2005)
Curriculum and assessment are created together:
learning outcomes lead to assessment specifications
Aligning formal assessment to the CEFR:
Aligning existing tests: Manual 2009: www.coe.int/T/DG4/Linguistic/Manuel1_EN.asp
Aligning new tests: Manual 2011: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/ManualtLangageTest-
Alte2011_EN.pdf
Summary
“It is not the intention that anyone should use these 54
sub-scales operationally. Rather, their purpose is to help
the user to consider the coverage of the learning
programme or examination with which they are
concerned: what are the priority areas and what level of
proficiency is appropriate in each area?”
North 2007
Summary
The CEFR:
requires you to reflect on your teaching practice
is flexible
is action-oriented: Can Do
operates vertically and horizontally
focuses on “act effectively”
provides support
Thank you!
Mary Jane Hogan
mjh Editorial & Language Services
maryjanehogan@optusnet.com.au
Recommended