Chet tillarini o'qitishning integrallashgan kursi (III & IV) Qarshi- 2018 Module: Language Testing and Assessment Lesson Basic principles of language assessment

Lesson 5. CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference)
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an internationally recognized standard for describing language proficiency. The CEFR is widely-accepted across Europe, and increasingly common around the world. The EFSET is currently the only standardized English test that accurately measures all skill levels, beginner to proficient, in alignment with the CEFR. Other standardized English tests are able to assess some proficiency levels, but not the entire CEFR scale.
What is the CEFR?
The CEFR is a way of describing how well you speak and understand a foreign language. The CEFR is a European scale and was specifically designed to apply to any European language, so it can be used to describe your English skills, your German skills, or your any foreign language skills (if you have them).
The Common European Framework of Reference gives you a detailed description of learner level by skill, in a language-neutral format. It is a useful reference document for school directors, syllabus designers, teachers, teacher trainers and proficient learners.
The CEFR has three broad bands – A, B and C. Very loosely, you can see these as similar to Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced – though the CEFR levels are more precise than these terms (and calls them Basic, Independent, and Proficient). Each of those bands is divided into two, giving us six main levels.
Where did the CEFR come from?
The CEFR was put together by the Council of Europe in the 1990’s as part of a wider effort to promote collaboration between language teachers across all European countries. The Council of Europe also wanted to improve clarity for employers and educational institutions who needed to evaluate candidates’ language proficiency. The framework is intended to be used in both teaching and assessment.
Rather than being tied to a particular test, the CEFR is a collection of can-do statements that list the functions you will be able to perform using a foreign language at any given level of proficiency. For example, one of the level B1 can-do statements is “Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.” A teacher of any foreign language can use these can-do statements to evaluate you and design lessons to address the gaps in your knowledge.
Who uses the CEFR?
The CEFR is used extensively in language teaching in Europe, both in the public education sector and in private language schools. In many countries, it has replaced previous leveling systems used in foreign language teaching. Most education ministries in Europe have an explicit CEFR-based goal for all students leaving secondary school, for example B2 in their first foreign language, B1 in their second. For job seekers, many European adults use a standardized test score, like the TOEIC, to describe their English level.
Adoption of the CEFR is much narrower outside Europe, although some individual countries in Asia and Latin America have adopted it in their education systems.
Why is the CEFR important?
In Europe, the CEFR is increasingly the standard way of describing your proficiency level in a foreign language, particularly in an academic setting. If you have studied more than one language, as most Europeans have, the CEFR is a conveniently standardized way to present two or more languages on your CV. In school or university, the CEFR is the standard framework across Europe and can be used without reservation.
However, in a corporate setting, the CEFR is not as widely understood. If you decide to use the CEFR on your CV for professional reasons, it is still best practice to include a level descriptor, a standardized test score, and examples of instances in which you used your language skills (study abroad, work abroad, etc.).

Why do we need the CEFR?

Even among teachers of the same language in similar contexts there can be a lot of variety in what is meant by terms like ‘beginner’, ‘intermediate’ or ‘advanced’. This variability increases significantly across different languages, in different countries, with different age ranges of learners, etc. The CEFR makes it easier for all of us to talk about language levels reliably and with shared understanding.
CEFR Levels
Level Descriptors:
A1 - Beginner: 0 - 30
A2 – Elementary: 31 - 40
B1 – Intermediate: 41 - 50
B2 - Upper Intermediate: 51 - 60
C1 – Advanced: 61 - 70
C2 – Proficient: 71 - 100