The Common European Framework in its political and educational context What is the Common European Framework?

a)
First scenario:
Primary school:
The first foreign language (FL1) begins in primary school with the main aim of devel-
oping ‘language awareness’, a general consciousness of linguistic phenomena (rela-
tionship with the native language or other languages present in the classroom
environment). The focus here is on partial objectives concerned above all with an indi-
vidual’s general competences – (discovery or recognition by the school of the plural-
ity of languages and cultures, preparation for moving away from ethnocentrism,
relativisation but also confirmation of the learner’s own linguistic and cultural iden-
tity; attention paid to body language and gestures, sound aspects, music and rhythm,
experience of the physical and aesthetic dimensions of certain elements of another
language) – and their relationship with communicative competence, but without
there being a structured and explicit attempt to develop this specific competence.
Lower secondary school:
•
FL1 continues with the emphasis from now on placed on a gradual development
of communicative competence (in its linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic
dimensions) but taking full account of achievements at primary level in the area
of language awareness.
•
The second foreign language (FL2, not taught at primary school) would not start
from scratch either; it too would take account of what had been covered at
primary school on the basis of and in relation to FL1, whilst at the same time pur-
suing slightly different objectives from those now pursued in FL1 (for instance,
by giving priority to comprehension activities over production activities).
Upper secondary level:
Continuing the example in this scenario, consideration should now be given to:
•
reducing the formal teaching of FL1 and using the language instead on a regular
or occasional basis for teaching another subject (a form of domain-related learn-
ing and ‘bilingual education’);
•
maintaining the emphasis with regard to FL2 on comprehension, concentrating
in particular on different text types and the organisation of discourse, and relat-
ing this work to what is being done or has already been done in the mother
tongue, whilst also using skills learnt in FL1;
•
inviting pupils who choose to study the optional third foreign language (FL3) ini-
tially to take part in discussions and activities relating to types of learning and
learning strategies that they have already experienced; they are then encouraged
to work more autonomously, using a resource centre and contributing to the
drawing up of a group or individual work programme designed to achieve the
objectives set by the group or the institution.