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

5.1
General competences
5.1.1
Declarative knowledge 
(savoir)
5.1.1.1
Knowledge of the world 
Mature human beings have a highly developed and finely articulated model of the
world and its workings, closely correlated with the vocabulary and grammar of their
mother tongue. Indeed, both develop in relation to each other. The question, ‘What is
that?’ may ask for the name of a newly observed phenomenon or for the meaning (ref-
erent) of a new word. The basic features of this model are fully developed during early
childhood, but it is further developed through education and experience during ado-
lescence and indeed throughout adult life. Communication depends on the congru-
ence of the models of the world and of language which have been internalised by the
persons taking part. One aim of scientific endeavour is to discover the structure and
workings of the universe and to provide a standardised terminology to describe and
refer to them. Ordinary language has developed in a more organic way and the relation
between the categories of form and meaning varies somewhat from one language to
another, though within fairly narrow limits imposed by the actual nature of reality.
Divergence is wider in the social sphere than in relation to the physical environment,
though there, too, languages differentiate natural phenomena very much in relation
to their significance for the life of the community. Second and foreign language teach-
ing is often able to assume that learners have already acquired a knowledge of the
world sufficient for the purpose. This is, however, not by any means always the case (see
2.1.1).
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Knowledge of the world (whether it derives from experience, education or from infor-
mation sources, etc.) embraces:
•
The locations, institutions and organisations, persons, objects, events, processes and
operations in different domains as exemplified in Table 5 (section 4.1.2). Of consider-
able importance to the learner of a particular language is factual knowledge concern-
ing the country or countries in which the language is spoken, such as its major
geographical, environmental, demographic, economic and political features.
•
Classes of entities (concrete/abstract, animate/inanimate, etc.) and their properties
and relations (temporo-spatial, associative, analytic, logical, cause/effect, etc.) as set
out, for instance, in Threshold Level 1990, Chapter 6.
5.1.1.2
Sociocultural knowledge
Strictly speaking, knowledge of the society and culture of the community or com-
munities in which a language is spoken is one aspect of knowledge of the world. It is,
however, of sufficient importance to the language learner to merit special attention, es-
pecially since unlike many other aspects of knowledge it is likely to lie outside the
learner’s previous experience and may well be distorted by stereotypes. 
The features distinctively characteristic of a particular European society and its
culture may relate, for example, to:
1.
Everyday living, e.g.:
•
food and drink, meal times, table manners;
•
public holidays;
•
working hours and practices;
•
leisure activities (hobbies, sports, reading habits, media).
2.
Living conditions, e.g.:
•
living standards (with regional, class and ethnic variations);
•
housing conditions;
•
welfare arrangements.
3.
Interpersonal relations (including relations of power and solidarity) e.g. with respect to:
•
class structure of society and relations between classes;
•
relations between sexes (gender, intimacy);
•
family structures and relations;
•
relations between generations;
•
relations in work situations;
•
relations between public and police, officials, etc.;