CEFR

Most important aspects of the CEFR 1.1 and 1.2


1.1 What is the Common European Framework?

"The Common European Framework is intended to overcome the barriers to communication among professionals working in the field of modern languages arising from the different educational systems in Europe. It provides the means for educational administrators, course designers, teachers, teacher trainers, examining bodies, etc., to reflect on their current practice, with a view to situating and co-ordinating their efforts and to ensuring that they meet the real needs of the learners for whom they are responsible. By providing a common basis for the explicit description of objectives, content and methods, the Framework will enhance the transparency of courses, syllabuses and qualifications, thus promoting international co-operation in the field of modern languages."

1.2 The aims and objectives of Council of Europe language policy:

CEF serves the overall aim of the Council of Europe as defined in Recommendations R (82)

18 and R (98) 6 of the Committee of Ministers: 

‘To achieve greater unity among its members’ and to pursue this aim ‘by the adoption of common action in the cultural field’.

The work of the Council for Cultural Co-operation of the Council of Europe with regard to modern languages, organized since its foundation in a series of medium-term projects, has derived its coherence and continuity from adherence to three basic principles set down in the preamble to Recommendation R (82) 18 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe:

• That the rich heritage of diverse languages and cultures in Europe is a valuable common resource to be protected and developed.

• That it is only through a better knowledge of European modern languages that it will be possible to facilitate communication and interaction among Europeans of different mother tongues.

• That member states, when adopting or developing national policies in the field of modern language learning and teaching, may achieve greater convergence at the European level by means of appropriate arrangements for ongoing co-operation and co-ordination of policies.

A. General measures:

1. To ensure, as far as possible, that all sections of their populations have access to effective means of acquiring a knowledge of the languages of other member states (or of other communities within their own country) as well as the skills in the use of those languages that will enable them to satisfy their communicative needs.

2. To promote, encourage and support the efforts of teachers and learners at all levels to apply in their own situation the principles of the construction of language-learning systems (as these are progressively developed within the Council of Europe ‘Modern languages’ program).

3. To promote research and development programmes leading to the introduction, at all educational levels, of methods and materials best suited to enabling different classes and types of student to acquire a communicative proficiency appropriate to their specific needs.

The preamble to R(98)6 reaffirms the political objectives of its actions in the field of modern languages.

4. To avert the dangers that might result from the marginalisation of those lacking the skills necessary to communicate in an interactive Europe. 

European mobility and integration, and as a major threat to European stability and to the healthy functioning of democracy. The second summit made preparation for democratic citizenship a priority educational objective, thus giving added importance to a further objective pursued in recent projects, namely:

To promote methods of modern language teaching which will strengthen independence

of thought, judgement and action, combined with social skills and responsibility.

In the light of these objectives, the Committee of Ministers stressed ‘the political importance at the present time and in the future of developing specific fields of action, such as strategies for diversifying and intensifying language learning in order to promote plurilingualism in a pan-European context’ and drew attention to the value of further developing educational links and exchanges and of exploiting the full potential of new communication and information technologies.