The CEFR in the Netherlands
Erna van Hest, Cito
Strasbourg, 6-8 February 2007
Introduction
• Concrete actions in implementing the
CEFR in the Netherlands
• Problems experienced
• Solutions found
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Concrete actions
Language teaching
• Adaptation of existing syllabi
• Widespread promotion of the European
Language Portfolio among students and
teachers
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Concrete actions
Language testing:
national level
• Revision of examination syllabi and
examinations
• Dutch examinations linking project
• Linkage of state examinations for Dutch as
a second language to the CEFR
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Concrete actions
Language testing:
international level
• Linkage of speaking and writing
performances to CEFR
• EBAFLS (European Bank of Anchor items
for Foreign Language Skills)
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Problems experienced
• Dissemination of the CEFR in Dutch
language education and especially among
language teachers
• The techniques of linking examinations to
the CEFR
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Solutions found
Language teaching
• Facilitating/supporting documents for
language teachers
• Special CEFR training courses for
language teachers
Language testing
• Dutch examinations linking project
• Benchmarked reference tools
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CEFR and language education
• The CEFR gives schools, teachers and students
an international common framework to discuss and
promote language competence and language
learning
Schools can use the CEFR to:
– describe their language policies
– compare their outcomes in the field of language
learning
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CEFR and language education
Teachers can use the CEFR text types, tasks and
level criteria as practical tools to:
– structure their language lessons
– guide tailor-made individualized language
learning processes
– provide feedback to students on their language
performance and progress
– discuss students’ results and performance
targets with their fellow teachers
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CEFR and language education
THE CEFR allows students to:
– structure and plan their language learning
process
– discuss their progress and achievements in a
transparant way with their fellow students,
teachers, parents and future employers
– compare their language performance to fellow
students, nationally and internationally
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Conclusions and recommendations
The CEFR is a very useful instrument in
promoting, structuring and testing foreign
language learning.
To make sure that the CEFR is to be
implemented into schools and that it becomes
part of everyday language teaching, there is a
need for:
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Conclusions and recommendations
• a more user-friendly, practical version of the
CEFR for use by teachers
• CEFR training materials
• illustrative materials in Portfolios
• benchmarked performances for the various skills
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