CEFR: its educational and political background

1. CEFR:its educational and political background John Trim ACTFL-CEFR SymposiumJune 21-22, ECML Graz, Austria

2. www.ecml.at The educational background • Classical (Greek and Roman) grammar • The Trivium: grammar, logic and rhetoric • Renaissance and reformation: Comenius • National language standardisation • Introduction of modern languages at school • The neogrammarians and modernist reform • Structuralism and behaviourism • The communicative approach

3. www.ecml.at Jan Amos Komenský (Comenius) 1592-1670LinguarumMethodusNovissima(1648) • Education is necessary to find one’s way through the ‘labyrinth of appearances’. • So, education is lifelong and for all: male and female, all ages, all classes. • Language is fundamental to education, the key to understanding the harmony of God’s creation. It includes: • literacy and oracy in the mother tongue • the language of a neighbouring people • a language for general international use (Latin) • Language learning follows (sensory) experience, understanding and action. Its progress resembles the exploration of a mansion: vestibulum, janua, atrium, thesaurus. It should be enjoyable, playful and practical. Grammatical rules are then useful to reinforce understanding

4. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 1 Aims: Classical: to gain access to higher culture Modern: to join the language community Objectives: Classical: to develop a strict mental discipline Modern: to develop communicative ability Attitudes to language: Classical: puristic Modern: naturalistic Type of language to learn: Classical: the best, correct form of cultivated usage Modern: everyday usage

5. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 2 Preferred medium: Classical: priority to written language Modern: priority to spoken language Model presented: Classical: works of good authors Modern: full range of (native) usage Text-types: Classical: Literary and philosophical writings Modern: newspapers, broadcasts, popular writings

6. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 3 Criteria for expression: Classical: careful, controlled, accurate Modern: spontaneous, fluent, appropriate Criteria for comprehension: Classical: detailed, exact Modern: extracting relevant information Relation of knowledge to action: Classical: knowledge is fundamental Modern: action is fundamental Criteria for success: Classical: error-free performance; proof of knowledge Modern: success in communicating meaning

7. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 4 Skill development: Classical: translation and essay writing Modern: balanced development of 4 skills Work style: Classical: individual study, receptive, reactive Modern: group interaction, active, participatory Relation among learners: Classical: competitive Modern: co-operative

8. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 5 Approach to learning: Classical: subject-centred Modern: learner-centred Role of teacher: Classical: authoritative and authoritarian Modern: facilitation of learning Teaching style: Classical: magisterial Modern: animating

9. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 6 Means employed: Classical: lectures, grammatical exposition, exercises, reading and translation of texts, essays Modern: experiment, discovery, games, simulations, projects, discussion Language of instruction and class management: Classical: mother tongue Modern: target language

10. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 7 Approach to grammar: Classical: a systematic body of rules to be learnt and observed Modern: a means to organise words so as to construct and convey meaning Approach to meaning: Classical: fixed concepts, properly represented by words and well-formed sentences Modern: negotiated interpretation of texts in context

11. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 8 Concept of culture: Classical: the training and refinement of mind, taste and manners Modern: the beliefs, attitudes and values which inform a society Social values: Classical: aristocratic, meritocratic, élitist Modern: democratic, populist Attitudes to change: Classical: conservative, retrospective Modern: innovative, prospective

12. www.ecml.at The classical and modern paradigmssome contrasts: 9 Where stronger: Classical: grammar schools, ‘public’ (i.e.private) schools, older, prestigious universities Modern: comprehensive schools, newer universities Claimed to be: Classical: humanistic, serious, deep, scholarly Modern: practical, realistic, balanced, dynamic Accused of being: Classical: Remote from life, élitist, over-intellectualised, impractical Modern: utilitarian, reductionist, banal, superficial

13. www.ecml.at The political background CEFR is situated in the Council of Europe’s programme under the Convention on Cultural Co-operation and serves its political aims: • Defence and extension of human rights • Defence and promotion of participatory, pluralist democracy • Facilitation of international co-operation in dealing with all social and cultural problems

14. www.ecml.at Aims of Council of Europe language policy • to facilitate the free movement of people, information and ideas • to build up mutual understanding and acceptance of cultural and linguistic diversity • to promote the personal development of the individual • to make the process of learning itself more democratic • to provide a framework for close and effective international co-operation

15. www.ecml.at Consequences for the CEFR: 1 • CEFR accepts and serves the basic aims of the Council of Europe • CEFR has a communicative, learner-centred orientation. • CEFR aims to inform and empower, not to direct. • CEFR was conceived within a modernist approach, but sees a place for some elements of classicism where appropriate

16. www.ecml.at Consequences for the CEFR: 2 CEFR respects the right of all practitioners to take decisions on objectives and methods within their competence, expecting them to: • Respond appropriately to the needs, motivations, characteristics, resources and situations of learners • Inform themselves and use their intelligence and judgment in deciding between alternatives • Be prepared to evaluate, justify, discuss their practice and be open-minded, willing to change iff convinced

17. www.ecml.at Consequences for the CEFR: 3 The tripartite structure of CEFR aims to support decision-takers at all levels by: • providing a systematic, comprehensive overview of the actions and competences required of a competent adult language user for effective communication • setting out, without recommending any, the methodological options for language learning, teaching and assessment, as a basis for independent reflection and selection • providing a scaling of language proficiency and, where possible, its elements, to assist planning and encourage transparency