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Second level
Third level
Fourth level
Fifth level
• This project has been funded with support
from the European Commission.
• This communication reflects the views only
of the author, and the Commission cannot
be held responsible for any use which may
be made of the information contained
therein.

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• English Profile: a quest for ‘criterial
features’
• What features of learner behaviour allow
us to discriminate most effectively
between learners, to place them at one
level of functional ability (e.g.B2) or
another (C1)

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CEFR: Can Do statements as learning
objectives in an ‘action-oriented’
approach
• Can-do statements describe what users of a language do,
which activities they are able to get involved in, which
domains they can use their competence in.
• Competence (what learners can do with a language) is
usually more important than knowledge (what learners
know about the language).

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Can Do statements in the CEFR
• Multifunctional: learning, teaching,
assessment
• Theoretically grounded – user-friendly
• Context-free – context-relevant
• Objectively determined
• Positive, definite, clear, brief, independent

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Educational Objectives
Mager 1962, Carroll 1963, Schwartz 1969, van Ek 1987

Condition - important conditions (if any) under

which the performance is to occur
Performance - what is the learner doing when
demonstrating achievement of the
objective?
Criterion - how well the learner must perform in
order to be considered acceptable

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Level-descriptions are not
complete without indications as to
how well the learner is supposed
to be able to perform the tasks
specified in them

van Ek (1987, p.131)

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 Competences Activities Strategies

Linguistic Sociolinguistic Pragmatic

Discourse Functional

Taking the
Thematic Propositional Spoken
Flexibility Floor Coherence
Development Precision Fluency
(Turntaking)

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Competences Activities Strategies

Reception Production Interaction

Taking the
Asking for
Co-operating Floor
Clarification
(Turntaking)

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 Competences Activities Strategies

Reception Production Interaction Mediation

Spoken Written

Transactions
Formal Interviewing
to obtain
Conversation discussion and being
goods and
and meetings interviewed
services

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Level progression in the CEFR
• Section 3.6: Content coherence in Common
Reference Levels
• Global Scale, Self Assessment Grid, Qualitative
Aspects of Spoken Language Use
• 52 Illustrative scales
• ALTE Can Do project
• DIALANG elaborated descriptive scales

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Performance Criterion Condition
(What?) (How well?) (Under what circumstances?)
understand with ease virtually everything heard or
read

understand, a wide range of demanding,

recognise implicit longer texts
meaning

express him/herself fluently and spontaneously

without much obvious
searching for expressions

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 simple syntax complex syntax
frequent lexis infrequent lexis
familiar genre unfamiliar genre
concrete topic abstract topic
known topic unknown topic
standard non-standard
context neutral context specific
straightforward content involved content
explicit information implicit information

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The assessment A1/ B2 etc.:
LEVELS

pyramid Can Do statements:

SHORT
McNamara and Roever (2006: 217) SUMMARIES

COMPLETE SUMMARIES
Elaborated can do statement with guidance on
conditions and criteria, explanation of terms:
SUMMARIES WITH COMMENTARY
Examples of types of activities and
features of performance:
SUMMARIES WITH COMMENTARY AND EXAMPLES

Tasks and performance

samples with commentary to
CONTEXTUALISED ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES AND CRITERIA
illustrate levels:

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A database of Can Dos
46 schemes over 4,500 statements B2 to C2+
• Frameworks = e.g. Canadian Lang. Benchmarks
• Tests = e.g. London Tests of English specs
• Curricula/ syllabus outlines = e.g. UK ESOL core
• Course books = e.g. New Headway series

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Keywords analysis
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Second level
Third level
Fourth level
Fifth level
Word clouds created using Wordle: http://www.wordle.net/
Keywords analysis
Rank Keyness C1/C2 Keyness B2
1 1503.00 texts 938.75 texts
2 429.50 finer 433.00 topics
3 411.50 contexts 291.00 appropriately
4 365.00 discourse 270.50 punctuation
5 304.00 edit 259.33 summarize
6 304.00 lexical 223.30 discourse
7 286.30 topics 221.78 topic
8 250.67 summarize 194.50 user

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Finer

subtleties
identify points of
differentiate detail

convey
finer points of
attitude
express shades of
meaning

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Texts
I can write clear and detailed TEXTS compositions, reports or texts of pres
Understand lengthy TEXTS containing complex instructions or expl
nd with typewritten and printed TEXTS containing some errors and less clear t
nformation in a variety of oral TEXTS
on printed or word processed TEXTS
may interpret the meaning of TEXTS differently
Read specialized TEXTS efficiently.
mphasis in hand or type written TEXTS
can scan TEXTS for relevant information.
iarity is very prominent. These TEXTS frequently involve description and narr
taking notes and writing short TEXTS
Understand TEXTS in different styles and purposes
n write summaries of scientific TEXTS in my field for use at a later date.
ts of a text, or from different TEXTS in order to fulfil a specific task.

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Texts
…reports; complex instructional texts;
complex forms; graphic displays; journals;
specialised articles; classical as well as
contemporary literary works; experimental
avant-garde prose; novels; short stories;
poems; plays; publicity brochures; policy
statements; general legal documents;
correspondence; formal letters etc.

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 Texts
100
frequent lexis
95
A2: KET

90 infrequent lexis B1: PET

B2: FCE
C1: CAE
85 C2: CPE

80
1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6-10 K 11-14 K AWL Off List

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Synthesising new Can Dos
• Activity Can…
• Text when reading…
• Text characteristics characterised by…
• Topic/Setting concerned with…
• Restrictions provided that…
• Qualities – how well?

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Supplementing the CEFR at the C levels
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1. Investigating Functions and Can Do statements in current practice
2. Design principles for Can Dos as objectives
3. Drafting Click
new CantoDos
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4. Refining, elaboratingSecond levelthe Can Dos
and exemplifying
• the Can Do forum Third level
5. Calibration and incorporation
Fourthof level
new Can Dos into a CEFR map
6. Circulation, re-evaluation, debate
Fifth and consensus building
level
Synthesising new Can Dos
Join the conversation, review and refine the
Can Do statements

www.englishprofile.org
- Community
- Forum

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