English Profile
Cambridge ESOL was involved in developing the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which has become an international benchmark for language ability. We are now closely involved with English Profile – an exciting new project which will further develop the CEFR for the English language.
Developing the CEFR for the English language
English Profile is a long-term, collaborative programme of research, consultation and publication, designed to enhance the learning, teaching and assessment of English worldwide.
The English Profile partners:
- University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics (RCEAL)
- British Council
- English UK
- University of Bedfordshire Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment (CRELLA)
- Council of Europe (Dr John Trim – observer)
This multi-disciplinary team is working to ‘profile’ a set of Reference Level Descriptions for English linked to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). These will provide detailed information about the language that learners can be expected to demonstrate at each level, offering a clear benchmark for progress that will inform curricula development as well as the development of courses and test material to support learners, teachers and other professionals involved in the teaching of English as a foreign language.
Cambridge Learner Corpus
Much of the necessary work to set up the project and to enable research to be carried out using the Cambridge Learner Corpus (CLC) has been completed. This unique corpus, jointly owned by Cambridge ESOL and CUP, contains 27 million words of learner English and is already being analysed by researchers at RCEAL.
Further information
The English Profile website gives the background to the project and the partners involved, and provides a forum for the latest research. It also gives you the chance to take part. By becoming an English Profile Network Partner, you can play a crucial role in English Profile research. You can also register on this website to receive regular email updates relating to the programme, including information on resources, news and events. We hope you’ll join us.
