Cambridge ESOL exams and the CEFR
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) plays a central role in language and education policy not only within Europe but worldwide. It has growing relevance for language testers and examination boards, helping to define language proficiency levels and interpret language qualifications.
The CEFR offers Cambridge ESOL a valuable frame of reference for its work and stakeholders. This is consistent with the original aspirations behind the Framework as described by Professor John Trim, one of the CEFR authors: ‘What we were aiming at was something which will be a common reference point that people working in different fields and people using it for entirely different things and in very different ways could refer to in order to feel that they were part of a common universe’ (Saville 2005:281).
The relationship between Cambridge ESOL exams and the CEFR can be seen from a number of perspectives:
There is growing evidence to support the view that the Cambridge ESOL exams embody or reflect the CEFR in a variety of ways. This is a natural outcome of several factors such as historical legacy, conceptual synergy, and empirical underpinning. The benefits of the relationship between the CEFR and Cambridge ESOL exams are perhaps best judged by the extent to which together they enable language learning/teaching to flourish and encourage achievements to be recognised, and so enrich the lives of individuals and communities.
References
Saville, N (2005) An interview with John Trim at 80, Language Assessment Quarterly 2 (4), 263–288.
Taylor, L & Jones, N (2006). Cambridge ESOL exams and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) (PDF, 92kB). Research Notes 24/1.
