The Guide: Ariadne’s thread to find a way through the labirynth The CEFR: ready for a new philosophy in teaching, learning and assessing The Guide: Ariadne’s thread to find a way through the labirynth Enrica Piccardo

CEFR: descriptive scheme Overall Language Proficiency Use of Strategies General competences Communicative language competences Communicative language activities Reception Interaction Savoir Savoir-faire Savoir-être Savoir-apprendre Reception Interaction Production Linguistic Pragmatic Socio-linguistic Production Mediation

Going deeper… Every category can be specified … and every subcategory specified … and every specification finely tuned … and finally examples can be given … and descriptors found ………

But several other concepts are intermingled

Assessment: not just a final phase Choice of the title of this project: ECEP (Encouraging the Culture of Evaluation among Professionals) Assessment as a delicate phase revealing an entire process Complexity of assessment parallels complexity of the teaching/learning process

A concise Guide to the CEFR A tool for trainers and developers A tool for teachers …. a tool for learners as well

Index 0 General introduction and context I Reflection: an attitude leading to autonomy II Living (with) languages III Becoming more competent IV Assessing V Conclusion

First, a reflection upon what a reflective attitude involves. in the second part aspects of plurilingualism in Europe are dealt with as well as what it means to live with languages. an overall reflection follows on the ways that teachers and learners can become more competent. the fourth part focuses on assessment. the last part: a conclusion and an introduction to the Kit.

Double perspective Perspective of the learner Perspective of the teacher Moving up and down the stack …consequently, perspective of the trainer as well

A guide as a mind map Need to grasp the links between different concepts of the CEFR Internal links within the Guide as well as consistent links to the CEFR Every concept helps clarify and situate/contextualise the others Practical applications in the KIT and links backwards to the Guide itself and the CEFR

A Guide as a support for reflection a reflective practitioner follows a non-linear approach the CEFR is also built in a non-linear way and so is the guide concepts are explained, contextualised and linked to each other Several movements for- and backwards (CEFR-Guide-Kit-Own practice)

A Guide as a resource to the KIT Linking theory to practice Providing a first, easy to access, explanation of the key concepts of the CEFR Providing evidence of ability to implement the CEFR philosophy Scaffolding reflective processes and fostering applied research

Matters of concerns and reasons for organising the Guide as it is Our experience as teacher developers Results of focus-groups: only partial knowledge of the CEFR difficulty in applying to different contexts assessment not sufficiently linked to key concepts of the CEFR Need to build confidence among practitioners Need to foster change through confidence building

The iceberg metaphor There is a lot behind a learner’s performance a teacher’s performance …but there is a lot beyond the present knowledge of the CEFR