1. The European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe
Language Learning Pathways: Some reflections on assessment

2. Three fundamentals
Within a Council of Europe perspective, the assessment of language proficiency should
never be used to infringe the human rights of the individual
always seek to gauge learners’ communicative proficiency and not, e.g., test their knowledge of target language grammar
use the descriptive scheme and proficiency levels of the CEFR in a coherent and transparent way

3. The challenge of the CEFR
The CEFR challenges us to develop a language education culture in which learning and assessment are inseparable: two sides of the same coin
This challenge derives from the CEFR’s action-oriented approach and the fact that each “can do” descriptor can be used simultaneously to
specify a learning outcome
provide a learning focus
imply an assessment task
Learners themselves can participate fully in this educational culture because the CEFR’s primary focus is behavioural and from early childhood we know what we can do
The ELP was conceived as a way of sharing the CEFR’s ethos and approach with learners and enabling them to manage their own language learning on the basis of reflection driven by self-assessment

4. CEFR as a tool of “constructive alignment”
“Constructive alignment”: coherence between intended learning outcomes, teaching/learning, and assessment
The CEFR is a tool of constructive alignment when its descriptive scheme and proficiency levels are used to
define the outcomes we want our learners to achieve
design the tasks and criteria by which learning achievement will be assessed
develop approaches to teaching that engage learners in activities that will help them achieve the intended outcomes
Self-assessment is a matter of understanding what, how and how well one has learned; it plays a central role in all reflective learning
A capacity for accurate self-assessment is central to effective lifelong learning

5. The European Language Portfolio
According to the Principles and Guidelines, a key function of the ELP is to promote learner autonomy by helping learners to manage their own learning
It includes the learning and use of all the languages in the learner’s repertoire, including those that are not part of the curriculum
It is thus intended to accompany and document non-formal as well as formal language learning
In its documentary function it records the learning pathways that the learner has trodden to date
In its pedagogical function it helps learners to plan and manage their learning as they set out on new pathways

6. The ELP and self-assessment
Each ELP includes checklists of “I can” descriptors organized according to the communicative language activities and proficiency levels of the CEFR
The CEFR defines language learning as a variety of language use: each “I can” descriptor is part of an autonomous language user’s self-portrait
The ELP and learner autonomy: each “I can” descriptor is part of an autonomous language learner’s self-portrait
In an autonomy-oriented, learner-co-directed classroom, self-assessment has two complementary dimensions
Individual (in each learner’s ELP)
Communal (the self-assessment of the class as a whole)

7. Self-assessment in action
Consider sample descriptors from each of the CEFR levels:
A1: I can introduce somebody and use basic greeting and leave-taking expressions
A2: I can make simple transactions in shops, post offices or banks
B1: I can start, maintain and close simple face-to-face conversation on topics that are familiar or of personal interest
B2: I can initiate, maintain and end discourse naturally with effective turn-taking
C1: I can use the language fluently, accurately and effectively on a wide range of general, professional or academic topics
C2: I can take part effortlessly in all conversations and discussions with native speakers

8. Self-assessment in action
A1 descriptors refer to discrete tasks
A2 descriptors refer to transactional and interactional routines
From B1 upwards descriptors refer to increasingly general and complex communicative activity
Thus at levels B1, B2, C1 and C2 descriptors
cannot be adopted as short-term learning goals
must be used to frame the reflective processes of planning, monitoring and evaluating learning
must be deconstructed into short-term and intermediate learning goals

9. Interpreting descriptors − Example 1
B2 reading
I can quickly scan through long and complex texts on a variety of topics in my field to locate relevant details
How quickly is “quickly”?
What is “my field”?
What is an appropriate “variety of topics”?
In terms of field and topics, what counts as a “long and complex text”?
What count as “relevant details”

10. Interpreting descriptors − Example 2
B2 writing
I can write clear detailed text on a wide range of subjects relating to my personal, academic or professional interests
What are “my academic and/or professional interests”?
What is an appropriate “range of subjects”?
How do we define “clear detailed text”?

11. Getting the most out of self-assessment
In the autonomy-oriented, learner-co-directed classroom, self-assessment is just one part of the reflective cycle
Reflection is internalized from interaction
Self-assessment should be embedded in class/group discussion
Self-assessment should interact with peer assessment
Self-assessment should never be a matter of simply ticking boxes: learners should always be required to provide support for their claims

12. Example from a Czech primary school (A1)
On the classroom wall: a large drawing of a tree
Five main branches: listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, writing
On each of the main branches, a smaller branch for each descriptor
A box of paper leaves
When they wished to make a self-assessment claim, learners wrote their name on a leaf and stuck it on the appropriate branch
When the teacher or one of their peers was satisfied that the claim was justified, he/she countersigned the leaf, which the learner coloured green

13. Some points for reflection/discussion
Can you think of any ways in which the assessment of language proficiency might infringe the individual’s human rights?
How exactly would you use the CEFR as a tool of constructive alignment in your context?
In your context, how would you integrate self- and peer-assessment with school-based assessment and external exams?
With learning pathways and assessment in mind, do you see a role for the ELP in the future development of language education in your context?
If yes, how would you use the ELP in the classroom to support the processes of constructive alignment?
If no, what instruments would you use to help learners to take control of their own learning?

14. Task for group work
In addressing the issues and responding to the challenges that have been identified, how could we make use of
the Council of Europe’s enlarged understanding of mediation?
the five levels of educational activity covered by policy: supra, macro, meso, micro, nano?
reflective learning supported by CEFR/ELP-related self-assessment?