The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

Abstract

Drawn up by the Council of Europe, published in 2001 and adopted by the European Commission in its language policies, the CEFR was born within a scenario where the EU member states and its institutions were characterized by linguistic and cultural diversity. Since 2001 the CEFR has become the most important reference document in the fields of language learning, teaching, and assessment, both in Europe and beyond, but in recent years, little attention has been paid to the debate concerning the direct impact of the CEFR on language teaching and assessment and, consequently, on language policy throughout the EU.

Indeed, although the theoretical approach of the CEFR reflects the will of the EU to address multilingualism as an asset allowing for the active inclusion of all citizens, CEFR descriptors define the linguistic competence from a monolingual perspective, using arbitrary standards relying on professional experience rather than on empirical data based on actual learner performance. Furthermore, the CEFR and its standards are often used as benchmarks in migrant competence, although they were not created for this, which changed the CEFR from a tool used to measure language knowledge to a political instrument. The Italian situation can be considered emblematic as concerns the lack of reflection on the (mis-)use of the CEFR and the fact that it is too often used as a label without considering the impact and consequences of such a use, according to which CEFR levels are now enshrined in laws and policies incorporating the administration of language tests in migration domains.