Chapter 48 - International Frameworks to Assess Language Development

Elena Núñez Delgado

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47133/tegc_ch48  

ABSTRACT

Teachers need a way to measure and assess students’ language development, and their students need a way to identify how well they are doing. These needs are addressed by international frameworks that use standards and scales for assessing language development. In this chapter, you will learn about three widely adopted frameworks: the Common European Framework of Reference, the Global Scale of English, and the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. You will learn about using these frameworks to identify the stage of a learner’s language development and, upon doing this, to set attainable goals. You will also learn to help English language learners use these standards and scales for monitoring their own language development. 

Keywords: international frameworks, language assessment, monitoring language development, standards, scales

How to cite this chapter: 

Núñez Delgado, E. (2023). International Frameworks to Assess Language Development. In V. Canese & S. Spezzini (Eds.), Teaching English in Global Contexts, Language, Learners and Learning (pp. 585-593). Editorial Facultad de Filosofía, UNA. https://doi.org/10.47133/tegc_ch48

INTRODUCTION

As teachers, we want our language learners to feel confident of their ability to communicate in English. We realize that language learners do not follow linear learning trajectories and that their trajectories differ from person to person, especially regarding the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing). We also realize that, by being aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, our learners can become confident users of English and be able to set attainable goals for the next stage in their language development. 

Language proficiencies are often identified as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. However, these terms might have different meanings in different institutions and in different countries. For consistency in how to identify and assess language proficiency at a given institution and across institutions and countries, several language development frameworks have been developed with standards and scales to assess language growth. Some of these frameworks have gained in popularity and are used worldwide.

This chapter explores three frameworks for assessing language development: Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), Global Scale of English (GSE), and World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA). The CEFR and GSE frameworks were developed for speakers of English as a foreign language (EFL), and WIDA was developed for speakers of English as a second language (ESL) but later expanded for EFL. This chapter will prepare you to consider using one or more of these frameworks to identify the language development stages of your language learners and to assess their language growth. This will allow you to establish greater consistency in teaching and assessing language and, by doing so, more effectively serve your learners through meaningful lessons and attainable targets.  

BACKGROUND

All three frameworks (CEFR, GSE, WIDA) provide guidelines for designing and developing curriculum, planning lessons, and measuring learner outcomes. As such, these frameworks can be used by curriculum developers, administrators, teachers, and students. Even though each of these frameworks was developed by a different type of entity (e.g., council, publisher, university), all three were developed based on years of ongoing comprehensive academic research and are periodically and systematically revised by their respective entities. 

CEFR was developed in 1989 by the Council of Europe (COE) as part of a larger project called Language Learning for European Citizenship (COE, 2020). In 1996, CEFR was expanded. In 2001, COE recommended the use of CEFR for teaching and assessing all languages taught in Europe and, also, published Can Do statements as expectations of what learners can do at each CEFR level.

GSE was developed by Pearson, a global corporation dedicated to publishing and testing. GSE uses a “standardized, granular English proficiency scale from 10–90 and is psychometrically aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages” (de Jong et al., 2016, p. 4). The process for developing and constantly reviewing the GSE has involved over 6,000 teachers and specialists in 50 different countries (Pearson English, 2019). 

WIDA was developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States. Its creation was triggered by the 2001 U.S. legislation named No Child Left Behind. WIDA’s English Language Proficiency Standards were produced in 2003 through a grant managed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Education in consortium with two other states. By the early 2020s, the WIDA consortium included 41 U.S.-based members (states, territories, federal agencies) and approximately 500 international schools throughout the world (WIDA, 2022a).

MAJOR DIMENSIONS

Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

CEFR “presents a comprehensive descriptive scheme of language proficiency and a set of Common Reference Levels (A1 to C2) defined in illustrative descriptor scales, plus options for curriculum design promoting plurilingual and intercultural education” (COE, 2020, p. 27). Since the 1990s, CEFR has informed the teaching and learning of English and other European languages. Since the early 2020s, CEFR has also informed the assessment of non-European languages. 

One of CEFR’s main characteristics is an action approach “oriented towards real-life tasks and constructed around purposefully selected notions and functions” (p. 28). CERF has moved away from linear syllabi and encourages using syllabi based on needs analyses. CERF has three broad levels of language proficiency (A = Basic User, B = Independent User, C = Proficient User). Each level has two divisions (1 = lower and 2 = higher). This provides the six Common Reference Levels outlined in Figure 1.

Figure 1

The Common Reference Levels in CEFR

For each of the six common reference levels outlined in Figure 1, the CEFR manual provides illustrative descriptors for language abilities within that level (COE, 2020). CEFR also provides Can Do statements so that “Educators can select CEFR descriptors according to their relevance to the particular context, adapting them in the process if necessary” (p. 42). To facilitate selecting these descriptors, CEFR was expanded to include three “plus” levels (A2+, B1+, B2+).

CEFR’s descriptors and Can Do statements define communicative activities and abilities at each level. For example, to illustrate reception activities in oral comprehension at the A2 level and the ability of understanding conversation between other people, one of the Can Do statements is: “Can follow in outline short, simple social exchanges, conducted very slowly and clearly” (COE, 2020, p. 49). To illustrate mediation at the B1 level and the ability of processing text in speech or sign, a Can Do statement is “Can summarize the main points made during a conversation on a subject of personal or current interest, provided people articulated clearly” (p. 211). 

When using CEFR, keep in mind that its C2 level was never intended to compare competence of C2 users to that of native-speakers or near native speakers. “What is intended is to characterize the degree of precision, appropriateness and ease with the language which typifies the speech of those who have been highly successful learners” (COE, 2020, p. 37). 

Global Scale of English (GSE)

GSE provides a framework for assessing the English skills of adults learning general English, professional English, and academic English as well as the skills of young learners aged 6–14 years. According to David Nunan (Pearson, 2019), “the Global Scale of English represents the most significant advance in performance-based approaches to language learning, teaching and assessment since the development of the CEFR” (p. 3). Hence, GSE targets a wider audience than does CEFR, which was originally targeting adult language learners. GSE provides an interactive digital toolkit with Can Do statements for speaking, listening, reading, and writing. 

By using the GSE, you can identify learners’ abilities along a scale from 10 to 90. This GSE scale starts above CEFR’s C2 and ends below its A1 (Pearson, 2016), as shown in Table 1.

Table 1 

Note. Adapted from The GSE Teacher Toolkit. Pearson. https://www.english.com/gse/teacher-toolkit/user/lo

World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA)

WIDA was developed in the United States at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for assessing and tracking the English development of children with other home languages who are learning English simultaneously with grade-level academic content (e.g., mathematics, social studies, science, English language arts). Targeted for English language learners (ELLs) in PK-12 school settings, WIDA offers a suite of English proficiency tests at six development levels across five standards. These standards “provide educators with a connection between language development and academic content area learning” and are grounded in the “belief that multilingual learners are best served when they learn content and language together in linguistically and culturally sustaining ways” (WIDA, 2020b, p. 9).

WIDA meets federal U.S. requirements for monitoring and reporting the progress of ELLs in reaching English language proficiency. WIDA’s suite for assessing English language proficiency is called ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS). WIDA consortium members administer annual ACCESS assessments to students, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, who are identified as ELLs. Student scores reflect their English proficiency at six language levels (1 = entering, 2 = emerging, 3 = developing, 4 = expanding, 5 = bridging, 6 = reaching) within four language domains (listening, reading, speaking, writing) and, also, across three composite areas (oral language, literacy, overall). 

WIDA focuses on developing social language and academic language as reflected in five standards (WIDA, 2022a):


WIDA also provides Can Do descriptors to guide educators and students with understanding what learners can do at different levels of language proficiency (WIDA, 2022a). Educators use these Can Do descriptors by collaborating with each other to scaffold language and content instruction so that students can more effectively learn new language and academic content at the same time. By using Can Do descriptors, educators are better able to interpret the ACCESS scores of their ELLs and, by doing so, differentiate language instruction from language assessment.

PEDAGOGICAL APPLICATIONS

With increasing frequency, EFL institutions in Paraguay and many other countries are adopting CEFR to map their courses and implement instruction. However, although your institution might be using CEFR, consider applying aspects from GSE or WIDA to better identify your students’ language levels when preparing and delivering lessons. For example, if teaching in a bilingual school where content (e.g., science) is taught in English, consider using WIDA because it was developed to assess students’ English that they learn simultaneously with content.

When teaching at an institution that has adopted CEFR, inquire about the CEFR level for the course that you are assigned to teach. This will make you better informed to serve your students and reach the goal determined by your institution. CEFR levels will also allow you to better understand the “big picture” for each student’s learning trajectory. 

EFL materials and instructional resources are often labeled with CEFR levels. Most textbooks published in the 21st century display CEFR levels on a book’s back cover. If a commercial textbook has been assigned to your course, take its CEFR level into consideration. This level will help you understand where your students are when starting to use these materials, guide them for success in your course, and identify where they need to be upon completing your course. 

Knowing CEFR levels is very useful when planning lessons. Based on the CEFR level for your course, choose a corresponding language function or Can Do statement and then plan your class based on that description. Train yourself to map the language expectations of your textbook lessons to CEFR. This can help you choose developmentally appropriate materials such as for the receptive skills (listening, reading).

International frameworks and their accompanying standards are also useful when it comes to assessing our students’ language skills. Use the scales and pre-defined performance descriptors in an assessment framework to “design tests which ask the students to do the things which the descriptors suggest” (Harmer, 2015, p. 419) and then to grade them on their progress. Harmer strongly recommended such frameworks for assessing the productive skills (speaking, writing).

These frameworks also offer another powerful pedagogical application, that of sharing Can Do statements with students. Can Do statements provide students with opportunities for self and peer assessment and, as such, “encourage them to be more autonomous in their learning” (Harmer, 2015, p. 411). When students use Can Do statements as tools to assess their learning, they are better able to identify their strengths and weaknesses and then set their own attainable goals.

Also mapped to CEFR are international exams such as IELTS, Cambridge, and Trinity. When preparing your students for these exams, locate a specific exam’s CEFR level and identify targeted language expectations. By considering these levels and expectations, you will be better able to prepare your students for success on these exams. 

In this chapter, you learned about three widely adopted frameworks for assessing language development: CEFR, GSE, and WIDA. You learned how to use these frameworks to identify a learner’s stage in language development. You also learned about guiding ELLs to use these scales and standards to set attainable goals and monitor their own language progress.

KEY CONCEPTS

Here are some key concepts about language assessment frameworks:

DISCUSSING

Based on your new knowledge about language assessment frameworks, answer these questions:

TAKING ACTION

To practice what you have learned about language assessment frameworks, do the following:

EXPANDING FURTHER

For more information about frameworks to assess language development, visit these websites:

SEE ALSO

Assessing language development is also addressed in other chapters of this book: 

Chapter 9 Empowering Adults for Autonomous Learning by M. Zalimben

Chapter 18 Teaching English in Different Contexts by R. Díaz

Chapter 25 Preparing to Teach Through Effective Lesson Planning by H. Lalwani

Chapter 46 Introduction to Language Assessment by N. Kuhlman

Chapter 47 Authentic Assessment of, for, and as Learning by G. Díaz Maggioli

Chapter 49 E-Portfolios to Assess Language Learning by B. Jiménez 

REFERENCES

Council of Europe (COE). (2020). Common European Framework of Reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment - Companion volume. COE Publishing. www.coe.int/lang-cefr  

de Jong, J. H. A. L., Mayor, M., & Hayes, C. (2016, October). Developing global scale of English learning objectives aligned to the Common European Framework. Pearson. https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/english/TeacherResources/GSE/GSE-WhitePaper-Developing-LOs.pdf 

Harmer, J. (2015). The practice of English language teaching (5th ed.). Pearson.

Pearson English. (2019, June). Global Scale of English learning objectives for adult learners. Pearson. https://online.flippingbook.com/view/647334/ 

WIDA. (2020). WIDA English language development standards framework: Kindergarten–grade 12. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/WIDA-ELD-Standards-Framework-2020.pdf 

WIDA. (2022a). Proven tools and support to help educators and multilingual learners succeed. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. https://wida.wisc.edu/ 

WIDA. (2022b). Mission and history. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. https://wida.wisc.edu/about/mission-history 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elena Nuñez holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the Instituto Superior de Lenguas (ISL) at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (Paraguay), master’s degree in education from the University of Alabama (USA), and CertTESOL from Trinity College London (England). She also pursued a master’s in educational leadership from the Universidad Alberto Hurtado-Instituto Superior de Estudios Humanísticos y Filosóficos (Chile). Elena teaches at the ISL and is the bilingual education coordinator at a local school. She has served as a board member of PARATESOL (Paraguayan affiliate of the TESOL International Association) and Asuncion Maker Faire (annual event that promotes the Maker Movement in Paraguay). 

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0527-7714 

Email for correspondence regarding this chapter: isl-enunez@fil.una.py

Cover Photo by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash