
The Development of a Common Framework Scale of Language Proficiency
Brian North(Author)
Peter Lang Verlag
Published on 18. July 2000
Book
Hardback
XVIII, 459 pages
978-0-8204-4852-7 (ISBN)
Description
Scales describing language proficiency in a series of levels can provide orientation for educational programmes, criteria for assessment, and reporting to stakeholders. However, in most cases such instruments are produced just by expert opinion. A scale of language proficiency actually implies a descriptive scheme related to theory but usable by practitioners. It also implies a methodology for scaling content to different levels. This book describes the use of both qualitative and quantitative techniques to develop scales for the «Common Reference Levels» in the Common European Framework of Reference for modern languages. Short stand-alone descriptors were (i) developed and classified, (ii) refined and elaborated in workshops, and then (iii) scaled by analyzing the judgments of one hundred teachers on the English language proficiency of the learners in their classes.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Illustrations
ill.
Dimensions
Height: 23 cm
Width: 16 cm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
760 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8204-4852-7 (9780820448527)
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2012
Peter Lang Verlag
€69.49
Available for download
Person
The Author: Brian North is responsible for academic coordination at Eurocentres, a Swiss foundation offering language-learning stays abroad. He has been much involved in the work of the Council of Europe Modern Languages project and is co-author of the Common European Framework of reference for modern languages. His Ph.D. thesis, which won the 1998 TOEFL award for outstanding dissertational research in language testing, concerned the development of language proficiency scales, the subject of this study.