| ERK/ CEFR in Context 23 January 2015, Groningen Estelle Meima Language Centre

| Overview ›Introduction to the ERK/CEFR ›Familiarisation of descriptors ›Standardisation exercise 2

| Assessing written texts ›Procedure at your own university? 3

| Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR) ›Council of Europe  Bologna Process  Transparency  Validation 4

| Familiarization and Standardization What do we do at University of Groningen? Familiarization: ›Introductory activities with scales (e.g. with CEFTrain) Standardization (or harmonization or alignment): ›Use of some of the procedures described in A Manual ›Both face-to-face training and an online Training area (tasks and samples) 5

| Sources for familiarization CEFR book (Cambridge University Press 2001) -Can Do Descriptors for writing pages 26 & DIALANG scales for writing page 232 -Salient characteristics of CEFR levels pages

| Sources for standardization CEFR Manual (Council of Europe 2009) -Written assessment criteria grid page 187 Websites for Benchmarking: ›CEFTrain: ›SLO/EMBED: The Magicc Project: 7

| Standardization & complexity Language learning and linguistic production are complex processes. Hence: Complexity of the CEFR? ›Multidimensional nature of proficiency ›Within-learner inconsistency (“the unstable or dynamic system”) ›Within text variation ›Intra-rater inconsistency/inter-rater variation ›Assessment should acknowledge this complexity. ›This complexity means that standardization/alignment is an essential and continual process! 8

| B1 C1 100wrds 200wrds300wrds400wrds © Haines, 2010

| Lowie 2011: Language proficiency – variability Days  Prof 

| Exercise 1: samples of students’ writing In pairs, rank the following samples of students’ writing from lowest to highest level. - what were your criteria? - what are some key differences between the levels? 11

| Exercise 2: global descriptors Rank the global descriptors from lowest to highest level. - Align these with the tasks of the students’ work. Do they match? 12

| Exercise 3: task specification Match these two pieces of students’ writing with two pieces of the other six. What levels are they?  What went wrong? 13

| Task Specification: This is a practical summary based on the CEFR Grid for Writing Tasks, CEFR Manual (2009: ). Target level for task completion A1 – C2 Task Purpose Background to task Structure of task Specific information Number of tasks Time for task (component) Integration of skills Channel Number of words expected Genre Imagined audience Rhetorical function Register Domain Assessment criteria 14

| Target level for task completion Task Purpose Background to task Structure of task Specific information Number of tasks Time for task (component) Integration of skills Channel Number of words expected Genre Imagined audience Rhetorical function Register Domain Assessment criteria 15

| Task Specifications 16

| Task specification exercise ›Think of a writing task you assign your students to do.  fill in the task specifications for this task 17

| Familiarisation Individually, indicate the level of each descriptor (B1 – C2) and if it belongs to range (vocabulary), coherence, accuracy (grammar), argument and overall without looking at the descriptors on the next few pages. 1. Can write clear, highly accurate and smoothly flowing complex texts in an appropriate and personal style conveying finer shades of meaning. Can use a logical structure which helps the reader to find significant points. (Overall, C2) 2. Consistently maintains a high degree of grammatical accuracy; occasional errors in grammar, collocations and idioms. (Grammar, C1) 3. Has a sufficient range of language to be able to give clear descriptions, express viewpoints on most general topics, using some complex sentence forms to do so. Language lacks, however, expressiveness and idiomaticity, and use of more complex forms is still stereotypic.. (Range, B2) 4. Can link a series of shorter discrete elements into a connected, linear text. (Coherence, B1 5. Can produce clear, smoothly flowing, complex reports, articles and essays which present a case or give critical appreciation of proposals or literary works. Can provide an appropriate and effective logical structure which helps the reader to find significant points. (Range, C1) 6. Has a good command of a broad range of language allowing him/her to select a formulation to express him-/herself clearly in an appropriate style on a wide range of general, academic, professional or leisure topics without having to restrict what he/she wants to say. The flexibility in style and tone is somewhat limited. 18

| Familiarisation ›Highlight all the key words in the CEFR writing grid that distinguishes the levels from each other. - Range - Coherence - Accuracy 19

| Standardisation This is an academic essay at B2 level. Discuss in pairs why it is B2 for range, coherence & accuracy (why higher than B1 or lower than C1) - Refer to your descriptors - Highlight concrete examples 20

| Thank you! 21