The descriptors in the CEFR Companion volume facilitate the linking of curriculum, teaching and assessment. They also help make learning objectives transparent and coherent for learners. Furthermore, they make it easier to adopt a common approach to language education in the same institute or region.

For each proficiency level, students know which language activities they can engage in, which strategies they can apply to make communication successful, and which language competences they are developing. These three categories, integrated in one clear model in the Companion volume, are interdependent.

We achieve quality in language education by setting clear learning goals and helping  learners to achieve them so that  they can develop their potential and fully participate in the social, cultural, professional and political practices of modern society. The Companion volume provides the vision and concrete tools to support this process and offers a common basis for developing language curricula in Europe and beyond.

Ideas for implementation


Documents

Read CEFR Companion volume - Sections 2.6 to 2.9 (pages 36-44)

Info sheet: Transparency and coherence


Articles

Read the article Aligning teaching and assessment to curriculum objectives (2003: John Biggs)*

* Aligning curriculum, teaching and assessment is a general educational priority and this article is the main reference cited for it.