0000000000680628
AUTHOR
Neus Figueras
Relating examinations to the Common European Framework: a manual
This article deals with the linking of examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Following the rapid adoption of the CEFR by the Council of Europe and the European Union as well as many national and local actors, there have been calls for guidance on how examinations could be made more transparent by means of the CEFR, especially by using its calibrated scales as a tool. The Council of Europe has recently produced a preliminary pilot Manual, which presents a procedure for doing this. The article describes the political and educational context of this work and presents the main procedures proposed in the Manual. Since the Manual is a preliminary document for discuss…
Developing and using tasks for the assessment of speaking
This article provides an overview of the development and use of tasks for the assessment of speaking. It first addresses the key role of the assessment of the skill of speaking within language assessment in general and in the context of teaching and learning foreign languages. Then, it discusses how social changes and research have reshaped the way speaking is defined and operationalized, and focuses on how speaking can be assessed more validly and reliably today. The central role of tasks is also discussed, together with the importance of taking into consideration the implications and impact of different task characteristics. Some recommendations for the development of useful and meaningfu…