About the Proposed Framework
Need for Change
Main Goals
How is the New Framework Different?
Benefits of Aligning New Framework with CEFR
What's in the new framework?
Can-do statements
Language activities
Communicative competences
How are all these connected?
Relationship between language activities and communicative
competences
Need for Change
Since the 1980's, Israeli tertiary level EFL courses have focused mainly on teaching
students to understand academic texts published in English. In today's changing
world, this narrow focus is no longer enough.
English is the language of international communication and reading comprehension
is only one of the skills that students require. Many of today's graduates will need
levels of English that enable them to
 communicate effectively via emails and videoconference calls.
 persuasively present their ideas and points of view.
Graduates' changing needs were clearly identified in a recent survey conducted by
Tel Aviv University's ECOSTAR team. Results showed that the majority of over 1000
Israeli students who participated in the survey viewed the English courses they
studied at college or university as inadequate preparation for the workplace.
Similar results were obtained when EFL teachers in Israeli colleges and universities
were asked to what extent current EFL courses adequately prepare students to meet
the demands of the workplace.
Main Goals
Goals of the new framework include:
1. To prepare students to cope with both spoken and written English in a variety
of formal and informal situations.
2. To align the new Framework with Common European Framework of
Reference (CEFR) to conform with European standards while satisfying the
requirements of the Israeli Council for Higher Education.
3. To provide a smooth transition from secondary level English studies to
tertiary level EFL courses.
4. To standardize teaching of EFL in Israeli colleges and universities.
How is the new framework different?
The new framework will broaden the range of curricular options by:



expanding focus on reading comprehension to include writing,
speaking and interaction with others.
focusing on integrating language skills in both academic and
occupational domains.
including "survival strategies" – routine expressions that users feel
confident using in public and in workplace situations (turn-taking,
disagreeing politely, gaining time while thinking about how to answer
difficult questions etc.).
New EFL framework will focus on
Learners’ communicative needs in
both academic and workplace domains.
Current EFL teaching focuses on
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) –
academic domain only.
Integrating receptive and productive
skills – reading, listening writing,
speaking and interacting with others.
Receptive reading of academic texts in
order to answer reading comprehension
questions.
Benefits of aligning new framework with CEFR
1. CEFR is based on current language education research and promotes the
adoption of state-of-the-art teaching methods, materials, and tools.
2. CEFR encapsulates an action-based approach to language which defines the
knowledge of a language as a series of 'can-do' statements that represent
learners’ abilities in the real world.
3. Alignment with CEFR enables Israeli teachers and students to be part of an
internationally recognized framework for teaching and learning English as a
Foreign Language.
.
What's in the new framework?
The new framework consists of 3 central CEFR components:
a. Can-do statements
b. Language activities
c. Communicative competences
a. Can-do Statements
A set of core "can-do" statements describe language activities and
communicative competences that learners can typically do at 3 CEFR levels:
A2 Elementary, (Besisi), B1 Intermediate (Mitkadmim Aleph) and B2 Upper
Intermediate (Mitkadmim Bet).
b. Language activities
CEFR defines language activities as what a learner is “able to do with a language”
(CEFR p. 43).
6 types of language activities include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Reception / Written - reading comprehension
Reception / Spoken - listening comprehension – TV, TED talks, lectures.
Production / Written - reports, essays, creative writing
Production / Spoken – prepared presentations
Interaction / Written – at least 2 people participate in a written exchange
- emails, electronic forums
6. Interaction / Spoken – everyday conversations, class discussions,
workplace-related videoconference calls.
c. Communicative competences - sets of knowledge, aptitudes, skills
and attitudes. All 3 competences contribute in different ways to the
learners' ability to communicate.
3 key sets of communicative competences include:
i.
ii.
iii.
Linguistic competence
Socio-linguistic competence
Pragmatic competence
i.
Linguistic competence
Linguistic competence comprises the knowledge and skills related to dimensions
of language as a system:
 vocabulary – range and quality of lexical knowledge, how this knowledge is
stored in routine expressions.
 punctuation, spelling
 grammar and syntax
ii.
Sociolinguistic competence
This refers to sociocultural conditions of language use - knowledge and skills in
using language in a social context. These include sensitivity to norms and customs
that affect communication – social norms that affect rules of address, greetings,
politeness etc.
iii.
Pragmatic competence
Pragmatic competence involves the functional uses of linguistic resources
(scenarios or predetermined scripts of interactional exchanges), mastery of
cohesiveness, coherence and discourse.
How are all these connected?
Relationship between language activities and communicative competences:
'Practice makes Perfect'
According to the CEFR, the relationship between language activities and
communicative competences is cyclic: Learners use a range of “toolboxes” or
communicative competences to carry out the above six types of language activities.
Performing these 6 types of activities then strengthens the key competences.
From: CEFR: Activities, Competences, Levels by Hodel, (2007).