Vocabulary measures
in a Language
Framework
James Milton
University of Wales Swansea, UK
Outline
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What is the CEFR and what is it and its
framework of levels meant to do?
Does it do it?
What happens when you fit vocabulary size
measures into it?
What aspects of L1 vocabulary knowledge
could usefully be put into a Language of the
School Framework?
The Council of Europe
says of the FL Framework:
Developed through a process of scientific research and wide
consultation, this document provides a practical tool for
setting clear standards to be attained at successive
stages of learning and for evaluating outcomes in an
internationally comparable manner. The Framework
provides a basis for the mutual recognition of language
qualifications, thus facilitating educational and
occupational mobility. It is increasingly used in the reform
of national curricula and by international consortia for the
comparison of language certificates. A recent European
Union Council Resolution (November 2001) recommended
the use of this Council of Europe instrument in setting up
systems of validation of language competences.
CEF and Council of
Europe levels
CEF level
General language level
A1
Breakthrough
A2
Waystage
B1
Threshold
B2
Vantage
C1
Effective Operational Proficiency
C2
Mastery
Approach to
levels description
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[the CEFR] should describe a full range of
language knowledge, use and skills …
The approach adopted is action-orientated
Language use comprises the actions
performed by persons
(no similar discussion exists for knowledge or
skills – at least, not in the Framework
document)
ALTE “Can Do”
descriptors
Vantage Level – B2
Listening and
Speaking
Reading
Writing
CAN follow or give a
talk on a familiar
topic or keep up a
conversation on a
fairly wide range of
topics
CAN scan texts for
relevant information,
and understand
detailed instructions
or advice
CAN make notes
while someone is
talking or write a
letter including nonstandard requests
CEF document - Vantage
… sustain his opinions in discussion providing …
relevant explanations, arguments and comment
… construct a chain of reasoned argument …
… more than holding your own in discourse
…converse naturally, fluently and effectively,
understand in detail what is said … keep the turn
whilst formulating … [converse] without
unintentionally amusing or irritating [nativespeakers] … able to self correct.. Relate own
contributions skilfully to those of other speakers.
Can use circumlocution and paraphrase to cover
gaps in lexical knowledge
CEF and
Cambridge ESOL levels
CEF level
Cambridge
A1
Starters, Movers & Flyers
A2
KET
B1
PET
B2
FCE
C1
CAE
C2
CPE
CEF and other FL exams
CEF level
Cambridge ESOL
French in UK
A1
Starters etc
A2
KET
GCSE Lower
B1
PET
GCSE Higher
B2
FCE
‘A’ Level
C1
CAE
C2
CPE
BA in French?
Vocabulary and
competence
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There is a strong relationship between word
frequency and the likelihood that a word will be
learned
Frequent words contribute disproportionately to text
coverage
Coverage is strongly connected to comprehension
and language competence
A strong relationship between vocabulary size and
language level (reading and writing)
English and French are very similar
Coverage
plus French
coverage of text
100
80
95-98% coverage = full
comprehension
60
40
80% coverage = gist
comprehension
20
0
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
words kown by frequency
5000
6000
CEF and
vocabulary levels
CEF level
Cambridge ESOL
A1
Starters etc
Vocab
size/5000
<1500
A2
KET
1500 - 2500
B1
PET
2750 - 3250
B2
FCE
3250 - 3750
C1
CAE
3750 - 4500
C2
CPE
4500 - 5000
CEF and
vocabulary levels
CEF level
French
Vocab
size/5000
A2
GCSE Lower
850
B1
GCSE Higher
850
B2
‘A’ level
1920
BA in French
3300
A1
C1
C2
CEF level
ESOL
French
A1
<1500
A2
1500 - 2500
850
B1
2750 - 3250
850
B2
3250 - 3750
1920
C1
3750 - 4500
C2
4500 - 5000
3300
Explaining the difference
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The existing levels descriptors can disguise very
different competence across languages
The Framework is not robust enough to allow
meaningful equivalences between language level
and exams to be drawn with confidence
The “can do” descriptors are too bland
A Framework, if it is to be useful, MUST be more
robust if it is to have credibility
Vocabulary measure can (help) add this
They can work just as well in L1 as in FLs
L1 vocabulary growth
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Very young learners learn 50 – 350 words in the
holophrastic phase
At age 3 – 500-1000 words in active vocabulary
Age 6 – 2500-5000 lemmas
Learners add 1000-3000 words per year
University entrants in UK - c.9,000 word families
Graduate students in UK – c.13,000 word families
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Quick and easy tests in construction and use
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Using this information
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Build a framework of vocabulary size
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Annual growth
At Keystages – minimum lexical knowledge tied to
competences
identifying cognitive rather than chronological
development – predicts academic success
identifying social disadvantage
the appropriate loading and sequencing of
teaching materials
Using this information
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identifying readiness of higher study
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University entry
Ability to read books in a canon or textbooks
Shrek – 6000 words 95% coverage
20th Century English fiction – 8-9000 words
Textbook – 10-12000+ words for 95% coverage
Understanding
multilingual performance
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Young multilingual students often characterised as
slow in LE development – may be the effect of
growing 2 lexicons
Possible to understand and compensate for the
learning pressure of two languages
Can suggest solutions
Bilinguals often lack the lexis in English Academic
vocabulary (AWL - 570 words outside the most
frequent 2000 words which contribute 8.5% to
coverage)
Conclusion
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Vocabulary measures are not normally
considered by school language teachers or
included in school standards frameworks
vocabulary measurements could be included
in such frameworks
the lesson of the foreign language framework
is that it would be very much to the benefit of
a framework system if they were
And they can offer many other useful insights