CEFR-linked descriptors for mathematics and history/civics
This publication is targeted at teachers, teachers' educators, policy makers, language researchers.
The school performance of young learners may be affected if they come from minority or migrant language backgrounds. In order to succeed in an educational context, students need to master language which is different to the language they use in everyday non-academic situations. It is therefore important that policy makers, education authorities and teacher educators develop strategies which cater for the language needs of this group, to ensure that these students have equal opportunities to develop and advance.
In the present study, the competence levels are identified that 12/13 and 15/16 year-old students require in the language of schooling in order to learn and construct knowledge in history and mathematics. In addition, language descriptors with subject-specific content which have been developed during the course of a project of the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe are presented. These descriptors can be used by teachers as a starting point for planning and goal-setting in history and mathematics, and for assessing students’ progress, in addition to offering students a tool for self-assessment.
Preface
Summary
1 Motivation and background
1.1 The Council of Europe and the European Centre for Modern Languages
1.2 CEFR levels of language competence
1.3 Language of schooling and related studies
2 Language descriptors for migrant and minority learners’ success in compulsory education
2.1 Aim of the project
2.2 Examples of existing practices: Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Portugal and Canada
2.3 Language descriptors: targeted CEFR levels
2.4 Participants and the process of developing the descriptors
2.5 Results
3 How can teachers of mathematics and history/civics (and parents) use these descriptors in classrooms?
3.1 Raising awareness of language in content classes
3.2 Language descriptors as guidelines for developing language proficiency in the content classroom
3.3 Using descriptors as an instructional tool
3.4 Using language descriptors as assessment tools in the content classroom
4 Conclusions
4.1 CEFR levels required
4.2 Language functions less relevant according to the teachers
4.3 Some final reflections
4.4 A short guide to developing similar CEFR-linked language descriptors for subjects
References
Appendix I: Common reference levels, global scale
Appendix II: Language descriptors for history/civics and mathematics
Appendix III: Recommended reading and quotes