Word lists in Reference Level Descriptions of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

By November 17, 2016,
Page 328-335
Author Carla Marello
Title Word lists in Reference Level Descriptions of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
Abstract In this paper we consider how profiles, or sets of Reference Level Descriptions (hereon RLDs), of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) for English, German, French, Spanish and Italian present their word lists. We focus on B2 because it is the RLD level reached and published by all the profiles and also because vocabulary for C1 and C2 levels cannot be delimited. RLDs sets provide detailed information about the language that learners can be expected to demonstrate at each level and their word lists are corpus-based. We comment on their actual or prospective links with learner’s dictionaries and conclude that learner’s dictionaries need not enter in the profiles, which are meant for professionals, including curriculum planners, material writers and teachers. Learner’s dictionaries enter German and English profiles because RDLs planners want to instruct teachers how to go beyond their lists and train students to conduct better look-ups. It should be rather the other way: learner’s dictionaries should take advantage of the fact that in the profiles CEFR levels are assigned to each individual meaning of these words, either openly as in the German and English profiles or more implicitly as in the Italian, French and Spanish.
Session Corpus-driven lexicography
Keywords CEFR, reference description level, learner’s dictionaries, corpus-driven lexicography.
BibTex
@InProceedings{ELX12-017,
author = {Carla Marello},
title = {Word lists in Reference Level Descriptions of CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)},
pages = {328--335},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 15th EURALEX International Congress},
year = {2012},
month = {aug},
date = {7-11},
address = {Oslo,Norway},
editor = {Ruth Vatvedt Fjeld and Julie Matilde Torjusen},
publisher = {Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, University of Oslo},
isbn = {978-82-303-2228-4},
}
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