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them separate. In other words, the objective is not just learning languages to
communicate, for instance in English with an English person or in Danish
with a Danish person etc. Studying more languages (at least two foreign
languages are recommended) should build a plurilingual mentality, that is,
the ability to manage his/her own communicative competence when different
languages interact. This allows an individual to easily switch from one language
to the other, or express concepts in one language rather than another using a
specific expression to convey an idea better, or use a “universal” vocabulary
everybody can understand. CEFR does not consider only the linguistic aspects
but stresses the importance of different languages and paralinguistic aspects
that compensate for linguistic weakness. The concept of “plurilingualism” is
supported by the concept of “pluriculturalism”. Communication also works
through sign and body language, tone of voice, mime, facial expressions,
proxemics, but unfortunately these things are not interpreted in the same way
everywhere.
Spontaneous physical contact which is typical of Mediterranean people clashes
with the physical distance code of northern countries. It is important to
acknowledge that the wrong behaviour in a certain culture can be far more
serious that a grammatical or lexical mistake. Having explained the aims and
objectives of CEFR, its main features will now be considered.
1.2.2
CEFR general features
The CEFR is a highly
innovative
document. Before its publication, there was no
reference shared platform
already recognised and adopted by all European
countries, with unambiguos clear criteria. How often do people talk of having
an “academic” knowledge of foreign languages? How do you interpret the
meaning of “academic”? If the language has been studied at school for at least
3-5 years “academic” ought to should have a positive meaning. Instead, it has
always been used as a euphemism of “poor”. Superficial people or those with
high self esteem might even define it as “good” or “excellent”, whilst those with
a more unassuming personality simply “sufficient”. None of the definitions of
this adjective could be considered reliable for an employer choosing a candidate.
The framework provides a clear and detailed distinction of levels that cannot be
misinterpreted and is recognised everywhere (especially if supported by an
official certificate) Hungarian and Portuguese candidates with a B1 linguistic-
communicative competence are therefore comparable and cannot make false
claims about their language ability without creating a bad impression.
This simple example demonstrates the importance of relying on a uniform
reference framework to guarantee each European citizen the same
opportunities. It is obvious that such a process requires a careful definition of
the necessary descriptions, in order to attain the utmost
transparency
. The
CEFR and all its supporting tools (European Language Passport, European
Portfolio, etc.) use the same language for definitions, indicators and levels,
and synonyms are not permitted. Translations into different European