The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) : Implications for Language Testing (Journal Article)

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Abstract: Language is infinite. This feature of language poses a challenge for an ESL teacher to gauge the proficiency level of ESL learners. As a matter of fact, what we test and how we test language learners’ proficiency is always a complex conundrum. This makes language assessment a daunting task for an ESL teacher. This paper gives insights into fallacies of language assessment and provides strategies to make language assessment more objective, reliable, and uniform. The paper advocates the CEFR apparatus for language assessment. It is an internationally acclaimed framework for teaching and assessment, and all important examinations are mapped to the CEFR. The new approach of using the CEFR apparatus for language testing in this paper is highly pragmatic and attempts to make language testing a more standardised process. This proposed new approach to language assessment focuses on skills rather than just accuracy. It shifts the focus of language assessment from mere accuracy to comprehensive communicative competence of the ESL learners.