Application of the Common European Framework Reference in the teaching-learning process of foreign languages
Keywords:
Common European Framework of Reference, foreign language, teaching, learningAbstract
In the 2016-2017 academic year, as part of the policy of the Ministry of Higher Education in Cuba, the teaching of English was aligned to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). However, these transformations in the teaching-learning of the English language require serious evolutions in the didactic and institutional order. This study aimed at investigating the opinions of foreign language teachers at the University of Las Tunas about the CEFR and its application in their classrooms. The findings indicated that foreign language teachers at the University of Las Tunas had a reasonably good understanding of the CEFR, particularly in the domains of assessment and the reference levels of language proficiency. In contrast, other aspects, such as a lower knowledge of the action-oriented approach, the abstraction of the CEFR descriptors and the low linguistic skills of some foreign language teachers were reported as inadequacies that undermine the implementation of the CEFR and its application in language teaching and learning. Finally, the current study further suggests that training programs related to the CEFR are necessary for foreign language teachers at the University of Las Tunas, to generate a more practical impact on classroom teaching.
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