HOW DO SCHOOL TEACHERS IN TURKEY PERCEIVE AND USE THE CEFR?

Abstract

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) is used in Turkey by teachers,administrators and researchers to support English language teaching and learning. This paperdiscusses the knowledge and use of the CEFR by a group of teachers. Eight teachers wereinterviewed about the CEFR and carried out an assessment task. Findings show that theteachers knew of the CEFR, had a positive view of its contribution to English Languageteaching in Turkey, used CEFR-related practices such as self-assessment in class and could useCEFR tables to successfully assess sample performances. On the other hand, findings alsoshow that the teachers had received little or no training about the CEFR, they had difficulty inapplying the CEFR to their classroom assessment practices and they showed that they haveonly a vague idea of the CEFR proficiency levels for assessment. After reading CEFR tablesthey say that the language used in the CEFR is generally suitable for teachers to use, but theyfeel that the level of the language used in the English version of the tables is too high for theirlearners to benefit from.