What is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)?
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a common rating scale to which countries in Europe have aligned their varied national rating scales and national exams. Language teaching and testing in a school setting have also begun to reference the CEFR. The CEFR has six levels, and national scales with any number of levels have gradually come to reflect those six levels. See an overview of the framework and its complete text. The CEFR is part of a broader language policy that is designed to promote political stability, economic prosperity, social cohesion, and more common cultural bonds across Europe. Validated European Language Portfolios are developed based on that policy, as can be seen at coe.int.
