Brian North

This book presents the background to the current shift in language education towards action-oriented/action-based teaching, and provides a theorization of the Action-oriented Approach (AoA). It discusses the concepts and theories that paved the way for the AoA and explores their relevance for the way language education is conceived and implemented in the classroom. In the process, it revisits the concept of competence and discusses the dynamic notions of mediation and plurilingualism. The authors explain the way in which the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its recent update, the CEFR Companion Volume, broaden the scope of language education, in particular in relation to the actional turn. The book provides scholars and practitioners with a research-informed description of the AoA, explains its implications for curriculum planning, teaching and assessment, and elaborates on its pedagogical implications.

This book presents the background to the current shift in language education towards action-oriented/action-based teaching, and provides a theorization of the Action-oriented Approach (AoA). It discusses the concepts and theories that paved the way for the AoA and explores their relevance for the way language education is conceived and implemented in the classroom. In the process, it revisits the concept of competence and discusses the dynamic notions of mediation and plurilingualism. The authors explain the way in which the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its recent update, the CEFR Companion Volume, broaden the scope of language education, in particular in relation to the actional turn. The book provides scholars and practitioners with a research-informed description of the AoA, explains its implications for curriculum planning, teaching and assessment, and elaborates on its pedagogical implications.

This book focuses on the processes involved in the development and revision of curriculums and course syllabuses. It provides background to key issues related to course design and implementation, including needs analysis and assessment, and is designed to assist institutions to revise and enhance course programmes taking advantage of tools found in Common European Framework of Reference and the Core Inventory of General English.

The CEFR in Practice covers the four main areas with which the CEFR is concerned: its role as a common framework, the Common Reference Levels, what the CEFR implies for planning and teaching, and assessment of CEFR levels. Each chapter is organised into three sections: Essentials, to introduce the relevance of the CEFR to the topic concerned; More detail, to give examples of the implementation of the framework; and Issues, a discursive section with a focus on misconceptions of the CEFR and how these could be addressed. The conclusion discusses the extent to which the CEFR is generating change, the priorities for curriculum development in the future and how the framework can be further exploited and developed.