Speakers
Description
There is a growing influence of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) around the world as a generic descriptive tool for foreign language proficiency. Asian regions are no exception. Countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, among others have used the CEFR as a guideline for their foreign language policy making. China developed their original framework called China Standard of English, which is heavily influenced by the CEFR. Japan also uses the CEFR as a reference for their national curriculum reform. While the CEFR specifies various aspects of communicative language activities, communicative language competence as well as communication and learning strategies, there is a constant lack of descriptions regarding the skills of using reference materials including dictionaries for receptive and productive activities. The Companion Volume for the CEFR (2020) revised and improved the original framework in 2001 and incorporated new perspectives as to the modes of communication, including mediation skills and online communication. Now that there is a growing demand for describing the skills with the help of online reference tools, the present study therefore aims to develop a set of illustrative "can do" descriptors for dictionary skills in the context of foreign language learning. To this end, we conducted an extensive literature review of the previous dictionary use and skills surveys in order to create a list of skill inventories for what language learners can do with a dictionary in various tasks in language learning. In this paper, we will report on the methodological approach we have taken in the descriptor development and show the preliminary list of descriptors for review. Then we will explain how these descriptors will be calibrated along the CEFR levels using Rasch analysis.
