Exciting projects designed to help teachers
English Profile is a collaborative project between Cambridge University, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge University ESOL Examinations, University of Bedfordshire, English UK and the British Council. The aim of the project is to create level descriptors, otherwise known as “Can do statements”, which are sets of statements based on what learners of languages should be competent at doing in all skills areas. These level descriptors are designed to help both learners and teachers worldwide assess what level they themselves have or their students have on an international scale: levels become less abstract, more concrete and internationally comparable.
What is the English Vocabulary Profile?
The EVP shows, in both British and American English, which words and phrases learners around the world know at each level of the CEFR. Rather than providing a syllabus of the vocabulary that learners should know, the EVP project verifies what they do know at each level. CEFR levels are assigned not just to the words themselves, but to each individual meaning of these words. So, for instance, the word degree is assigned level A2 for the sense TEMPERATURE, B1 for QUALIFICATION and B2 for AMOUNT.
The search engine tool allows teachers to search for comprehensive lists of what learners know in terms of vocabulary, lexical groups and expressions at any given level or at a specified range. An easy to use tool for information at a glance
I was interested to see what a student studying British English for the FCE would know, so I took a look at an entry for the word desperately on the B2 EVP.
entry:desperately (click to see the entry!)
Word of the week: light
light /laɪt/
The word light is an adjective, a noun, and a verb, and both the adjective and the noun appear to be known at the A levels. The first meaning to be listed at A1 is for the adjective: PALE, in connection with colour, as in light blue. In the entry below, the learner example given is at A2, but evidence has been found in beginner level course books and other materials that this meaning is taught earlier, so it has been included at A1. One meaning of the verb is listed at B1: START FLAMES, and at B2, there is the further meaning MAKE BRIGHT, as in Fireworks lit up the sky. As you can see in the dictionary example, up appears in bold in the entry, showing that it commonly collocates with the verb in this sense. Further phrases will be included for the noun at the C levels, including in the light of (US: in light of) and come to light.
Word of the week: go
Although mainly used as a verb, the word go also exists as a noun and two uses are included up to B2 level: OPPORTUNITY at B1 and ATTEMPT at B2. Both meanings show the common phrase have a go, as in Can I have a go on your bike? The B2 meaning is slightly different and though no learner evidence has been found for it in the Cambridge Learner Corpus, it has been included here. The lack of written evidence is probably because this use is predominantly spoken, as the dictionary example shows. There are 55 matches when you search for the word go in the English Vocabulary Profile and these include a number of phrases and phrasal verbs. The three meanings at A1 include the phrase go shopping, which is known at a very early stage of learning!
Search the preview version of the EVP: http://vocabularypreview.englishprofile.org/staticfiles/about.html