What level of language competency does an applicant have who applies for a job with a certificate ‘Fit in French’ as Head of Distribution’ in France? Does ‘fit’ imply confidence in negotiating skills, correspondence skills or both? Is he more proficient in the language than another candidate who holds a certificate with a ‘Level 3 Standard’ qualification or does the German university award with grade 2 imply more proficiency if one is unaware of the fact that this grade is equivalent to grade B in the UK?
The Council of Europe has demonstrated transparency here with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. No other descriptor system of certification enjoys such an excellent reputation in the educational sector. Certificates, graduate evaluations etc., are for the first time comparable when implementing the CEFR levels in evaluation, irrelevant of the institution awarding the certificate. This new ‘transparency culture’ has provided confidence professionally among employers and employees nationally and internationally.
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
For more information on the CEFR access ‘Links & Downloads’ on our site.
