CEFR is a progressive outline of language learning, teaching, and assessment of proficiency used to describe achievements of learners of foreign languages across Europe and increasingly throughout other countries around the world (for example many countries in Asia and South America). Started in 1989, the framework was developed by the Council of Europe as a centerpiece of the project “Language Learning for European Citizenship“. Its goal was to provide a method of learning, teaching and assessing that could be applied to all languages spoken throughout Europe. A European Union Council Resolution in November of 2001 recommended that the CEFR be used to establish the validation system of overall language ability. The six reference levels (beginner A1, thru advanced C2) have become widely accepted as the leading standard for grading and establishing an individual’s language proficiency.
