5.1.1 Declarative knowledge (savoir) 5.1.1.1 Knowledge of the world
Mature human beings have a highly developed and finely articulated model of the world and its workings, closely correlated with the vocabulary and grammar of their mother tongue. Indeed, both develop in relation to each other. The question, ‘What is that?’ may ask for the name of a newly observed phenomenon or for the meaning (ref-erent) of a new word. The basic features of this model are fully developed during early childhood, but it is further developed through education and experience during ado-lescence and indeed throughout adult life. Communication depends on the congru-ence of the models of the world and of language which have been internalised by the persons taking part. One aim of scientific endeavour is to discover the structure and workings of the universe and to provide a standardised terminology to describe and refer to them. Ordinary language has developed in a more organic way and the relation between the categories of form and meaning varies somewhat from one language to another, though within fairly narrow limits imposed by the actual nature of reality.
Divergence is wider in the social sphere than in relation to the physical environment, though there, too, languages differentiate natural phenomena very much in relation to their significance for the life of the community. Second and foreign language teach-ing is often able to assume that learners have already acquired a knowledge of the world sufficient for the purpose. This is, however, not by any means always the case (see 2.1.1).
Knowledge of the world (whether it derives from experience, education or from infor-mation sources, etc.) embraces:
• The locations, institutions and organisations, persons, objects, events, processes and operations in different domains as exemplified in Table 5 (section 4.1.2). Of consider-able importance to the learner of a particular language is factual knowledge concern-ing the country or countries in which the language is spoken, such as its major geographical, environmental, demographic, economic and political features.
• Classes of entities (concrete/abstract, animate/inanimate, etc.) and their properties and relations (temporo-spatial, associative, analytic, logical, cause/effect, etc.) as set out, for instance, in Threshold Level 1990, Chapter 6.
5.1.1.2 Sociocultural knowledge
Strictly speaking, knowledge of the society and culture of the community or com-munities in which a language is spoken is one aspect of knowledge of the world. It is, however, of sufficient importance to the language learner to merit special attention, es-pecially since unlike many other aspects of knowledge it is likely to lie outside the learner’s previous experience and may well be distorted by stereotypes.
The features distinctively characteristic of a particular European society and its culture may relate, for example, to:
1. Everyday living, e.g.:
• food and drink, meal times, table manners;
• public holidays;
• working hours and practices;
• leisure activities (hobbies, sports, reading habits, media).
2. Living conditions, e.g.:
• living standards (with regional, class and ethnic variations);
• housing conditions;
• welfare arrangements.
3. Interpersonal relations(including relations of power and solidarity) e.g. with respect to:
• class structure of society and relations between classes;
• relations between sexes (gender, intimacy);
• family structures and relations;
• relations between generations;
• relations in work situations;
• relations between public and police, officials, etc.;
Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:
• what knowledge of the world the language learner will be assumed/required to possess;
• what new knowledge of the world, particularly in respect of the country in which the language is spoken the learner will need/be equipped to acquire in the course of language learning.
• race and community relations;
• relations among political and religious groupings.
4. Values, beliefs and attitudesin relation to such factors as:
• social class;
• occupational groups (academic, management, public service, skilled and manual workforces);
• wealth (income and inherited);
• regional cultures;
• security;
• institutions;
• tradition and social change;
• history, especially iconic historical personages and events;
• minorities (ethnic, religious);
• national identity;
• foreign countries, states, peoples;
• politics;
• arts (music, visual arts, literature, drama, popular music and song);
• religion;
• humour.
5. Body language (see section 4.4.5). Knowledge of the conventions governing such beha-viour form part of the user/learner’s sociocultural competence.
6. Social conventions, e.g. with regard to giving and receiving hospitality, such as:
• punctuality;
• presents;
• dress;
• refreshments, drinks, meals;
• behavioural and conversational conventions and taboos;
• length of stay;
• leave-taking.
7. Ritual behaviourin such areas as:
• religious observances and rites;
• birth, marriage, death;
• audience and spectator behaviour at public performances and ceremonies;
• celebrations, festivals, dances, discos, etc.
5.1.1.3 Intercultural awareness
Knowledge, awareness and understanding of the relation (similarities and distinctive dif-ferences) between the ‘world of origin’ and the ‘world of the target community’ produce an intercultural awareness. It is, of course, important to note that intercultural aware-ness includes an awareaware-ness of regional and social diversity in both worlds. It is also enriched by awareness of a wider range of cultures than those carried by the learner’s L1 and L2. This wider awareness helps to place both in context. In addition to objective knowledge, intercultural awareness covers an awareness of how each community appears from the perspective of the other, often in the form of national stereotypes.
5.1.2 Skills and know-how (savoir-faire) 5.1.2.1 Practical skills and know-how include:
• Social skills: the ability to act in accordance with the types of convention set out in 5.1.1.2 above and to perform the expected routines, in so far as it is considered appro-priate for outsiders and particularly foreigners to do so.
• Living skills: the ability to carry out effectively the routine actions required for daily life (bathing, dressing, walking, cooking, eating, etc.); maintenance and repair of household equipment, etc.
• Vocational and professional skills: the ability to perform specialised actions (mental and physical) required to carry out the duties of (self-)employment.
• Leisure skills: the ability to carry out effectively the actions required for leisure acti-vities, e.g.:
• arts (painting, sculpture, playing musical instruments, etc.);
• crafts (knitting, embroidery, weaving, basketry, carpentry, etc.);
• sports (team games, athletics, jogging, climbing, swimming, etc.);
• hobbies (photography, gardening, etc.).
5.1.2.2 Intercultural skills and know-how These include:
• the ability to bring the culture of origin and the foreign culture into relation with each other;
• cultural sensitivity and the ability to identify and use a variety of strategies for contact with those from other cultures;
Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:
• what practical skills and know-how the learner will need/be required to possess in order to communicate effectively in an area of concern.
Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:
• what prior sociocultural experience and knowledge the learner is assumed/required to have;
• what new experience and knowledge of social life in his/her community as well as in the target community the learner will need to acquire in order to meet the requirements of L2 communication;
• what awareness of the relation between home and target cultures the learner will need so as to develop an appropriate intercultural competence.
• the capacity to fulfil the role of cultural intermediary between one’s own culture and the foreign culture and to deal effectively with intercultural misunderstanding and conflict situations;
• the ability to overcome stereotyped relationships.
5.1.3 ‘Existential’ competence (savoir-être)
The communicative activity of users/learners is affected not only by their knowledge, understanding and skills, but also by selfhood factors connected with their individual personalities, characterised by the attitudes, motivations, values, beliefs, cognitive styles and personality types which contribute to their personal identity. These include:
1. attitudes,such as the user/learner’s degree of:
• openness towards, and interest in, new experiences, other persons, ideas, peoples, societies and cultures;
• willingness to relativise one’s own cultural viewpoint and cultural value-system;
• willingness and ability to distance oneself from conventional attitudes to cul-tural difference.
2. motivations:
• intrinsic/extrinsic;
• instrumental/integrative;
• communicative drive, the human need to communicate.
3. values,e.g. ethical and moral.
4. beliefs,e.g. religious, ideological, philosophical.
5. cognitive styles, e.g.:
• convergent/divergent;
• holistic/analytic/synthetic.
6. personality factors, e.g.:
• loquacity/taciturnity;
• enterprise/timidity;
• optimism/pessimism;
• introversion/extroversion;
• proactivity/reactivity;
Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:
• what cultural intermediary roles and functions the learner will need/be equipped/be required to fulfil;
• what features of the home and target culture the learner will need/be enabled/required to distinguish;
• what provision is expected to be made for the learner to experience the target culture;
• what opportunities the learner will have of acting as a cultural intermediary.
• intropunitive/extrapunitive/impunitive personality (guilt);
• (freedom from) fear or embarrassment;
• rigidity/flexibility;
• open-mindedness/closed-mindedness;
• spontaneity/self-monitoring;
• intelligence;
• meticulousness/carelessness;
• memorising ability;
• industry/laziness;
• ambition/(lack of) ambition;
• (lack of) self-awareness;
• (lack of) self-reliance;
• (lack of) self-confidence;
• (lack of) self-esteem.
Attitudes and personality factors greatly affect not only the language users’/learners’
roles in communicative acts but also their ability to learn. The development of an ‘inter-cultural personality’ involving both attitudes and awareness is seen by many as an impor-tant educational goal in its own right. Imporimpor-tant ethical and pedagogic issues are raised, such as:
• the extent to which personality development can be an explicit educational objec-tive;
• how cultural relativism is to be reconciled with ethical and moral integrity;
• which personality factors a) facilitate b) impede foreign or second language learning and acquisition;
• how learners can be helped to exploit strengths and overcome weaknesses;
• how the diversity of personalities can be reconciled with the constraints imposed on and by educational systems.
5.1.4 Ability to learn (savoir-apprendre)
In its most general sense, savoir-apprendre is the ability to observe and participate in new experiences and to incorporate new knowledge into existing knowledge, modifying the latter where necessary. Language learning abilities are developed in the course of the experience of learning. They enable the learner to deal more effectively and indepen-dently with new language learning challenges, to see what options exist and to make better use of opportunities. Ability to learn has several components, such as language
Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:
• whether, and if so which personality features learners will need/be encouraged/equipped/
required to develop/display;
• whether, and if so in what ways, learner characteristics are taken into account in provisions for language learning, teaching and assessment.
and communication awareness; general phonetic skills; study skills; and heuristic skills.
5.1.4.1 Language and communication awareness
Sensitivity to language and language use, involving knowledge and understanding of the principles according to which languages are organised and used, enables new experience to be assimilated into an ordered framework and welcomed as an enrichment. The asso-ciated new language may then be more readily learnt and used, rather than resisted as a threat to the learner’s already established linguistic system, which is often believed to be normal and ‘natural’.
5.1.4.2 General phonetic awareness and skills
Many learners, particularly mature students, will find their ability to pronounce new lan-guages facilitated by:
• an ability to distinguish and produce unfamiliar sounds and prosodic patterns;
• an ability to perceive and catenate unfamiliar sound sequences;
• an ability, as a listener, to resolve (i.e. divide into distinct and significant parts) a con-tinuous stream of sound into a meaningful structured string of phonological ele-ments;
• an understanding/mastery of the processes of sound perception and production applicable to new language learning.
These general phonetic skills are distinct from the ability to pronounce a particular lan-guage.
5.1.4.3 Study skills These include:
• ability to make effective use of the learning opportunities created by teaching sit-uations, e.g.:
• to maintain attention to the presented information;
• to grasp the intention of the task set;
• to co-operate effectively in pair and group work;
• to make rapid and frequent active use of the language learnt;
• ability to use available materials for independent learning;
Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:
• what steps if any are taken to develop the learner’s language and communication awareness;
• what auditory discrimination and articulatory skills the learner will need/be assumed/
equipped/required to possess.
• ability to organise and use materials for self-directed learning;
• ability to learn effectively (both linguistically and socioculturally) from direct observation of and participation in communication events by the cultivation of perceptual, analytical and heuristic skills;
• awareness of one’s own strengths and weaknesses as a learner;
• ability to identify one’s own needs and goals;
• ability to organise one’s own strategies and procedures to pursue these goals, in accordance with one’s own characteristics and resources.
5.1.4.4 Heuristic skills These include:
• the ability of the learner to come to terms with new experience (new language, new people, new ways of behaving, etc.) and to bring other competences to bear (e.g. by observing, grasping the significance of what is observed, analysing, inferencing, memorising, etc.) in the specific learning situation;
• the ability of the learner (particularly in using target language reference sources) to find, understand and if necessary convey new information;
• the ability to use new technologies (e.g. by searching for information in databases, hypertexts, etc.).