The Assessment of Reading Competence by Teachers: the Use of Grades versus the CEF

Abstract

Language teachers have difficulties assessing their students on a correct language level. This study looked at teachers’ assessments on their students’ reading competence with the use of grades on a scale of 1-10 and with use of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEF). Students of 2HAVO/VWO (a mixed class of higher general education and pre-university students) and 4HAVO took a reading test and their teachers were asked to estimate the grade and CEF level of each individual student. Next, the student results were compared to the teachers’ estimations. The results show that teachers estimate their students’ reading competence slightly better when using the framework than when using grades. However, the can-do statements are difficult to interpret, as 66% of the teachers estimated the test level incorrectly. Therefore, the framework offers little help to assess language skills more accurately and to a more coherent evaluation of student language competences between teachers, as it aims to do.