CEFR Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following scenarios demonstrates an 'uneven' plurilingual profile, which the CEFR considers normal?
- A learner with C2 in English and C2 in French
- A learner with C1 in Spanish, A2 in Mandarin, and B1 in Arabic (Correct answer)
- A learner who has studied only one foreign language for ten years
- A learner who refuses to use any language other than their mother tongue
Correct answer: A learner with C1 in Spanish, A2 in Mandarin, and B1 in Arabic
The CEFR explicitly acknowledges that plurilingual individuals typically have uneven profiles across languages, and this asymmetry is normal and valuable.
Question 2: How does the CEFR define 'intercultural competence' in relation to pluricultural competence?
- They are identical terms used interchangeably in the framework
- Intercultural competence is the ability to interact effectively between two cultures, while pluricultural is broader and multi-directional (Correct answer)
- Intercultural competence is only relevant for diplomats and translators
- Pluricultural competence is a subset of intercultural competence
Correct answer: Intercultural competence is the ability to interact effectively between two cultures, while pluricultural is broader and multi-directional
Intercultural competence typically refers to bridging two specific cultures, while pluricultural competence involves flexibly navigating multiple cultural identities simultaneously.
Question 3: A teacher allows students to use their home languages as a resource when completing a complex analytical task in English. According to the CEFR, this practice:
- Undermines English acquisition by creating dependency on L1
- Leverages the students' full plurilingual repertoire as a legitimate learning strategy (Correct answer)
- Should be avoided at B2 level and above
- Violates the target-language-only principle mandated by the CEFR
Correct answer: Leverages the students' full plurilingual repertoire as a legitimate learning strategy
The CEFR values using the full linguistic repertoire as a resource for learning and task completion, rejecting a strict target-language-only approach.
Question 4: Which of the following is a 'plurilingual' strategy according to the CEFR Companion Volume?
- Memorizing monolingual word lists in the target language
- Reformulating a message using simpler structures in one language when communication breaks down in another (Correct answer)
- Avoiding all communication until sufficient proficiency is reached
- Focusing exclusively on written grammar exercises
Correct answer: Reformulating a message using simpler structures in one language when communication breaks down in another
Switching to a simpler register or another language to keep communication going is a key plurilingual strategy recognized in the Companion Volume.
Question 5: The concept of 'language awareness' in the CEFR's plurilingual framework primarily involves:
- Knowing the official grammar rules of at least three languages
- Reflective understanding of how languages work and relate to one another (Correct answer)
- The ability to pass standardized language proficiency tests
- Awareness of regional accent differences within one language
Correct answer: Reflective understanding of how languages work and relate to one another
Language awareness, as understood in the CEFR's plurilingual framework, involves metacognitive reflection on language structures and cross-linguistic relationships.
Question 6: When the CEFR Companion Volume describes 'pluricultural repertoire,' it means:
- A list of cultural facts memorized by the learner
- The dynamic set of cultural knowledge, attitudes, and frames a person draws on in interaction (Correct answer)
- Formal certification in cultural studies from multiple countries
- The number of foreign films a learner has watched
Correct answer: The dynamic set of cultural knowledge, attitudes, and frames a person draws on in interaction
A pluricultural repertoire is the dynamic, usable set of cultural resources — not static knowledge — that a person mobilizes during intercultural interaction.
Question 7: According to the CEFR, which attitude is most essential for developing pluricultural competence?
- A preference for one's own cultural norms as the universal standard
- Openness, curiosity, and willingness to suspend ethnocentric judgments (Correct answer)
- Strict adherence to target-culture norms to avoid misunderstanding
- Avoidance of cultural comparisons to prevent stereotyping
Correct answer: Openness, curiosity, and willingness to suspend ethnocentric judgments
The CEFR emphasizes openness and the suspension of ethnocentrism as foundational attitudes for building genuine pluricultural competence.
CEFR Plurilingual and Pluricultural Competence 4
Which of the following scenarios demonstrates an 'uneven' plurilingual profile, which the CEFR considers normal?