Language Research

English Profile helps teachers and educationalists understand what the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) means for English.  It describes what aspects of English are typically learned at each CEFR level.  This tells teachers, curriculum developers, course-book authors and test writers what is suitable for learning at each level.

This site contains a wealth of information about English Profile, including two innovative online tools:  English Vocabulary Profile Online and English Grammar Profile Online.  These are searchable databases that give you free access to the research findings on what English vocabulary and grammar is suitable for teaching at each CEFR level.

This work has been carried out as part of a ground-breaking collaborative project – supported by the Council of Europe.  It collected data from learners all over the world to inform the research.  The research was led by two departments of the University of Cambridge, UK:  Cambridge University Press and Cambridge English Language Assessment.  The outcomes of the research are referred to as Reference Level Descriptions (RLDs) for English. Click here for more information on RLDs.