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Article published In: Multilingual education or How to learn to teach multilingual learning:
Edited by Eva Vetter and Nikolay Slavkov
[AILA Review 35:1] 2022
► pp. 38–59

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Plurilingual and pluricultural competence

The EVAL-IC model of intercomprehension competence

 | Paris Lodron University of Salzburg
 | Saarland University
Published online: 27 September 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/aila.22008.str
Abstract
Since the late 1990s the notion of a plurilingual and pluricultural competence as elaborated by Coste, D., Moore, D., & Zarate, G. (1997). Compétence plurilingue et pluriculturelle. Vers un cadre européen commun de référence pour l’enseignement et l’apprentissage des langues vivantes. Études préparatoires. Conseil de l’Europe.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar has had a strong impact on the didactics of languages. Several plural approaches have been developed which aim at developing competences in several languages and/or cultures (Melo-Pfeifer, S., & Reimann, D. (2018). Plurale Ansätze im Fremdsprachenunterricht in Deutschland: State of the art, Implementierung des REPA und Perspektiven. Narr Francke Attempto.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; (2010). Europäische Interkomprehension in und zwischen Sprachfamilien. In U. Hinrichs (Ed.), Handbuch der Eurolinguistik (pp. 821–842). Harrassowitz.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Tost Planet, M. (2010). Les approches plurielles: Un nouveau paradigme pour l’enseignement-apprentissage des langues. Expériences européennes et latino-américaines dans le domaine de l’intercompréhension. Synergies Chili, 61, 47–57.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), with intercomprehension didactics being one of them. However, existing frameworks (e.g. the Cadre de référence pour les approches plurielles des langues et des cultures (CARAP)/Framework of reference for pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures (FREPA) (Candelier, M., Camilleri-Grima, A., Castellotti, V., de Pietro, J.-F., Lörincz, I., Meißner, F.-J., … Noguerol, A. (2007). CARAP: Cadre de référence pour les approches plurielles des langues et des cultures. Conseil de l’Europe. Retrieved on 14 June 2022 from [URL], (2010). FREPA/CARAP. Framework of reference for pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures. Council of Europe/European Center of Modern Languages. Retrieved on 14 June 2022 from [URL]), or the Companion volume of the Common European framework of reference for languages (. (2018). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Companion volume with new descriptors. Council of Europe. Retrieved on 14 June 2022 from [URL])) do not adequately describe the specific competences that underly intercomprehensive activities. In our contribution, we will present the framework of reference for intercomprehension (= IC) developed within the European project EVAL-IC (Evaluation des compétences en intercompréhension, Erasmus+). The framework is based on a dynamic and complex competence model, comprising of six levels of competence which can be regrouped into three larger levels (basic, advanced, expert). It provides descriptors for the following intercomprehensive activities: written and oral receptive IC; written and oral interproduction; and written and oral interactive IC as well as a global description of each level. The work carried out might also help to apply or further develop plurilingual and pluricultural approaches in higher education.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Intercomprehension and plurilingual/pluricultural competence
  • 3.A holistic model of IC competence
  • 4.Dimensions of intercomprehension competence
  • 5.The development of a framework of reference for IC competence
    • 5.1The Common European framework of reference (CEFR) and the Companion volume of the CEFR
    • 5.2The Framework of reference for pluralistic approaches to languages and cultures (CARAP/FREPA)
    • 5.3MAGICC (Modularising multilingual and multicultural academic communication competence)
    • 5.4MIRIADI – REFIC
  • 6.Six levels of IC competence
  • 7.A framework of reference for IC competence
  • 8.Conclusion: Application of the framework, an evaluation model, and future orientations
  • Notes
  • References
References (46)
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