The English Profile research program is the latest stage in a process dating back to the 1970s, when John Trim and Jan van Ek developed the original Threshold series, the first systematic specification of learning objectives for the English language.  This series contributed to the development of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and remains a cornerstone of research and materials development in language testing and teaching. 

English Profile builds on this research, working with the functional approach to the CEFR level descriptions.  However, the program is distinguished from previous work in the field through several innovative features:

• Corpus-based research, giving the programe a new, empirical dimension
• The incorporation of psycholinguistic considerations, in addition to the more traditional linguistic (grammatical/lexical) features
• A strong focus on the impact of different first languages and learning contexts and transfer effects

English Profile is built around three major research strands, forming a coherent long-term research program:

Corpus Linguistics

Working with linguists and computer scientists to investigate the language which learners actually produce at each level. This work is managed by the Research Centre For English and Applied Linguistics (RCEAL), University of Cambridge.

Read an interview with Professor John Hawkins, Director of RCEAL.

Read a summary of the English Profile research being carried out by RCEAL and the Cambridge Computer Laboratory.

Pedagogy

Focusing on curricula and materials, with particular attention to CEFR levels B2 - C2. This work is managed by the Centre for Research in English Language Learning and Assessment (CRELLA), University of Bedfordshire, headed by Professor Cyril Weir.

Read an interview with Dr Tony Green, Reader in Language Assessment at CRELLA.

Assessment

Focusing on how language skills develop, both in terms of learners' knowledge and their ability to use the language. This work is managed by Cambridge ESOL.

The starting point for the English Profile team is to fill the gaps left by the Threshold series and other Reference Level Description projects, such as Profile Deutsch.  Existing specifications for English do not go beyond B2, and level A1 was only ever produced in a draft form.  Therefore, a focus on the C levels, both in functional and linguistic terms, has been prioritised.

Other research questions the program will address include:

• What distinguishes C levels from B levels?
• How do you characterize the salient linguistic features?
• What are the criterial differences between each level – B2 to C2 in grammatical and lexical terms?