Cambridge English teaching qualifications and language ability

We provide industry-leading qualifications that prove what teachers of English can do. These qualifications are mapped to the Cambridge English Teaching Framework, and support teachers every step of the way by helping them build the skills and confidence they need to teach English effectively.

This category looks at your own language ability, your understanding of the language points taught at different levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and your ability to use language accurately and appropriately when interacting with learners and other teachers.

Every skill is described in relation to the four stages of development; Foundation, Developing, Proficient, and Expert. Below, we list some of the main competencies for each stage, plus some suggestions on how to develop further.

Foundation

• Use basic classroom language which is mostly accurate, and respond appropriately to learners’ output some of the time in planned situations.
• Recognise basic errors that their learners make.
• Interact with other teachers in simple and routine professional contexts.
• Have language ability to at least Level A2 of the CEFR and can provide accurate examples of the language points taught at Levels A1 and A2 of the CEFR.

Developing

• Use classroom language that is mostly accurate, and respond appropriately to learners’ output most of the time in planned situations and occasionally in spontaneous situations.
• Recognise most errors that their learners make.
• Interact with other teachers in simple and routine professional contexts and some unfamiliar professional contexts.
• Have language ability to at least Level B1 of the CEFR and can provide accurate examples of the language points taught at Levels A1, A2 and B1 of the CEFR.