CEFR Pragmatic Competence Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which CEFR level is first described as being able to 'use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes'?
- B2
- C1 (Correct answer)
- B1
- C2
Correct answer: C1
C1 descriptors specifically include flexible and effective language use for social, academic, and professional purposes.
Question 2: In CEFR pragmatics, 'discourse coherence' refers primarily to:
- Using correct grammar in sentences
- Organizing ideas so they flow logically and are connected across a text (Correct answer)
- Selecting appropriate vocabulary for the topic
- Matching register to the social situation
Correct answer: Organizing ideas so they flow logically and are connected across a text
Discourse coherence concerns the logical organization and connection of ideas across a text or conversation, beyond sentence-level grammar.
Question 3: A learner at B1 asks for help by saying 'You help me?' instead of 'Could you help me?' — what pragmatic feature is underdeveloped?
- Phonological competence
- Politeness mitigation through modal verbs (Correct answer)
- Vocabulary range
- Discourse markers
Correct answer: Politeness mitigation through modal verbs
Using modal verbs like 'could' to soften requests is a pragmatic mitigation strategy associated with politeness, which B1 learners are still developing.
Question 4: Which concept describes the unspoken shared knowledge that speakers rely on to interpret utterances correctly?
- Pragmatic transfer
- Common ground (Correct answer)
- Illocutionary force
- Adjacency pairs
Correct answer: Common ground
Common ground refers to the mutual knowledge, beliefs, and assumptions shared by interlocutors that underpin successful communication.
Question 5: When a CEFR descriptor says a learner can 'initiate, maintain and end discourse naturally,' which pragmatic skill is being assessed?
- Orthographic competence
- Conversational management (Correct answer)
- Morphosyntactic accuracy
- Lexical density
Correct answer: Conversational management
Conversational management encompasses the pragmatic skills of opening, sustaining, and closing discourse appropriately.
Question 6: A C2-level speaker says 'I wouldn't say that's entirely accurate' instead of 'That's wrong.' What pragmatic strategy is this?
- Avoidance strategy
- Face-threatening act
- Hedging to soften disagreement (Correct answer)
- Code-switching
Correct answer: Hedging to soften disagreement
Hedging language softens potentially face-threatening disagreements, a hallmark of highly proficient pragmatic competence at C2.
Question 7: In CEFR's framework, 'sociolinguistic competence' differs from 'pragmatic competence' in that sociolinguistic competence focuses primarily on:
- Managing conversation turns
- The relationship between language and social context, including register and dialect (Correct answer)
- Producing coherent arguments
- Understanding implied meaning in texts
Correct answer: The relationship between language and social context, including register and dialect
Sociolinguistic competence concerns how language use is shaped by social factors such as status, setting, and cultural norms, while pragmatic competence focuses on communicative action and discourse.
CEFR Pragmatic Competence Analysis 2
Which CEFR level is first described as being able to 'use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes'?