Cambridge English Teaching Framework

The five categories are then divided into a number of components so that teachers can identify specific needs.

[2] English language teachers use the framework to self-assess where they are in their career, decide where they want to go next, think about the knowledge and skills they would like to develop[3] and identify the courses, qualifications and resources which will help them to progress.

In addition, teachers around the world were asked to complete a questionnaire version of the framework.

The teachers and their managers were then asked their opinion as to whether the framework had provided a fair assessment.

[5] The first version of the framework was launched in April 2014 at the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) conference.

[7] The Cambridge English Teaching Framework is a profiling grid, rather than a performance assessment tool.

[13] Each category describes the key competencies for effective teaching at each stage of a teacher's development, as shown in the summary framework below.

A free online tool is available for teachers to establish their current competency stage and identify their continuing professional development needs.

For example, some CELTA candidates start the course with some previous classroom experience and may already be at the Developing stage, whereas other candidates start the course with no previous teaching experience and will therefore be at the Foundation stage.

There are recommendations for every stage of each category, providing teachers with suggested reading, videos and actions to incorporate into their teaching practice, along with professional development courses and qualifications.