Requirements for Reference Level Descriptions for English

The founding purpose of the English Profile Programme is to answer the Council of Europe's (2005) call for a set of Reference Level Descriptions (RLDs) for English linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The Council of Europe has issued guidelines setting out broad parameters for RLD development. This paper discusses how RLD might be developed for English in relation to the aims of the CEFR, incorporating consideration of critical voices, reports on the experiences of users of the CEFR and a review of currently operational RLDs for English: the Threshold series. On the basis of these sources, recommendations are made for the ongoing development of the English Profile Programme.