In order to be able to certify language competences it is necessary to plan tasks (for teaching) and to devise specific tools (for testing and assessment). The latter include rubrics and descriptors, i.e. clear, easily understood statements of learning expectations or outcomes.

In the activities we propose the language teacher is, at first, encouraged to reflect on the meanings of broad concepts such as “competence” (and “language competence”), “task”, “assessment”and “testing”, “descriptors” and “standards”. What is important here is to develop an awareness of the issues underlying the use of these terms rather than simply providing prescriptive definitions governing their use.