Teaching Reading and Writing Skills to Young Learners in English as a Foreign Language Using Blogs: a case Study

1.4 The CEFR and reading skills
Reading can be viewed as a receptive skill. According to the CEFR’s criterion of 
overall reading comprehension, a B1 level user can read factual information on 
texts concerning his/her interests with a satisfactory amount of comprehension. 
For example, he or she should be able to understand events and feelings when 
corresponding with a pen-pal (reading correspondence). He or she should also 
understand information on everyday topics (such as in advertisements or 
brochures) and understand if the information which they read is topic-relevant 
(reading for orientation
)
. In addition, if a B1 user has enough time to re-read, 
he/she can recognize the most significant and the main points of a text on a 
familiar topic (reading for information). He or she can also read for leisure 
purposes, understanding the description of places, events and feelings. Thus, 
learners develop critical reading skills (Newby, 2012). Reading as a leisure activity 
is a recent change in the CEFR descriptors, concerning reading as a receptive skill 
(Council of Europe, 2018) and it lowers learners’ affective filter (Arikan, 2015).
1.5 The CEFR and Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) 
Nowadays, with the advent of technology and the internet, young learners can 
interact online, by using their computer and an online application (e.g. blogs, 
emails, instant messages). Learners can communicate simultaneously with one or 
more interlocutors online, contribute to others’ posts and use other media (audio
-
video-hyperlinks). The CEFR has taken this trend into consideration and has 
formed online interaction criteria for B1 level users, (Council of Europe, 2018). 
That is to say:
 
•
B1 users can post their contribution online on a familiar topic if they have 
prepared the text beforehand and they can use online tools (such as online 
dictionaries/grammars) to check their language accuracy. 
•
They can post information about personal experiences and feelings and 
respond to others’ comments. However, some lexical errors can occur.

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Journal of Language and Cultural Education
, 2019, 7(2) 
ISSN 1339-4584 
5
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They can collaborate online by explaining or clarifying details and by asking 
questions. Online collaboration may increase their motivation and their 
engagement in the learning process (Hathorn & Ingram, 2002). 
•
Online collaboration can be made easier if there are visuals, such as images. 
Using animation and videos can support and encourage online learning and 
more specifically, online group collaboration (Hathorn & Ingram, 2002).