みんな、ThresholdやWaystageを知らないor忘れている — そして、みんな話題についての言語技量も知らないor忘れている

　CEFRを旗印とする？現在のCouncil of Europeによる外国語教育改革の運動は、1970年代から始まっています。当初はユニット・クレジットシステムの開発がめざされました。その際に、ガイドラインとなったのが、vanEk and AlexanderのThreshold levelとWaystageです。そして、Threshold levelとWaystageは、2020年のCEFR Companion volumeでも、ちゃんと！？言及されています。
　そして、このThreshold levelやWaystageという命名は何を意味しているのかを、現在Can-do云々を論じている人はよく考えないといけない。Threshold levelの“threshold”というのは「臨界点」です。つまり、この段階まで到達してようやく実際的に機能できる言語ユーザーになるということで、逆に言うと、それに至る前の時点では、その人が維持されうる実際的な言語活動参加はできない、ということです。そして、Threshold levelはかなり高いレベルなので、後にWaystageが発表されました。Waystageというのは「道途上」というような意味でしょうか、Thresholdに至るまでの途上の一段階として示されたものです。

　CEFR（2021、2020）では、ThresholdはB１、WaystageはＡ２とされています。その記述が下のほうの長い【引用】です。
　ThresholdやWaystageが示唆しているのは、以下の３点です。

(1) Threshold以前では実際的な社会で実質的に行動・活動できるというようなCan-doは設定することはできない。
(2) (1)のような事情なので、Threshold以前つまりＡレベルでは、CEFRでもBasic userと規定されているように、実際的な能力以前の基礎的なことしかできない。
そして、
(3) Ａレベルの言語能力を着実に育成するのは話題を中心としたシラバスに基づくカリキュラム。

　ただし、(3)についてはCEFRで明示的には示されていません。一定の「注意」が必要です。そして、注意すると、例えば、下の長い【引用】のＡ2の下のほうに「express how they feel in simple terms”; “give an extended description of everyday aspects of their environment, e.g. people, places, a job or study experience”; “describe past activities and personal experiences”; “describe habits and routines”; “describe plans and arrangements”; “explain what they like or dislike about something”; “give short, basic descriptions of events and activities”; “describe pets and possessions”; “use simple descriptive language to make brief statements about and compare objects and possessions」とあります。また、Overall oral productionのＡ2（CEFR, 2020, p.62）では「Can give a simple description or presentation of people, living or working conditions, daily routines. likes/dislikes, etc. as a short series of simple phrases and sentences linked into a list.」と書かれているし、Sustained monologueのＡ2（CEFR, 2020, p.64）でも「Can tell a story or describe something in a simple list of points. Can describe everyday aspects of their environment, e.g. people, places, a job or study experience. Can give short, basic descriptions of events and activities. Can describe plans and arrangements, habits and routines, past activities and personal experiences. Can use simple descriptive language to make brief statements about and compare objects and possessions. Can explain what they like or dislike about something. Can describe their family, living conditions, educational background, present or most recent job. Can describe people, places and possessions in simple terms. Can express what they are good at and not so good at (e.g. sports, games, skills, subjects). Can briefly describe what they plan to do at the weekend or during the holidays.」と書かれています。そして、vanEk and AlexanderのThreshold levelとWaystageでは扱うべき話題が具体的にリストされています。

　このあたりのところ、Can-doを声高に叫んでいる人はまったく目を向けていません。それが、現在の「Can-do狂奏曲」の落とし穴です。

【引用】

Appendix 1　SALIENT FEATURES OF THE CEFR LEVELS
Level A1 is considered the lowest level of generative language use – the point at which the learner can “interactin a simple way, ask and answer simple questions about themselves, where they live, people they know, and things they have, initiate and respond to simple statements in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics”,rather than relying purely on a very finite rehearsed, lexically organised repertoire of situation-specific phrases.
Level A2 does appear to reflect the level referred to by the “Waystage” specification. It is at this level that the majority of descriptors stating social functions are to be found, like “use simple everyday polite forms of greeting and address”; “greet people, ask how they are and react to news”; “handle very short social exchanges”; “ask and answer questions about what people do at work and in free time”; “make and respond to invitations”; “discuss what to do, where to go and make arrangements to meet”; “make and accept offers”. Here too are to be found descriptors on getting out and about: the simplified cut-down version of the full set of transactional specifications in “The Threshold Level” for adults living abroad, like: “make simple transactions in shops, post offices or banks”;“get simple information about travel”; “use public transport: buses, trains, and taxis, ask for basic information, ask and give directions, and buy tickets”; “ask for and provide everyday goods and services”.
The next band represents a “strong Waystage” (A2+) performance. What is noticeable here is more active participation in conversation given some assistance and certain limitations, for example: “initiate, maintain and close simple, restricted face-to-face conversation”; “understand enough to manage simple, routine exchanges without undue effort”; “make themselves understood and exchange ideas and information on familiar topics in predictable everyday situations, provided the other person helps if necessary”; “communicate successfully on basic themes if they can ask for help to express what they want to”; “deal with everyday situations with predictable content, though they will generally have to compromise the message and search for words/signs”;“interact with reasonable ease in structured situations, given some help, but participation in open discussion is fairly restricted”; plus significantly more ability to sustain monologues, for example: “express how they feel in simple terms”; “give an extended description of everyday aspects of their environment, e.g. people, places, a job or study experience”; “describe past activities and personal experiences”; “describe habits and routines”; “describe plans and arrangements”; “explain what they like or dislike about something”; “give short, basic descriptions of events and activities”; “describe pets and possessions”; “use simple descriptive language to make brief statements about and compare objects and possessions”.
Level B1 reflects the “Threshold Level” specification for a visitor to a foreign country and is perhaps most obviously categorised by two features. The first feature is the ability to maintain interaction and get across what you want to, in a range of contexts, for example: “generally follow the main points of extended discussion around them, provided people articulate clearly in standard language”; “give or seek personal views and opinions in an informal discussion with friends”; “express the main point they want to make comprehensibly”; “exploit a wide range of simple language flexibly to express much of what they want to”; “maintain a conversation or discussion but may sometimes be difficult to follow when trying to express exactly what they would like to”; “keep going comprehensibly, even though pausing for grammatical and lexical planning and repair is very evident, especially in longer stretches of free production”. The second feature is the ability to cope flexibly with problems in everyday life, for example “cope with less routine situations on public transport”; “deal with most situations likely to arise when making travel arrangements through an agent or when actually travelling”; “enter unprepared into conversations on familiar topics”; “make a complaint”; “take some initiatives in an interview/consultation (e.g.to bring up a new subject) but is very dependent on interviewer in the interaction”; “ask someone to clarify or elaborate what they have just said”.

“CEFR Companion volume”（2020）のPage 173

ThresholdとWay stageは、以下で公開されています。
Threshold：　https://www.ealta.eu.org/documents/resources/Threshold-Level_CUP.pdf
Waystage：https://www.ealta.eu.org/documents/resources/Waystage_CUP.pdf