If you’re offering CEFR language courses and wondering why they’re not selling… I’ve got news for you: it’s time to ditch the framework.
HEAR ME OUT!
The CEFR system is a useful tool for language assessment. For many teachers, it’s like a nice fuzzy blanket. Familiar, warm and safe. It provides the structure you need to help your students grow.
But when it comes to creating profitable, scalable language courses that today’s language students want? That fuzzy blanket is actually suffocating your growth.
Because the way that people learn languages is changing, and if you want to survive in this new market, you need to adapt your approach.
Worried? Don’t be. There’s a simple solution that has helped hundreds of teachers turn their generic CEFR courses into student-attracting machines. And yep, I’m sharing it with you in this post.
What is the CEFR and why do teachers need it?
In case you’re not already familiar with it, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is the scale used across Europe (and beyond) to measure students’ language proficiency.
It includes six levels, which go from total beginner (A1) through to advanced learners (C2).
As a former English teacher, I won’t deny that the CEFR language levels matter.
It’s a particularly useful system for universities and companies that require students or employees to reach a certain proficiency level. And it also helps with the planning, teaching and assessment process.
But as a business coach, I can safely say that when it comes to selling courses, this is where the benefits of using the CEFR curriculum end.
And if you’re building and marketing your offers around the levels… you’re most likely losing out on students. Let me explain why.
The problems with relying on CEFR for language course design
- It’s rigid and outdated
The CEFR is essentially a one-size-fits-all process. It assumes all students move step-by-step through levels from A1 to C2, regardless of their individual goals or how quickly they learn.
But your students don’t all fit into neat little boxes. Some might be more advanced in speaking but struggle with writing. Others may only need a few specific language skills to reach their goals — not an entire ‘B1 curriculum’ that takes years to complete.
Forcing everyone to follow the same curriculum ignores the factors that make learners unique. It also leaves many feeling frustrated and let down by traditional language courses.
- It’s not based in the real world
Many teachers and schools assume that the framework is a universally recognised concept. So, they build entire language courses around the CEFR levels… and then market them that way too.
You may know exactly what B2 level means in real terms. But do your students? Probably not. And they shouldn’t have to Google it to find out.
Even students who need to pass a CEFR exam for work or uni don’t just want the certificate. So, building your course around what they truly desire is necessary if you want to stand out.
- It takes too long to achieve
People do not learn languages the way they used to anymore. They are busy. They don’t have the time (or the will) to spend years studying to reach the next CEFR level.
They want to be able to use the language as soon as possible in their everyday lives. That’s exactly why sh*tty marketing tactics like ‘get fluent in 3 months’ work.
Yes, it is impossible to learn an entire language that quickly. But most people aren’t buying into the idea of being perfect in 90 days. They are buying into the idea of PROGRESS – which the CEFR levels do not communicate as clearly.
Let’s be real, your students CAN achieve tangible, life changing goals in a short space of time. You just need to make the goal smaller. Like helping them prepare to give a persuasive presentation at work.
Not only is that easier (and more useful) for them to achieve, but it’s also more likely to sell than saying ‘take 260 hours of B2 level lessons so you can speak confidently’. Right?
- It’s not (at all) unique
When you rely on the CEFR, you’re essentially offering the same structure that every other language school, teacher, and online platform is using. Besides your personality, price or maybe teaching style, there is no obvious reason to choose you.
This may come as a shock… but tons of students don’t even know what the CEFR is, let alone why it matters to them. And if they don’t know what it is, they almost certainly don’t know what level they are at.
So, by marketing your courses according to the level (instead of the results) you are blending in with all your competitors and maybe even turning perfect-fit students away.
The bottom line is, CEFR courses may feel like the safe option, but playing it safe doesn’t sell.
So, what should you do instead of teaching the CEFR curriculum?
The short answer is to create a result-oriented and time-bound group course that solves a real-life problem for a specific person.
That may be:
- Teaching engineers technical English, like my client Olivia.
- Teaching German tourists basic Italian for travel, like my client Elisabetta.
- Or even helping university students pass their IELTS so they can study abroad.
The goal should be to tie your course to a tangible, real-life result. That way, you can position it more easily as something your students NEED, rather than something they could take or leave.
The CEFR levels do matter in language teaching. So, you can definitely use the framework to plan your course if you find that helpful. What you should avoid is building all the module content strictly around it. Instead, I advise you to pick and choose what is and isn’t relevant to your students achieving their short-term goal.
You may feel a bit of resistance to this, and that’s OK. It’s a non-traditional approach. Your professors would probably frown upon it. But remember: we’re not trying to impress the academics. We’re trying to create scalable offers that sell and help more people.
Besides, that is the only way you will ever escape the hamster wheel of trading your time for money.
Want to learn how to apply this system to your business?
Watch the free 3-part training used by over 800 teachers to plan, develop and launch profitable and unique language courses that work.