Doctor of Philological Sciences
Professor at the University of Georgia
n.shavtvaladze@ug.edu.ge
ORCID: 0009-0002-1485-275X
Teaching Adjectives in Georgian at the B1 and C1 Levels (Based on the CEFR)
Abstract
Interest in Georgian as a foreign language has become especially notable in this century. Today, we can already say that we, Georgians, also have textbooks that are structured according to proficiency levels, from the beginner stage to the advanced level.
The widely used approaches to foreign language learning around the world, the teaching methods, strategies, techniques, and instructional models, provided us with the opportunity to adopt, study, research, and adapt these approaches to our own context. At the same time, it was essential to consider the structure of the Georgian language and its methodological framework. Otherwise, achieving successful results would have been impossible. The effectiveness of a textbook is determined by its users, and its success is measured by the years of its use and the number of editions published. At the same time, the Georgian language cannot claim particularly high demand on the global stage.
A general description of Georgian language proficiency levels currently exists in Georgian from level A1 through C1. These descriptions define proficiency in Georgian according to the categories of listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Great Britain has presented a universally accessible document based on the six-level system of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2.
‘’Semita.Language School’’ already offers users the ‘’Biliki’’ series of textbooks for teaching Georgian as a foreign language, which includes all proficiency levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1. The series considers the internal structure of the Georgian language, assessment indicators, evidence, and alignment with proficiency levels. In previous articles, we discussed the general structure, content, and organization of these textbooks.
This time, we continue our research topic—the adjective. We have presented adjectives at the A1, A2, and B1 levels, organized according to relevance and connected to thematic content. Our aim is to determine what is prioritized in the Georgian language when selecting adjectives according to proficiency levels, why this prioritization occurs, how their functions are represented, and according to which morphological categories they are distributed. It is also interesting to examine the development of meanings and functions, as well as the way the Georgian language system expresses evaluation of feelings, identification of emotional control, and attitudes through this part of speech. Comparison with CEFR descriptors is essential in determining whether priority is given to form, structure, or meaning. It will also be interesting to establish the relationship between advanced-level English and the format of Georgian eloquence.
Keywords: Georgian as a foreign language; adjectives; Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR); language proficiency levels.