I am also new to php but after going through couple of tutorial on internet i decided to try a framework. i first tried my hands at cakephp but now i am learning Zend Framework. if you are programming for a year then most probably you are already using some kind of framework developed by you.In my viewpoint basic framework is preset files you would start with when you begin an application. frameworks have some advantages as well as disadvantages. if you know what is framework doing behind the scenes you will definitely improve your programming skills

frameworks are basically built on reuse of code for rapid development of applications. what i have learned that not a single framework is suited for all kind of applications. it depends on your needs as Salathe also pointed out that you may not need anyone of them.

in simplest terms there are many kind of vehicles but it is upto you to decide which one to use to accomplish your task.

i am following 2-3 Zend Framework tutorials. At first i was unable to understand lots of things but slowly i am catching up with it. I recommend that you go through overview of any framework to know what it can accomplish for your needs.
hope it was helpful.

waiting for responses from more accomplished developers for their views on this interesting topics.

sorry for any mistakes(please point out) in English as i am not a native speaker.