Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Familiarisation Training
Primary
Listening: Primary
The six
Interlocutor
reference
Perspectives and
levels
the CEFR
The
Cambridge
Baseline 2013
Session 1
Map showing the influence of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
around the world at national policy level.
CEFR regional and world impact
• Even countries which have developed their own language frameworks, such as
Canada and the USA, are beginning to utilise the CEFR or identify ways of
bringing their own frameworks and the CEFR together.
John Trim
CEFR ‘developmental’ vision
John Trim
What are the common uses of the CEFR?
• to induct participants into four skills ‘constructs’ and consider perspectives on early
enabling skills for children
• to induct participants into rating scales for children’s Speaking and Writing related to
CEFR and assessment practices appropriate for testing primary-aged children
Handout 2
Defining key notions in the CEFR
The core view of language learning in the CEFR is that learning a language is essentially
a process of learning to use language to perform communicative acts - either in
social contexts with others or in private contexts in communicating with ourselves.
These are shaped by the different forms of language activity of which they are
comprised, which can be described in terms of four broad categories: reception,
production, interaction and mediation. The process of engaging with texts - spoken or
written - in these different ways requires language users to draw on a range of
communicative language competences [linguistic, socio-linguistic, pragmatic] to
negotiate communication with flexibility in a variety of contexts. Performing tasks in
different contexts, to the extent that these tasks are not routine or automatic and
subject to different conditions and constraints, will require learners to use different
strategies for their successful completion. It is this broad conception of language use
and emergent communicative competences that underpins the action-oriented
approach to language teaching and learning embodied in the CEFR.
A six level framework
C2
Proficient user
C1
B2
Independent user
B1
A2
A1
Basic user
Handout 3
The Global Scale
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written
C2 sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very
Proficient User
fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently
C1 and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social,
academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing
controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in
B2 his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with
Independent User
native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects
and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure,
B1 etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce
simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams,
hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic
A2 personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks
requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects
Basic User
Handout 4a/b
Global Scale: Activity
C2 Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and
written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously,
Proficient User
very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
C1 Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself
fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for
social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects,
showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
B2 Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in
his/her field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with
Independent User
native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of
subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
B1 Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school,
leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can
produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and
events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
A2 Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very
basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine
tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms
Basic User
aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
A1 Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a
concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as
where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks
slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
A driving metaphor
C2
Proficient user
C1
B2
Independent user
B1
A2
A1
Basic user
Handout 5
Distinguishing between levels
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly
encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst
travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on
B1
topics which are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams,
hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate
relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography,
employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct
A2
exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects
of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the
satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and
A1 answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and
things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and
clearly and is prepared to help.
Extensive range of scales
Handout 6
Extensive range of scales
… helping teachers, learners, course designers, assessors to
conceptualise the language competences and strategies
exhibited by learners at different levels in relation to different language
activities
Handout 7
Reflection
Session 2
Spoken Qualitative aspects
interaction of speaking
Spoken
production
Session 2
60% 59%
50%
45%
40%
31%
30% 27%
20% 19%
13% 14%
10%
6%
1% 1% 2%
0% 0% 0% 0%
0%
Pre-school Year 6 Form 3 Form 5 Form 6
B1 and above B2 and above C1 and above
Students: levels A2 and below
100% 100%
94%
90% 88%
80%
70%
70% 66%
60% 56%
50%
41% 41%
40%
30% 27%
20%
14%
10%
0%
Pre-school Year 6 Form 3 Form 5 Form 6
40% 34%
30% 24%
20%
11%
10%
2% 1%
0%
Urban Rural Urban Rural Urban Rural
B1 and above B2 and above C1 and above
Female students outperform boys
60%
49%
50%
39%
40%
30%
20%
20% 17%
10%
1% 2% Science specialists outdo those in Arts
0%
Male Female Male Female Male Female
B1 and above B2 and above C1 and above
Students: weakest skill is speaking
Speaking emerged as the weakest skill for students at all school grades
Students reported that they would most like to improve their speaking skills
Attitudinal and background factors
Input Output
• Language of the carer • Optimum opportunity
• Child-directed speech to try out
(CDS) or ‘baby talk’ • Opportunity to work
• Language of the out (comprehensible
immediate environment output)
• Language routines in • Evolving interlanguage
the home
• Reformulated and
repeated language
L2 early oral development
Input Output
• Teacher modified • Opportunity to try out
language (TML) • Opportunity to work
• Language of the school out (comprehensible
or home environment output)
• Language routines in • Silent period
the classroom
• Reformulated and
repeated language
The CEFR action-oriented classroom
The core goal in a CEFR action-oriented classroom is:
co-opting the learner into the process of making English
the medium as well as the goal of all their learning…
…which means co-opting teachers into this too.
e.g. Colour the monkey blue e.g. Do cats like milk? Do cows
and red. That’s right. The eat eggs ?
monkey is blue and red.
Early listening input formats
•wrap a present
•learn a dance step
•sing along
•how to sign
•perform a trick
•make projected puppet shapes
•draw cartoon characters
•making paper hats
Primary Classroom: Methodological implications
• Learning: high-quality interaction with the teacher as
facilitator of language development encouraging
active use.
Handouts 9 & 10
Primary
Learner
Overview Speaking
Sessions 3 -6 Competences
CEFR Reading
scales and early Text level Reading
literacy Activities and CEFR
breakthrough
CEFR scales
and early
written
production
Session 3
Handout 11
Spoken Interaction
A1 A2
• Can interact in a simple way • can communicate in simple
but communication is totally and routine tasks requiring
dependent on repetition at a simple and direct
a slower rate of speech, exchange of information on
rephrasing and repair. familiar topics and
• Can ask and answer simple activities.
questions, initiate and • can handle very short social
respond to simple exchanges even though I
statements in areas of can’t usually understand
immediate need or on very enough to keep the
familiar topics. conversation going myself.
Handout 12
CEFR Spoken Production
A1 A2
• Can produce simple mainly • Can give a simple
isolated phrases about description or presentation
people and places. of people, living or working
conditions, daily
routines,likes/dislikes, etc.
as a short series of simple
phrases and sentences
linked into a list.
Speaking construct
Two Way Three-way
ACCURACY COHERENCE
Handout 14
Generating spoken language in the
Primary classroom : questioning and
eliciting techniques
• Positive reinforcement
• Finger correction
• Correction images/symbols/spaces
• Recasting
• Avoid echoing
Drilling
•visuals
•gesture
•instructional (semantically contingent) language
•L1 cognates
•songs and rhymes
•in school/out of school environment: international
words/names/symbols/shapes/numbers
•positive reinforcement (recasts, not corrections/echoes)
•easily identifiable formats: gaming, puzzles, riddles, jokes, spot the
difference, odd-one-out.
Aspects of ‘child’ spoken output not
necessarily reflected in CEFR
• Trade-off between control of learner output and
authenticity of tasks in primary language classrooms
• Scaffolding of tasks prevalent in pre-school learning
• Learning to learn, enabling skills very prominent in
primary classrooms
• Limits to children’s cognition, linguistic progress,
psychological, emotional, social development not
acknowledged in CEFR
• In pre-school/early primary learning no task should
tax children’s cognition by requiring them to deal with
multiple perspectives other than their own
Session 4
Handout 16
Reading construct model
Handout 16b
A simplified version
Syntactic parsing
Meaning construction
bdtpmgcfh
Spot check: sound / i : /
Frequency
• tree • me
• key • beach
• me • tree
• pony • key
• beach • pony
Spot check: sound / k : /
Frequency
• duck • cat
• kitten • kitten
• queen • duck
• school • school
• cat • queen
We can show this knowledge as:
For sound / s /
sun dress horse city ice
Mid-Primary
• move to proper vowel digraphs: r ai n
• make learners aware of initial, mid- and final position sound picture potential:
• st o p l o st
Higher Primary
• present variation: dog egg
• present overlap: snow now
Key skills
Blending:
Blend sound pictures (letters) to make words
h o t t r y
Segmenting:
Segment words in to sound pictures
th / a / t l / igh / t
Phoneme manipulation:
Manipulate sounds in and out of words.
__ a p c a __
These skills are reversible: they work for both reading and spelling.
Phono graphix
Four principles
• English is a sound to grapheme code: think sound
pictures: t g
• Some sound pictures are represented by more than
one letter: ch sh ae
• There is variation in the code - some sounds are
represented by more than one sound picture: g gh
gg
• There is overlap in the code - some sound pictures
represent more than sound: h ea t gr ea t
Following a phonographic approach
means:
• you teach sound - sound picture relationships in a
fixed order
• you teach encoding and decoding at the same time
• key skills are reversible
• you reject the idea of ‘silent letters’, ‘exceptions to
rules’
• you can add a sight word approach which allows
early access to meaning through texts and books
Sight-words: may be kept in a different
place
Skills framework
A1
• Can copy familiar words and short phrases e.g. simple signs or
instructions, names of everyday objects, names of shops and
set phrases used regularly.
A1
• Shows only limited control of a few simple
grammatical structures and sentence patterns
in a learnt repertoire.
Overall Written production scale
C2
Can write clear, smoothly flowing, complex texts in an appropriate and effective style and a logical structure
which helps the reader to find significant points.
C1
Can write clear, well-structured texts of complex subjects, underlining the relevant salient issues, expanding
and supporting points of view at some length with subsidiary points, reasons and relevant examples, and
rounding off with an appropriate conclusion.
B2
Can write clear, detailed texts on a variety of subjects related to his/her field of interest, synthesising and
evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources.
B1
Can write straightforward connected texts on a range of familiar subjects within his field of interest, by
linking a series of shorter discrete elements into a linear sequence.
A2
Can write a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors like ‘and’, ‘but’ and
‘because’.
A1
Can write simple isolated phrases and sentences.
Issues in this session for participants to
reflect upon
• What do we consider as early motor skills in
learning to write as learners work towards CEFR
A1?
• How can we make strong connections between
decoding and encoding [spelling]?
• Can we help young learners to visualise and
remember spellings?
• If we took Malaysian early primary learners to a
spelling clinic what words would be their
common problems?
English spelling is polysystemic
phonological
lexical graphemic
Spelling
morphological
etymological
Almost all top 100 words come from ‘Old
English’ roots
Opposites igh
• day • r
• low • l
• wrong • t
• loose • h
• heavy • n
Pass the pattern
ch ee
ou ea
st le
ing es
igh ck
al tion
Spelling: graphemic knowledge
• Possible ‘environment’ for letter strings
• Useful graphemic patterns which can help learners:
• syllables
• word length
• CVC doubling
• ‘illegal’ endings
• letters that don’t double
• -f / -ves
Sticks and tails
Key:
Letters with sticks bdfhklt
Letters with tails gjpqy
In-line letters aceimnorsuvwxz
which bicycle
Visualising: p’s and b’s
Piaget ‘discovery’
•get learners into the habit of ‘looking with intent’
•point out that print is all around them
•take an interest in words as you read/ come across them
(sounds like/looks like but.../word families)
•encourage learners to take mental photos of words/hold the
image in their mind/break it down into ‘sound pictures’
•get learners to write down words and see if it looks right
•air write / back-write words
•be multi-sensory: hear look say touch move sound write
Let’s return to our question
• If we took your learners to a spelling clinic, what words would be
their common complaints?
• Do any of these strategies help with the problems?
Word within
a word
Emotive Spelling
Pattern log
Mnemonic recording
Session 6
Reading
strategies
Reading
purposes
Handout 18
Global reading scale
Handout 19
A simplified version
Syntactic parsing
Meaning construction
C2 as in C1
C1 Can understand in detail a wide range of lengthy, complex texts likely to be encountered in social,
professional or academic life, identifying finer points of detail including attitudes and implied as well as
stated opinions
B2 Can obtain information, ideas and opinions from highly specialised sources within his/her field.
Can understand specialised articles outside his/her field, provided he/she can use a dictionary
occasionally to confirm his/her interpretation of terminology.
Can understand articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt
particular stances or viewpoints.
B1 Can identify the main conclusions in clearly signalled argumentative texts. Can recognise the line of
argument in the treatment of the issue presented, though not necessarily in detail.
Can recognise significant points in straightforward newspaper articles on familiar subjects.
A2 Can identify specific information in simpler written material he/she encounters such as letters, brochures
and short newspaper articles describing events.
A1 Can get an idea of the content of simpler informational material and short simple descriptions,
especially if there is visual support.
Handout 21
Top-down and bottom-up processing
When we misread
something or come We read different texts or
across something parts of texts differently
unfamiliar we adjust our according to the type of
strategy reading activity we are
engaged in
A large part of
reading effectively is
reading information
at an appropriate
speed for a reading
purpose
Which are more likely to involve top-
down processes?
• finding specific words/numbers in a text
• extracting main ideas in a text
• using a dictionary to check the meaning of a word
• using context to guess the meaning of an unknown word
• using word shape/lexical clues to guess meaning of a word
• stating explicit and implicit meaning of text
• highlighting direct speech in a text
• predicting outcomes in a text
• summarising ideas in a text
[ These different types of skills are described across the CEFR illustrative reading scales ]
Whole child: Reading Perspectives
• emotional needs
• engaging with environment
• emergent (developing) literacies and languages
(different literacies)
• cognitive abilities
• citizenship
• emergent cultural identity and understanding
Active learning
Broad early reading activity types:
3. They live in the sea. They begin with ‘f’. They lay eggs.
CEFR and
Communicative
assessment :
language pedagogy
Assessing Primary
and the role of
Learner Speaking
assessment
and Writing
CEFR
language
knowledge
scales
Session 7
C2
Can write clear, smoothly flowing, and fully engrossing stories and descriptions of experience in a
style
appropriate to the genre adopted.
C1
Can write clear, detailed, well-structured and developed descriptions and imaginative texts in an
assured, personal, natural style appropriate to the reader in mind.
B2
Can write clear, detailed descriptions of real or imaginary events and experiences, marking the
relationship between ideas in clear connected text, and following established conventions of the
genre concerned.
Can write clear, detailed descriptions on a variety of subjects related to his/her field of interest.
Can write a review of a film, book or play.
B1
A2
Handout 23
A1
Overall Written Interaction Scale
B1
Can convey information and ideas on abstract as well as concrete
topics, check information and ask about or explain problems with
reasonable precision.
Can write personal letters and notes asking for or conveying simple
information of immediate relevance, getting across the point he/she
feels to be important.
A2
Can write short, simple formulaic notes relating to matters in areas of
immediate need.
A1
Can ask for or pass on personal details in written form.
Handout 24
Written text types
Handout 25
Multi-sensory writing techniques
• back writing • air writing
• directional letter writing • caption matching/completion
• pattern within a word: making • sight word gaming
mnemonics • story prediction
• making string words • letter change dictation
• completing CVC words • making string letters
• rhyming words : guess and • multiple blank summaries
write
Typical early curriculum integrated writing focus
School The world around us
[P] Give learners a blank diagram/floorplan of [D] Teacher demonstrates different things signs can
their school. Give learners different images, e.g. typically mean
car park, hall, toilet, gym, office, classrooms, Here Danger Please Stop This way Don’t
canteen or library to cut out and stick on their [P] Learners read different signs in English and say
diagram according to school layout. which one of above each one means.
[W] Walk learners around school to find and copy [W] or [P] Online interactive sign reading. Learners
down names of different parts of school in English read signs and complete short sentences either as
[P] Learners label their diagram with words they whole class to board or on computers.
have found around school. [P] Learners draw/make signs using guided
templates to put around school/classroom. All signs
placed on a wall and other learners say what they
mean and where you would put them.
Session 8
What dimensions of a
CEFR-oriented curriculum
would be hard to deliver in
this environment?
Handout 26
Pedagogic principles and communicative
language learning
E-learning
Attitudes to learner error
Handout 27
Developing learning-oriented assessment
practices
Basic principles
• school learning proceeds within a community – it is a social process
• learning concerns personal development, consisting in attitudes,
dispositions and skills which are key to present and future learning
• teaching goals and assessment goals must be closely aligned to specific
desirable outcomes (communicative ability in the case of languages)
• language learning concerns the purposeful use of language to
communicate personally significant meanings
• tasks must have interactional authenticity, that is, learners must engage
with the task at hand, not the winning of positive appraisal of
performance
• evidence drawn from classroom interaction if systematically recorded
could be usefully fed back to promote further learning
Handout 28
Learning-oriented assessment
Put the learner at the centre
Learning Oriented Assessment (LOA)
A Question:
? objectives
Adjusting
teaching Performance
cycle
Interpretation Observation
Set clear
learner
objectives (by
the end of the
lesson my
students will
be able to…)
Adjust Set tasks to
teaching elicit a
cycle Using a Performance
framework of
reference
(e.g. CEFR)
Provide
feedback or Collect and
encourage interpret
self- evidence
assessment
LOA: Key features
• Setting goals
• Collecting evidence
• Giving feedback
OR
balancing “group work” with “individual work” so as to
support different learners differently
Effective ‘differentiated’ learning
Digital
Virtual
Differentiated by outcome
• Each learner is set the same investigative, creative and/or open-ended task.
Learners produce a variety of solutions/designs dependent on their ability,
strengths and preferences in learning.
• Pre-school learners can keep their own English portfolio – using pictures to
record what they ‘can do’ in English
• http://elp-implementation.ecml.at/
Session 9
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1
TAKE Take a book Take a bus Take part Take a deep Take the
[tr.] breath matter
further
Take a keen
interest
Starters: working towards A1
• correct adj
• cousin n
• cow n
• crocodile n
• cross n + v
• cupboard n
• D
• dad(dy) n
• day n
• desk n
• dining room n
• dinner n
• dirty adj
Pedagogic Grammar
Teacher Learner
Sets the scene and ______ action _______ to items in a scene picture
_______ cards while talking _______ an object card in a group of cards by _______
Gives example and _____ task _______ object cards to places in a scene picture
Asks questions and ____ learner wait-time Answering questions about ________ object cards
________ to learner that focus of questions Answering personalized questions _________ to object
has changed cards
_________ clear eye contact with learner Answering personal questions without __________
Handout 33
Speaking Assessment Tasks
B1
Can convey information and ideas on abstract as well as concrete
topics, check information and ask about or explain problems with
reasonable precision.
Can write personal letters and notes asking for or conveying simple
information of immediate relevance, getting across the point he/she
feels to be important.
A2
Can write short, simple formulaic notes relating to matters in areas of
immediate need.
A1
Can ask for or pass on personal details in written form.
Read this email from your friend Alex
From: Alex
To:
It’s great that you can come to my house this evening to
watch a DVD. What time can you come? What DVD do you
want to watch? What would you like to eat?
Write an email to Alex and answer the questions. Write 25-35 words.
Criteria in the scales
• Look at the scales on the next slide for
assessing A2 writing. The rating descriptors
relate to three broad criteria.
Handout 38
A2 writing scale