CEFR

Familiarisation Training
Primary

ENGLISH PANEL SKTMFP

 Introduction
to the CEFR
Overview and the aims
Sessions 1 and 2 of the course

Listening: Primary
The six
Interlocutor
reference
Perspectives and
levels
the CEFR

The
Cambridge
Baseline 2013
Session 1

Introduction to the CEFR

What do you think the map shows?
 CEFR: De facto world standard

Map showing the influence of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
around the world at national policy level.
 CEFR regional and world impact

• Educational language policy in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan,
Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam is aligned to the CEFR

• Countries in South America (Chile, Colombia, Argentina), the

Middle East (Bahrain, Qatar) and Africa (Egypt) are incorporating the CEFR into their
educational systems

• 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. 

• All of the following countries have undertaken CEFR-related projects:

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel,
Italy, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Mexico, Poland,
Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine

• Translated into 40 languages

 Terminology

CEFR Common European Framework

of Reference

CEF Common European Framework

(of reference)

CFR Common Framework of

Reference
What is the CEFR and why is it
useful?
 Background to the CEFR

• need to create a comprehensive, transparent and coherent basis

of understanding as to what being able to use a language at
different levels means, regardless of language or location of
instruction

• growth in European Union membership and processes of

integration and movement
– increased mobility of people and need for mutual recognition of language
qualifications obtained from different institutions and from different
countries

• developments in language learning: from grammar translation to

functional, notional, communicative approaches
 Aims of the CEFR

• to describe in a comprehensive way what language learners have to learn

to do in order to use a language for communication and what knowledge
and skills they have to develop so as to be able to act effectively.

• to provide a common basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses,

curriculum guidelines, examinations and textbooks.

• to define levels of proficiency which allow learners’ progress to be

measured at each stage of learning and on a life-long basis
 CEFR ‘developmental’ vision

‘What [the CEFR] can do is to stand as a central point of reference, itself

always open to amendment and further development, in an interactive

international system of co-operating institutions ... whose cumulative

experience and expertise produces a solid structure of knowledge,

understanding and practice shared by all.’

John Trim
 CEFR ‘developmental’ vision

‘What [the CEFR] can do is to stand as a central point of reference,

itself always open to amendment and further development, in an

interactive international system of co-operating institutions ...

whose cumulative experience and expertise produces a solid structure of

knowledge, understanding and practice shared by all.’

John Trim
What are the common uses of the CEFR?

Discuss with your

partner
 Common uses of the CEFR

evaluating language learning needs

designing courses
teacher training programmes developing syllabuses
informing test development
guiding assessment criteria development
developing learning materials
describing language policies
informing continuous/self-assessment
Handout 1
 Aims of this course
• to introduce the CEFR’s core conception of language learning

• to introduce the CEFR’s six level framework of language proficiency

• to consider salient differences between approaches to teaching young children L2 compared to

teenagers and adults relating to literacy onset, linguistic progression and cognitive and emotional
development

• to raise awareness of language learning pedagogy perspectives in the CEFR and interpreting ‘action-
oriented’ perspectives on curriculum, teaching methodology and assessment in terms of primary-aged
children

• 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

• to encourage participants to reflect on how CEFR could impact on areas of education - and more
specifically Primary education - in Malaysia
 The CEFR:
view of language learning and the six reference
levels
 The CEFR: two focuses

• CEFR presents the view of ‘communication as the goal of

language learning …’

• CEFR provides ‘a descriptive framework of levels of

language proficiency, enabling all languages and contexts of
learning of what it means to master a language at a given
level’

… the CEFR’s action-oriented / can-do approach

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

C1 Proficient user

B2

B1
Independent user

A2

1 Basic user
A

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
fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
Proficient User

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

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
A1 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.

Handout 4a/b
 Global Scale: Activity
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and
C2 written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously,
very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
Proficient User

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.

Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school,
B1 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.

Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very
A2
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
aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
Basic User

Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a
A1
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

The mechanics of driving

Core linguistic knowledge

A range of driving situations

A range of communicative situations
 A six level framework

C2

C1
Proficient user

B2

Independent user
B1

A2

Basic user
A1

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
answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and
A1 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

… 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 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

Go back to your KWL chart:

1. Can you move any post-it notes from W to L on
your chart?
2. What are the key aspects that may be
challenging for you to apply in your classrooms?
3. Which aspects do you find helpful. How do you
think you can apply these to your own
classrooms?
 The
Cambridge
Overview Baseline 2013

Session 2
Spoken Qualitative aspects
interaction of speaking

Spoken
production
Session 2

Cambridge Baseline 2013

1. What are the key aspirations
for English language learning
in Malaysia?

2. What are the key challenges

to learning English in
Malaysia?
 Key aims

Undertake a comprehensive review to

understand the current performance
and challenges

Create a 2013 baseline in order to:

• Establish a clear vision and

aspirations

• Create an evidence-based language

policy and strategy
 Participants

5.2m students, 10,000

schools, 70,000 teachers End of Pre-school, Year 6,
Form 3, Form 5, Form 6
Results by state, school
type, location, grade, 16 states, 426 schools,
gender 20,000+ students, 1,000+
teachers
Two-stage stratified sample
design 41 schools, 78 classes
visited. Speaking tests,
Schools, classes and classroom observations,
students randomly selected interviews
to create a representative
sample
 Methodology

Comprehensive: pre-school to pre-university

Comprehensive: learning, teaching, assessment
Evidence-based
Mixed-method
International standards

Students: language levels, 4 skills

Teachers: language levels, 4 skills
Teachers: teaching knowledge
Teachers: teaching practice
National curricula, assessments, and learning materials reviewed
Questionnaires, interviews
 Positive findings

Approximately 85% of students agree that

they like their English classes at school

Approximately 95% of teachers agree that

they like teaching English

Many sampled teachers have a high level of

English and a good knowledge of teaching

Some students have a high level of English

Policy is moving in the right direction

 Student language levels

Form 6 At A2/B1 41% at A1/A2 and below; 53% at B1/B2; 6% at C1/C2

Form 5 At A2 55% at A1/A2 and below; 43% at B1/B2; 2% at C1/C2

Form 3 At A2 12% below A1, 57% at A1/A2, 30% at B1/B2; 1% at C1/C2

Year 6 At A1 32% below A1, 56% at A1/A2, 13% at B1/B2

Pre-school Below A1 78% below A1, 22% at A1/A2

 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

Students report that they enjoy learning English

However, not all students recognise the importance of English

Learners report that they rarely use English in the classroom

Learners have little exposure to English outside the classroom

English-speaking parents have positive impact

 Teaching knowledge and practice

Teaching knowledge Teaching practice

Strong on establishing a good rapport with students

Weaker in planning, managing and monitoring learning

A range of classroom management techniques from

teacher-dominated to learner-centred

Some excellent examples observed

 Factors influencing teaching and learning

Teachers like teaching English

Teachers want more professional development
Teachers need differentiation strategies
Students need an English-friendly environment
Parents need support to participate more

Handout 8
 Reflection

• Discuss in groups what the implications

of these findings are for you and your
teaching.

• In what way can the CEFR help you

address some of the issues raised in the
study?
Session 2

LISTENING: primary interlocutor

perspectives and CEFR scales
 Questions related to key issues this
session that trainers will address
a) Why is spoken input so important in Pre-school Language
learning?
b) How can teachers change input and instructions so
students can understand them?
c) What type of listening activities within CEFR Pre-A1 and A1
ranges will most probably interest very young learners?
d) What does a CEFR-based, action-oriented ‘English only’
classroom look like ?

Rank them according to which you can answer in the fullest

detail.
 Key concepts and approaches in SLA
SLA: Second Language Acquisition
Concepts Approaches
• Interlanguage • Cognitive
• Language transfer • Sociocultural
• The input hypothesis • Individual factors
• Comprehensible output • Adult and child learners
• The silent period
 L1 early oral development

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.
Teachers can provide exposure to sounds and contribute
to the development of phonological processing through:
• Contextualised classroom routines
• Teacher modified language or input
• Use of methods like Total Physical Response
• High energy, non-threatening output/feedback
 ‘Whole child’ learning

• utilise the experiences, knowledge and

interests children bring to learning
• make tasks meaningful, purposeful and
fun
• think of an embedded rather than an
explicit language focus
• make sense from the learner’s
perspective
• add elements of performance
• display outcomes
Sample activity: Hand shadow shapes
 Teacher talk
• ‘contextualised language’
• language contingent on gesture, picture and action
• support of ‘class routines’
• ‘Teacher Modified Language’ (TML)
• appeal of methods like TPR
• positive reinforcement
• affectively engage
• power of song and movement.
 CEFR ‘can do’ perspectives

Learning outcomes are framed as a progressive can-do

sequence.

This encourages the use of learner-centred, activity-based

approaches by teachers in targeting learning outcomes or
results related to CEFR
 Overall Listening Comprehension Scale
A2
• Can understand enough to be able to meet needs of a concrete
type provided speech is clearly and slowly articulated.
• Can understand phrases and expressions related to areas of
most immediate priority (e.g. very basic personal and family
information, shopping, local geography, employment) provided
speech is clearly and slowly articulated.
A1
• Can follow speech which is very slow and carefully articulated,
with long pauses for him/her to assimilate meaning
 Listening to announcements and
instructions
B1
• Can understand simple technical information, such as operating
instructions for everyday equipment.
• Can follow detailed directions.
A2
• Can catch the main point in short, clear, simple messages and
announcements.
• Can understand simple directions relating to how to get from X to Y,
by foot or public transport.
A1
• Can understand instructions addressed carefully and slowly to
him/her and follow short, simple directions.
 Now I can ... listen and

• follow simple instructions

• draw simple shapes
• write words that are spelled out
• join in with songs
• follow simple directions
• match conversations to pictures
• answer simple questions

learning objectives related to CEFR A1 Listening comprehension

descriptors
 Meaning-focused early listening input
formats
Instructions Direct questions
Teacher gives learners Learners are given worksheets
worksheet with animal with numbers 1 to 10 written
outlines to colour. Learners on and options y/n (for
listen and colour animals yes/no). Teacher reads out ten
according to teacher questions.
instructions.

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

Listen and do Listen and identify

Listening and putting objects Learners given worksheet and
on and colouring different tick the correct option of three
parts of a getting to school according to teacher’s
transport scene card. descriptions.

e.g. Write number 10 on the

bus. Colour the bike blue. Put e.g. There are two black cats
the cat in the car. under a chair.
 Combining Listening and Speaking

• Watch, Listen and Speak, Make, Decorate and

Fly a paper plane
Listening input/output challenges and grading

• length of text
• language in text
• sentence length
• number of distractors
• picture support
• language needed for answers

Handout 9
 Listening input/output challenges and grading

Just a few of the ‘contingent language’ input opportunities a medium

like YouTube represents:

•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.

• Interactive full class teaching: challenging and

careful use of questioning, elicitation and positive
reinforcement.

• Pair and group work: high levels of participation and

language use.
 Reflection
Look at the questions we began this session with:
1. Why is spoken input so important in Primary Language
learning?
2. How can teachers modify input, instructions to make
them comprehensible?
3. What type of listening activities within CEFR Pre-A1, A1
and A2 ranges are most likely to engage young learners?
4. What does a CEFR-based, action-oriented ‘English only’
classroom look like ?

Which question would you most like to research more?

Round-up and reflection

Handouts 10 and 11
 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

Primary Learner Speaking

Competencies and strategies
Speaking Competences and Strategies

Let’s watch three video clips

Handout 12
 Spoken Interaction

A1 A2
• Can interact in a simple way • can communicate in simple
but communication is totally and routine tasks requiring a
dependent on repetition at a simple and direct exchange
slower rate of speech, of information on familiar
rephrasing and repair. topics and activities.
• Can ask and answer simple • can handle very short social
questions, initiate and exchanges even though I
respond to simple statements can’t usually understand
in areas of immediate need enough to keep the
or on very familiar topics. conversation going myself.
Handout 13
 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.

Handout 14
 Speaking construct
Two Way Three-way

What type of talk does neither diagram Handout 15

accurately represent ?
 Qualitative aspects of spoken language
use

INTERACTION FLUENCY RANGE

ACCURACY COHERENCE

Handout 16
 Generating spoken language in the
Primary classroom : questioning and
eliciting techniques

• Matching and ordering

• Put it together
• Put in the right place
• Draw and colour it
• Same or different
• Odd-one-out
• What’s missing?
• What’s the question? Handout 17
 ‘Wait-time’ with children

Sufficient ‘wait-time’ is needed after the question for learners to

• c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the question
• f _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ an answer
• p _ _ _ _ _ _ language
• r _ _ _ _ _ _.

Wait-time before nominating and after the initial response encourages

• longer _______
• ______ from the learners
• self-_________
• level of learner _______.
 Correction/recasting techniques

• Positive reinforcement
• Finger correction
• Correction images/symbols/spaces
• Recasting
• Avoid echoing
 Drilling

• Energise and focus

• Model
• Chorus drill
• Highlight
• Individual drill
• Pair/group drill
• Chorus repeat
• Back-chaining, change emotions, change accents
 Pair and group work
• gives learners more speaking time
• changes the speed of the lesson
• focus off you and onto the learner
• mix with everyone in the group
• sense of achievement when reaching a team goal
• leading and being led by someone [not teacher]
• teacher monitors, moves and listens to learners’ language
• improves sense of challenge, performance and can-do.

Think: seating, change of scene, group dynamics

 Primary teacher toolkit

•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

CEFR Reading Scales and early

literacy breakthrough
Questions related to issues in this session
In this session trainers will address:
What is ‘alphabet’ knowledge and how might this
affect early literacy ?
What are some of the barriers to early effective L2
[English code] literacy for children ?
What are good ways for helping children to
decode ?
What does a multi-sensory Reading classroom look
like?
 CEFR six-level Reading scale

Begins at A1 level and does not talk about issues

of early literacy onset/breakthrough (learning to
read) in children….

Handout 18
 Reading construct model

This scale, however, is just as valid in primary

learning as it is secondary learning contexts. We
just need to consider issues and approaches as
young pre-school learners ‘work towards’ A1.

Handout 19
 A simplified version

A model of Word recognition

Reading
Lexical search

Syntactic parsing

Meaning construction

Discourse construction

(adapted from Field 2013: 97,101,104)

 Quick quiz

1. How many sounds are there in English ?

2. How many characters are there in the English
alphabet?
3. How many consonant clusters are there in English?
4. How many consonant clusters can occur both at
beginning and end of English words?
5. What is a digraph?
6. Why have UPPER CASE letters increased in
importance in the last few years?
 Early Primary literacy issues

• Why teach the alphabet?

• When should you teach the alphabet?
• What can cause confusion with alphabet teaching?
• Can we teach English spelling/decoding systematically?
 a e i o u
Sounding and sound pictures

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

sound picture chart - THRASS chart

 Early literacy sequence

• introduce most common sound pictures first

• single letter consonant pictures b p t d l m and most frequent single letter vowel
pictures a e i o
• move to consonant blends: st br
• move to digraphs: sh ch
• move to split vowel digraphs: m a d e r i d e

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

•sounds and sound pictures

•motor skills
•names
•sight words/environment words
•be multi-sensory: hear look say touch move write
•letter patterns and spelling
•integrate with wider listening and speaking work
•following stories being read (whole books)
 Reflection

Let’s return to our question:

• What are effective approaches for helping
children to decode?

Discuss these terms in small groups:

sound picture blending sounding encoding
segmenting sight-word phoneme manipulation
digraph
Session 5

CEFR scales and early writing

 Orthographic control

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.

• Can spell his/her address, nationality and other personal

details.
 Grammatical Accuracy

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?
y
English spelling is polysystemic
Almost all top 100 words come from ‘Old
English’ roots

wh- kn- -gh – igh –aw

–ow

are all Old English orthographical

patterns.
 Learning these common patterns
• Learners who expect to -gh are less likely to –hg

• Learners have fewer strange patterns to learn when

they start to see these patterns, e.g. start to chunk: th-
sh- -ion

• Permits ‘silent letter’ approach when we know ‘k’ / ‘w’

at beginning of words used to be pronounced.
Split digraph: magic ‘e’ (incredibly wide-
ranging)

Tim - time mad - made

us - use Sam - same

not - note hat - hate

 Link to sound picture approach

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 b d f h k l t
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?

Highlighting
the problem
phoneme
Sticks and Tails Word within
(word shape) a word

Emotive Spelling
Pattern log
Mnemonic recording

Handout 20
Session 6

Text level reading activities and the

CEFR: Extending to the primary context
Reading purpose
Reading activities, purposes and strategies

Reading
activities

What is the difference? Can you

think of some examples?

Reading
purposes Reading
strategies

Handout 21
 Global reading scale

 
A2 Can understand short simple texts containing the
highest frequency vocabulary, including a proportion
of shared international vocabulary items.

Handout 22
 A simplified version

A model of Word recognition

Reading
Lexical search

Syntactic parsing

Meaning construction

Discourse construction Handout 23

(adapted from Field 2013:97,101,104)

 Reading [not aloud]
Skills involved include:
perceptual skills
memory
decoding skills
inferencing
predicting
imagination
rapid scanning
referring back and forth
interpreting
 Towards a reading construct
READING FOR INFORMATION AND ARGUMENT

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 24
 Top-down and bottom-up processing

When we misread
something or come across We read different texts or
something unfamiliar we parts of texts differently
adjust our strategy according to the type of
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:

Listen , Follow and Read whole books

read and use computer menus read and do digital activities

word patterns picture dictionaries read and do

read, research, write for display read and predict

read and solve puzzles

 Active learning
Picture dictionary quest
Find the animal by looking in the dictionary.

1. It begins with ‘c’. It lives on a farm. It has got four legs.

2. It lives on a farm. It begins with ‘sh’. It ends in ‘p’.

3. They live in the sea. They begin with ‘f’. They lay eggs.

4. It’s a bird. It begins with ‘p’. It cannot fly.

Whole child: cognitive abilities, participation, sharing
- reading and listening quiz
1. Can camels swim?
2. How many legs has a spider got?
3. Do snakes lay eggs?
4. Can ducks fly?
5. Does a chicken foot have three or four toes?
6. Can frogs walk?
7. Can chickens say “quack quack”?
8. Do penguins lay eggs?
9. Name two animals we get milk from?
10. Can cows jump?
11. How many legs has a frog got?
12. Can you spell “bee” aloud – in two ways?
 Active learning
Key class phases in story activity
Pre:
pre-teaching/eliciting vocabulary
introducing characters
story-telling setting: mat, props, hats, puppets, signs, etc.
While:
images, animation, reinforcing language
listening and reading along
audience participation/pantomime
Post:
show feeling for character/voice consolidation
consolidating language
drama, craft, display
 Active learning
CEFR ‘can-do’ –oriented early Reading ideas
Now I can:
solve letter puzzles
read and write my name
read and make labels for display
spell CVC words aloud
read and make English signs
use a picture dictionary
read and point
read and say what comes next
read and follow picture stories
read and do crosswords
read and follow animations with subtitles
read cartoons and add/match captions
 Reflection

• What are key concepts from sessions 3 - 6 that

may be challenging for teachers to grasp?
What, if any, additional activities would you
need to do to help teachers understand these
aspects?
 Session 3 - 6 concept review

Discuss in groups how these ideas are connected

to the CEFR:

orientation integrated tasks lexical clues

enabling skills range daily routines

discourse construction sight-word

 Text level
Writing
Overview activities and
Session 7 CEFR

Communicative CEFR and

language pedagogy assessment :
and the role of Assessing Primary
Learner Speaking
assessment
and Writing

CEFR language
knowledge
scales
Session 7

Text level writing activities and the CEFR:

Extending to the primary context
 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.
 Creative Writing descriptors

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

A1

Handout 25
 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 26
Written text types

Handout 27
 Multi-sensory writing techniques
• back writing • air writing
• directional letter writing • caption matching/completion
• pattern within a word: making
mnemonics • sight word gaming
• making string words • story prediction
• completing CVC words • letter change dictation
• rhyming words : guess and • making string letters
write • multiple blank summaries
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

Communicative language pedagogy

and the role of assessment
 Language learning classroom environment

What do you like or dislike

about this classroom?

What dimensions of a
CEFR-oriented curriculum
would be hard to deliver in
this environment?

Handout 28
 Pedagogic principles and communicative
language learning

Modelling Cross-curricular links

Active learning Responding to learners’

needs
Learning Collaborative learning
conversations Differentiation

E-learning
 Attitudes to learner error

Which best represents your perspective?

• errors and mistakes are evidence of failure to learn

• errors and mistakes are evidence of inefficient teaching
• errors and mistakes are evidence of the learner’s
willingness to communicate despite risks
• errors are an inevitable, transient product of the learner’s
developing interlanguage
• mistakes are inevitable in all language use, including that
of native speakers
 Error correction

• all errors and mistakes should be immediately corrected by the teacher

• immediate peer-correction should be systematically encouraged to
eradicate errors
• all errors should be noted and corrected at a time when doing so does
not interfere with communication
• errors should not be simply corrected, but also analysed and explained
at an appropriate time
• mistakes which are mere slips should be passed over, but systematicDiscuss
errors should be eradicated your view
in groups ?
• errors should be corrected only when they interfere with
communication
• errors should be accepted as ‘transitional interlanguage’ and ignored.
Developing teacher assessment literacy

Handout 29
 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 30
Learning-oriented assessment
Put the learner at the centre
 Learning Oriented Assessment (LOA)

A Question:

After a day at school, which of the statements

below are you more likely to think of?

• Today what I taught was…

• Today what my student learned was…
Today what my students
Setting clearlearned was…
learner
objectives
Adjusting

?
teaching
cycle

Perfor
mance

Interpr
etation

Observ
ation
 Set clear learner
objectives (by the
end of the lesson
my students will
be able to…)
Adjust
teaching
cycle

Set tasks to
elicit a
Using a Performance
framework of
reference
(e.g. CEFR)
Provide
feedback or
encourage self-
assessment

Collect and
interpret
evidence
 LOA: Key features

• Setting goals
• Collecting evidence
• Giving feedback

An informed and systematic approach

keeping the learner at the centre
 ‘Differentiated’ learning in practice

It is not just about:

“individualising” instruction e.g. through worksheets or

homework tasks

OR
balancing “group work” with “individual work” so as to
support different learners differently
 Effective ‘differentiated’ learning

Effective ‘differentiated’ learning is more about noticing how

different learners react to different techniques...responding and
adapting to this…modifying and varying activities within the
teaching mix, keeping all learners involved in lesson outcomes.
 Differentiated by support

• Different amounts of support can be offered to

learners in many ways.
• Weaker learners can be supported through instruction
modification
• The stronger learners will need to feel challenged too.
Their input could provide help for weaker learners;
they could be given more challenging instructional
tasks, or they could be given additional contextualised
problems.
 Differentiated success criteria

The success criteria specified could be differentiated by

indicating what proportion of the class will finish which
criteria:
• ALL – every learner in the class will achieve this
• MOST – a large proportion of the class will achieve this
• SOME – a few of the more able will achieve this. Some
learners will not try to do this but instead focus on
earlier success criteria.
 Differentiated by task
• Tasks are set according to learners’ abilities. What they
can do may differ in content or structure.

• This may be as simple as having a choice between a

variety of questions getting progressively more difficult,
or learners can try completely different tasks on the
same topic.
Learning styles or modes are also a way of
picturing differentiation by task

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 could be given tasks of different complexity in the

production of a group class display that teacher then talks about in English

• 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

CEFR: Language knowledge scales

 Language awareness

• I want to sell many dolls. (a lot of)

• Why do you give those information in an
advertis(e)ment? (this)
• I will move to other city so I want to sell it.
(another)
• It was really interesting to hear about all the
different people and theirs [backgrounds].
(their)
 General Scales for Language Knowledge

Vocabulary Range Grammatical Accuracy

A2 A2
• Has a sufficient vocabulary for the • Uses some simple structures correctly,
expression of basic but still systematically makes basic
communicative needs. mistakes – for example tends to mix
up tenses and forget to mark
• Has a sufficient vocabulary for
agreement; nevertheless, it is usually
coping with simple survival needs. clear what he/she is trying to say.
A1
A1
• Has a basic vocabulary repertoire • Shows only limited control of a few
of isolated words and phrases simple grammatical structures and
related to particular concrete sentence patterns in a learnt
situations repertoire.
 CEFR is not supported by a language
syllabus ‘specification’
However there are many important projects linked to
CEFR that have given insight into the ‘language’ areas
that are implied in its ‘skills’ specification;

• Breakthough [A1] Waystage [A2] and Threshold [B1]

specification
• English Profile [ Cambridge English Language
Assessment ]
• Cambridge English YLE lexical and structural syllabus
Handout 31
 English Vocabulary Profile (EVP)
http://www.englishprofile.org

 pay verb BUY A1

 pay verb WORK B1
 pay attention (to sth) B1
 pay sb/sth a visit or pay a visit to sb/sth B2
 pay sb a compliment C2
 pay verb SUFFER C2
 pay the price C2
 pay tribute to sb/sth C2
 pay back sb/sth or pay sb/sth back B1
 pay off sth or pay sth off B2
 pay off B2
 pay noun B1

Handout 32
 Lexical progression

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 picture Take an exam Take a nap Take a

chance

Take care Take place Take sb/sth

seriously

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

Can you say at which level

Starters working towards A1
Movers A1
Flyers A2

These structures would first appear as part of the specification:

If clauses (in zero conditionals)

If it’s sunny, we go swimming.

Adjectives Including possessive adjectives

Handouts 33 & 34
He’s a small boy. His name is Bill
Session 10

CEFR and assessment scales:

Assessing Primary Speaking and Writing skills
 Teacher/Interlocutor frameworks with younger children

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 _______ about things in a scene picture

Asks closed _______ questions

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 35
 Speaking Assessment Tasks

• Let’s watch the video clip

• At what level on the CEFR scale was the learner in
the video clip operating?
• Which parts of the CEFR Spoken Interaction and
Production scales point to the level?
Speaking Competence at Pre A1 level

Let’s watch the video clip again and

assess the candidate’s performance
Handout 36
CEFR Written Production Scales:
Assessing Primary Writing
 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.
 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.
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.

What are they?

Handout 37
 A2 writing scale

Band Marking criteria

5 Very good attempt at the task.
No effort is required of the reader.
All elements of the message are fully communicated
4 Good attempt at the task.
Minimal effort is required of the reader.
All elements of the message are communicated
3 Satisfactory attempt at the task.
Some effort is required of the reader.
All elements of the message are communicated. OR
One content element omitted but others clearly communicated
2 Inadequate attempt at the task.
Significant effort may be required of the reader.
Content elements omitted, or unsuccessfully dealt with, so the message is only
partly communicated
1 Poor attempt at the task.
Excessive effort is required of the reader.
Very little of the message is communicated
0 Content is totally irrelevant or incomprehensible. OR
Too little language to assess.
Plenary and round up
Look at some of the images and icons from the recent sessions. Which
CEFR-related things are likely to most impact on your work ? Explain to
another participant.
Reception
Pronunciation
Production
 CEFR Online http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/cadre1_en.asp

Useful areas to go to:

The CEFR and language examinations: a toolkit

Towards plurilingual education: Two Guides and Studies

40 languages including a Chinese version:

欧洲语言共同参考框架：学习、教学、评估

LANGUAGE EDUCATION POLICY PROFILES