BENCHMARKS AND APPLICATIONS: LEVEL ONE
LISTENING LEVEL 1: BENCHMARKS
LISTENING LEVEL 1: APPLICATIONS
1.L.1-Follow very basic personal information questions and
statements, understanding a very limited number of common
individual words in a predictable context.
-My name is John. What’s your name? I live in Greenville. Where do
you live?
(PERSONAL INFORMATION)
1.L.2-Recognize letters of the alphabet and differentiate between
cardinal and ordinal numbers.
-A, G, 1st, 24, etc.
(ALPHABET AND NUMBERS)
1.L.3-Recognize/respond to some basic survival vocabulary,
including personal information.
-What time is it? It’s cold today. Do you like pizza?
(VOCABULARY / IDIOMS / PHRASAL VERBS)
1.L.4-Recognize/respond to basic survival vocabulary; greetings
and polite expressions.
-Hello. How are you? Goodbye.
(GREETING / LEAVETAKING)
1.L.5-Follow simple commands and instructions that depend on
gestures and other context clues.
-Open your book. Stand up. Point to the cat.
(DIRECTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS)
Level 1 | Adult ESL | Central Piedmont Community College
BENCHMARKS AND APPLICATIONS: LEVEL ONE
SPEAKING LEVEL 1: BENCHMARKS
SPEAKING LEVEL 1: APPLICATIONS
1.S.1 -Can communicate in a very limited way some immediate
and personal needs in familiar situations.
-I have to go to work. My daughter is sick.
1.S.2-Can produce a few simple statements.
-My name is Joseph. I live on Central Avenue.
(PERSONAL INFORMATION)
1.S.3-Can say individual letters of the alphabet and count to 100.
-A, F, 24, 86, etc.
(ALPHABET AND NUMBERS)
1.S.4-Demonstrate limited vocabulary and a few simple phrases.
-It’s cold today. It’s five o’clock. I have two sons.
(VOCABULARY / IDIOMS / PHRASAL VERBS)
1.S.5-Can greet others using very basic vocabulary for social
interaction.
-Hello. How are you?
1.S.6-Indicate comprehension by using non-verbal cues.
-Nods or shakes head.
1.S.7-Monitor listener comprehension and repeat words to
listener if necessary.
-If teacher says: Will you be in class tomorrow?, student may repeat:
tomorrow?
1.S.8 -Make attempt to express oneself in predictable situations.
-Greets teacher and other students in ESL class. Uses basic vocabulary
above.
1.S.9-Express lack of understanding.
-I don’t understand in addition to non-verbal cues above.
Level 1 | Adult ESL | Central Piedmont Community College
BENCHMARKS AND APPLICATIONS: LEVEL ONE
1.S.10-Ask for repetition.
-Repeat, please.
(COMMUNICATION AND CONVEYANCE)
READING LEVEL 1: BENCHMARKS
READING LEVEL 1: APPLICATIONS
1.R.1-Identify upper/lowercase letters and numerals in and out of
sequence.
-a, 4, A, d, 15, G, etc.
1.R2.-Recognize conventions of printed English.
-Left-right and top-down directionality. Identify the beginning and
end of a sentence.
(DECODING)
1.R.3-Use a picture dictionary.
-Comprehend word meanings by finding and looking at pictures in a
dictionary.
(USE OF DICTIONARY)
1.R.4-Discriminate among different forms of numerals.
-Addresses, prices, time, dates, phone numbers, etc.
1.R.5-Interpret simple signs and symbols in familiar surroundings.
-Stop, Yield, No Parking, Exit, Restroom, gender signs.
1.R.6-Recognize basic personal information words.
-Name, address, phone, date of birth, etc.
(PRACTICAL FUNCTIONS)
1.R.7-Recognize basic punctuation.
-Period, question mark.
(PUNCTUATION)
1.R.8-Recognize simple words and phrases related to immediate
needs.
-Do Not Enter, signature, last name, first name, date of birth, country
of origin.
Level 1 | Adult ESL | Central Piedmont Community College
BENCHMARKS AND APPLICATIONS: LEVEL ONE
1.R.9-Read learned sentences.
-Read sentences that are predictable and familiar. Gain familiarity
with common words, phrases and sentences.
(BUILDING LITERACY / APPLICATION TOWARD ACADEMIC
READING AND TESTING)
1.R.10-Follow simple, one-step directions and instructions related
to familiar context and with visual support.
-Circle or underline the correct answer. Write name at the top of the
paper. Write today’s date.
(DIRECTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS)
WRITING LEVEL 1: BENCHMARKS
WRITING LEVEL 1: APPLICATIONS
1.W.1-Print numbers 0-100 and upper and lower case letters
legibly.
-Write home address printing letters and numbers correctly.
(BASIC CONVENTIONS OF WRITING)
1.W.2-Write basic personal information.
-Name, address, date of birth, phone number.
(PERSONAL INFORMATION AND FILLING OUT FORMS)
1.W.3-Spell simple sight words and some common words related
to daily life.
-Spell without assistance (eat, I, are, get, sleep).
(SPELLING AND USE OF DICTIONARY)
Level 1 | Adult ESL | Central Piedmont Community College
BENCHMARKS AND APPLICATIONS: LEVEL ONE
GRAMMAR* LEVEL 1: BENCHMARKS
GRAMMAR LEVEL 1: APPLICATIONS
1.G.1-Subject pronouns.
-I, You, He, She, It, We, They.
1.G.2-Simple wh- questions in present tense.
-What’s your name? Where are you from? Who is she? When do you
wake up? Why are you here?
1.G.3-Simple yes/no questions in present tense.
-Am I correct? Is she here? Are you American?
1.G.4-Affirmative and negative statements with verbs “be” and
“do.”
-I am from El Salvador. I don’t work on Saturday.
1.G.5-Singular/plural.
-E.g., House/houses. This/these. Car / cars. Tooth/teeth.
1.G.6-Articles.
-The, a/an.
1.G.7-Simple structures.
-It’s + day. It’s + time. It’s $5. He eats. I read. I drink water., etc.
*CPCC ESL grammar benchmarks are from the Maryland Content Standards for Adult ESL/ESOL
(http://www.dllr.state.md.us/gedmd/cs/eslcs.pdf)
Level 1 | Adult ESL | Central Piedmont Community College
BENCHMARKS AND APPLICATIONS: LEVEL ONE
PRONUNCATION LEVEL 1: BENCHMARKS
PRONUNCIATION LEVEL 1: APPLICATIONS
1.P.1-Chunks* and linking the words together.
-It’s a ___ / itza ___
* Words that often go together
1.P.2-Letter-sound associations (phonemes)* to pronounce word
families.
-Fat, cat.
* The smallest phonetic unit in a language that is capable of conveying a distinction in
meaning
1.P.3-One and two syllable word patterns.
-Man, woman.
1.P.4- Syllable stress in number, days, months, etc.
-THIRty vs. thirTEEN
*CPCC ESL pronunciation benchmarks are adapted from the Maryland Content Standards for Adult ESL/ESOL
(http://www.dllr.state.md.us/gedmd/cs/eslcs.pdf)
Level 1 | Adult ESL | Central Piedmont Community College