CEFR Material Workshop
CEFR linking to We Speak Criteria and Syllabus
Syllabus
Levels:
Units:
ENGLISH has 9 levels (L1 - L9).
Each level is composed of the following units:
Levels 1 and 2 have 10 units (for now)
Levels 3-9 have 20 units
One unit takes between 2 hours and 2 hours 10 minutes to
complete.
Activities
Activities: Each unit currently contains 5 different activities,
each pertaining to a specific activity type category.
Grammar
Vocabulary
Listening / Reading Comprehension
Business 1-to-1 Communication
Follow-up
As part of the Leonardo Project we will be adding
Business Group communication
Grammar
The composition of the activity includes:
 an explanation of the grammar point and
 interactive exercise(s)
Length: The activity should take the student 30 minutes to
complete
Vocabulary
The composition of the activity includes:
 A presentation of the vocabulary through a dialogue or text
 interactive exercise(s)
Listening / Reading Comprehension
The composition of the activity includes:
 A Reading comprehension or Listening comprehension
 Interactive exercise(s)
Length: The activity should take the student 30 minutes to
complete
Business Communication 1-to-1 Activity
The composition of the activity includes a discussion or role-play
topic related to Business language that is to be carried out in the
telephone class.
Length: The activity should take the student and teacher 30 minutes
to complete.
Group Communication
STRUCTURE
0-5 minutes
Outline Objectives/Warm-up engagement
1. Objectives should be taken from ISUS activities
2. Warm up activity should be fun and simple and should quickly involve each and every
participant, including the teacher.
5- 15 minutes
Topic discussion
3. This could include a BRIEF reading or text and some discussion questions which will prepare the
students for the rest of the material in the class.
15- 25 minutes
Controlled language practice
4. The language should be taken from the grammar and/vocabulary activities from the ISUS unit.
The examples used should relate to the class topic. Have clear language aim. Design activities which
will drill language focus and which will involve all student participants. If necessary include
language focus.
25 - 50 minutes
Case study/roleplays
5. The topic should be taken from the ISUS unit (comprehension, speaking or follow up activities).
Design activity so that all students can fully participate.
50 – 60 minutes
Error correction and feedback
6. Error correction and feedback
Follow-up Activity
The composition of the activity includes:
An e-mail, a letter, an article etc written by the developer which is
related to the material covered in the unit with exercises. This is
NOT a free writing activity for the students. Typically the exercise
would be one of the following
 Ordering the sentences to make a complete e-mail
 Spotting the mistakes
 Fill in the gaps with two choices.
Length: The activity should take the student 10 minutes to
complete.
Types of exercise
Matching
Order the words to make a phrase/sentence/question/etc.,
Order sentences to make a conversation/ letter/monologue/etc.
Multiple choice
True & False
Gap fill
Identify and correct the error
Classification/Categorizing
Unit Structure
6.01
6.01G - Review of future forms
6.01V - Formal introductions
6.01RC - My job
6.01S - Working as a team
6.01GS – How to get on in your career
6.01W - A good boss is…
Activity structure
0-5 minutes
5- 15 minutes
15- 25 minutes
25 - 50 minutes
50 – 60 minutes
Outline Objectives/Warm-up engagement
Objectives: Talking about your job, your boss and colleagues.
Introductions and socializing
Icebreaker: The Magic wand
Topic discussion
What makes a good boss?
My ideal job?
Read article and discuss the questions
Controlled language practice
Question and answer drilling re. job
Case study and Role-plays: Selling your job
Error correction and feedback
Warm-up engagement
Warm-up game – The Magic Wand
You have just found a magic wand that allows you to change three work
related activities. You can change anything you want. How would you
change yourself, your job, your boss, coworkers, an important project,
etc.? Why it is important to make the change?
Topic discussion
Read the text and discuss the questions below as a group.
‘Finding a career that best fits your personality profile may be a factor to
consider when thinking about professional success. Far too often, people start
out on career paths for the wrong reasons, mainly taking a job "while they figure
out what they want to do" and never moving on. Being at a crossroads in your
life and not knowing which road leads many of us to a ditch which we find
difficult to climb out of. People who excel in their careers are usually highly
motivated and energized by their jobs. They wake up in the morning eager to get
to work because their career lets them take advantage of the natural preferences
and strengths of their personality. Their job is not a chore to be endured but a
vehicle to exercise their talents. They achieve the most important of things in job
satisfaction: "a fit" with who they are.’
Do you agree with that some jobs fit a certain personality?
Topic discussion (II)
What personality types do you associate with the following jobs?
A Doctor
A P.A.
An account manager
A HR manager
A Policeman
A project manager
A designer
An engineer
Do you think your job fits your personality? Why / Why not?
Do you prefer a structured environment, or is a variety of tasks more important?
Do you thrive in crisis situations and work better under pressure?
Would you rather work primarily by yourself, or as a member of a team?
Are you a big-picture thinker, or do you excel in making sure all the details of a job are completed?
What do you think your ideal job would be?
Controlled language practice
Short Q&A
Work in a group taking it in turns to ask and answer the following questions. Use the key
sentences below in the example.
What is your job?
How long have you been in your job?
What do you most enjoy about your job?
What is the most challenging part of your job?
How did you end up in your job?
What does your job involve?
I am a Training Manager. I started out working as a consultant for a different company and ran
specialized courses. I saw the advertisement for training manager and came for an interview and got
the job. I have been working here for 3 years now.
It mainly involves identifying what our employees’ needs in terms of training and setting up courses
for them. I really enjoy seeing people flourish as they learn new sets of skills. Managing the budget and
telling people that we can’t afford to send them on courses.
Case Study and Roleplay
Situation: You are at a team-building conference.
Challenge 1 – Mingle around the coffee machine
Make a note of your favorite topic for socializing. Eg. The weather, clothes, music, books,
work etc. Your trainer will choose someone to kick-off and then you should take it in
turns in speaking.
Trainer: Lovely day, isn’t it?
Student 1. Oh yes, the weather here is so hot. In Berlin it was cold this mornig
Student 2. How was your flight?
Student 3. It was fine. I had to get up early though. How was yours?
Case Study and Roleplay (II)
Challenge 2 – My ideal job
You have been asked to make a short presentation on your job as you have
nominated it as ‘the ideal job’. You can invent a job but it does have to sound like it
could be a real job!
Make a list of the positive points of your job.
e.g. fun, challenging, exciting, varied, work with lots of people, learn a lot, a lot of
socializing involved, important, take big decisions etc
Make a list of the positive points about working for your company.
Flexible working hours, possibility of working from home, great atmosphere, no closed
offices, great benefits and perks.
Recommend your job to a personality type
Would suit someone who is creative, meticulous, organized, funny, hard-working, likes
working under pressure.
Give a short presentation. Everyone will vote for the job that most appeals to them
and explain why.
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER OBJECTIVES
Link ISUS syllabus with CEFR
Convalidate content with CEFR Descriptors
CRITERIA
 CEFR framework.
 Pedagogical Checklist and Content Validity .
 Operational validity: Pilot Results
 Internal validity of standard setting ( TE workflow)
 External validation (University of Ulster workflow)
CEFR FRAMEWORK DESCRIPTORS
Independent User
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 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.
CEFR VALIDATION THROUGH TRAINERS AND STUDENTS
Pilot Testing Results
58% Activities were graded at 4 or over
32% Activites were graded between 3.5 and 3.9
10% Activites need to be revised and modified.
ISUS PILOT TESTING PHASE 1.pptx
PEDAGOGICAL CHECKLIST
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Learner Profile
Stimulating Interaction
Form and Function
Authenticity
Coherence
User-friendly
Durability
Likeability
INTERNAL VALIDITY
Development Workflow
Developed
Developed
Approved
Rejected
Pilot
Modified
Approved Pilot
EXTERNAL VALIDITY – UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER
Approval workflow
Approval 1
Approval 2
Pilot
EXTERNAL VALIDITY – UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER
CEFR PRINCIPLES AND LEVELS FULLY
IMPLEMENTED IN SYLLABUS
LEARNING OBJECTIVES DERIVED FROM CEFR
‘CAN DO’ DESCRIPTORS
ACTIVITY VALIDITY FOR CEFR LEVELS
ISUS AND CEFR COMPARATIVES
Progress levels
Description
Beginners
CEFR
-
A1
ISUS LEVEL
1
2
TOEIC
Lower-intermediate
Intermediate
A2
B1
3
4
5
Upper-intermediate Advanced
B2
6
7
C1
8
9
0-125 125-225 225-350 350-545 545-665 665-780 780-860 860-940 940-990
Duración (H) 100
100
150
150
200
200
250
250
300
ISUS UNITS
UNIT
ISUS LEVEL
CEFR LEVEL
9.21
9
C1
8.28
8
B2
6.33
6
B1
3.35
3
A2