Activate A2
Common European Framework (CEF)
Learning and Exam skills
Content & Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
KET
3.0
PET
4.0
0-245
246-380
381-500
500-650
3
4
FCE
CAE
5.0
6.0-7.0
650-720
720-910
57-86
87-109
110-120
chart correlating main exam types and grading systems
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
PTE
0
1
2
TOEFL
iBT
TOEIC©
IELTS
UCLES
B1
B1+
B2
A1
A2
A2+
B1
B1+
B2
C1
ALTE
A2
CEF
LEVEL
1
2
3
4
5
Reading
I can read 4 short articles about contestants in a talent
show.
Vocabulary: talents and hobbies
Collocation: verbs and nouns
Language Word families: perform /performer /performance
Present simple
adverbs of frequency + more time expressions
I can describe another person’s abilities.
I can say how good they are.
I can say who I want to win and give my reasons.
I can ask about and describe regular activities.
I can ask / say how many hobbies I have.
Speaking I can ask /say what types of hobby I prefer.
I can ask / say how many hours I spend doing
something.
I can say what I love / don’t mind / can’t stand doing.
I can ask / say what my ambition is.
I can talk about my likes / dislikes.
I can understand 5 people talking about their spare time
Listening activities.
Writing
I can describe regular activities.
Linkers: and, but, because, so, too.
I can complete an information form.
I can complete an application form with personal
information.
I can write a short paragraph about my hopes and
dreams.
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
8/9
CEF
ref
Page
CEF
Unit 1
Learning and Exam skills
CLIL
A1
A2
B1
Find information, complete chart.
Read an interview and understand
words from context.
Arts: public
performance
13
A1
A1
A2
A2
A2
B1
Attitudes to mistakes and
correction.
Summarise text.
Describe activities.
Preferences.
Mistakes and
correction: learning
strategies
12
A1
A2
A2
A1
A1
A2
A2
Combine information from
different sources.
Answer Y/N questions.
Cloze passages.
Complete a form.
10/11
14/15
Form filling
I can read a web page about 4 different festivals.
16/17
Learning and Exam skills
A2
A2
B1
Read quickly / identify topics.
Complete gaps in the text with
given sentences.
Use context to understand
unknown words.
21
A2
B1
Describe what is happening in a
picture
20
A2
A2
A2
A2
A2
Make sentences from notes.
Reading
Vocabulary: Festivals and celebrations
Collocations: making phrases / prepositions with verbs,
Language Present continuous for now or near future.
Simple adverbs.
Location prepositions.
I can talk about my favourite festivals.
I can talk about local, national and religious festivals.
I can summarise information from a web page.
Speaking I can describe a festival saying when and where it takes
place, what happens, the food people eat and what
people do.
I can say how people are doing things.
I can understand a talk about what 5 people are doing on
Listening
April Fool’s Day.
I can complete a blog.
I can complete a letter about current activities.
Writing
I can write a blog about where I am. who I am with,
what I am doing and how I feel.
CEF
ref
Page
CEF
Unit 2
CLIL
Traditional festivals in
4 different countries.
18/19
22/23
Unit 3
Reading
I can understand short instructions, advertisements and
announcements.
I can understand a magazine article.
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
26/27
A1
A2
A2
A2
B1
Answer comprehension questions.
Music: choral singing,
choirs
Vocabulary: Schools/ the school day/ subjects / furniture 28/29
/ uniforms / clothes
Compound nouns
Language
Past simple
Clock times and past time expressions
Linking words for sequencing events
I can describe what someone is wearing.
31
I can ask and talk about past events.
Speaking I can ask and answer questions about schools.
I can discuss school saying what I think is most, least
important.
I can understand a boy describing his school, his
30
teachers and his favourite subjects.
Listening
I can describe a school in a photograph.
Writing
CEF
ref
CEF
Page
Unit 3
Contd
Learning and Exam skills
CLIL
Cultural studies:
Schools in different
countries
A1
A2
A2
B1
Give a brief summary of an article.
A2
A2
A2
Answer multiple choice questions.
Describe a school.
Write short story about personal
experience.
I can complete a diary entry.
I can reorganise ideas in a blog.
I can write a short story about my first day at school.
32/33
A2
A2
A2
I can understand a short fictional story.
34/35
A2
B1
B1
Unit 4
Reading
Vocabulary: History and dates
Archaeology and museums.
Past continuous
Language
Past continuous and Past simple
Forming questions and negatives
Gerunds and infinitives
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
36/37
Answer comprehension questions.
Answer Y/N questions.
Read a story / identify the order of
events.
History: Ancient
cultures – Mayans,
Aztecs, Incas,
Romans, Greeks,
Egyptians
History: Calendar
dates and years.
Speaking
Listening
Writing
CEF
CEF
ref
Page
Unit 4
Contd
Learning and Exam skills
I can ask / talk about past, present and future events in
my life.
I can ask for and give directions to places in a town.
I can use Please and Thank you correctly.
I can understand Milly talking about her day.
I can use a map to help me to understand her
description.
I can write a paragraph about what I did on an important
day.
I can write a story, using a given opening sentence.
39
A2
B1
Summarise a story.
Use linkers / show order of events
Give directions
38
A2
A2
Use maps.
I can understand a radio interview.
44/45
40/41
CLIL
Complete a newspaper article.
Complete a diary entry.
Unit 5
Reading
Vocabulary: travel/ means of transport
Collocations
Language Future: Simple future / Present continuous / going to /
shall for suggestions.
Prepositions of direction and time.
I can choose items to take on a boat trip and give my
reasons.
Speaking I can talk about the last time I felt seasick.
I can talk about my immediate plans.
I can talk about possible plans.
I can understand instructions concerning a school trip
Listening and take notes.
I can understand a discussion about immediate plans.
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
A2
A2
A2
B1
Find information / complete form.
Insert missing answers.
Organise parts of an email in
correct order.
46/47
Geography: sailing
round Cape Horn /
weather
Geography:
Transportation
49
A2
A2
A2
B1
Summarise a radio interview from
memory.
48
A2
A2
A2
Take notes.
CEF
ref
Page
Unit 5
Contd
CEF
50/51
A2
A2
A2
B1
Take notes.
Structure an email.
Note taking
Writing
I can complete an email.
I can complete a TV review.
I can write sentences about the car I will have when I’m
an adult.
I can write a correctly structured email describing my
future plans.
I can understand a web page about exchanging
possessions.
I can understand comments about shops.
Reading I can understand a dialogue of a typical shopping
procedure.
I can understand web postings containing invitations.
I can understand a notice announcing a swap party.
Vocabulary: shopping / types of shop and service
Language Present Perfect Simple for / since
Forming questions with ever /never /already /just /yet.
I can talk about how I like to shop and give my reasons.
I can role play shopping procedures.
52/53
A2
A2
A2
A2
Combine information from
different sources.
Economics: shopping
and exchange
A2
A2
A2
A2
B1
A2
A2
B1
A1
A2
A2
Summarise and give reasons.
Learning and Exam skills
CLIL
Unit 6
54/55
57
Speaking
Listening
Writing
I can understand several speakers talking about
shopping.
56
I can complete a web chat dialogue.
I can write an invitation giving details of the time, place
and event.
58/59
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
Combine information from
different sources.
Complete a dialogue.
Write an invitation with details.
I can understand a fact file about an Olympic BMX
cyclist.
Reading
I can read a collection of signs and say where I would
expect to see them.
Vocabulary Olympic Games: events, medals, locations
Language
Modals: ability, possibility, obligation, permission
I can describe a series of events using linkers to mark
the sequence.
Speaking I can talk about the sports I play and watch on TV.
I can describe the locations, equipment and danger.
I can explain the meaning of a sign.
I can understand short conversations
Listening
62/63
A2
A2
B1
Learning and Exam skills
Search for information to answer
comprehension questions.
Select words from multiple choice
options to complete the text.
64/65
67
66
I can complete a series of diary entries.
I can write a paragraph about my favourite sport.
I can complete an article about the Paralympics.
I can write a factfile in 5 or 6 sentences.
68/69
I can understand an article about an explorer.
I can read a short advertisement for an Arctic holiday.
I can understand a holiday postcard from the Arctic.
70/71
Vocabulary: describing landscapes and weather, wild
animals
Comparatives with –er / more/ less
Language Irregular comparatives: better / worse etc.
Comparative constructions
Superlatives: -est/ most least + irreg.
Superlative constructions.
72/73
Writing
CEF
ref
Page
CEF
Unit 7
CLIL
Sports: Olympic
sports
Danger in sports
Olympic Games
A2
A2
A2
A2
B1
A2
B1
A2
A2
A2
B1
Use questions to summarise key
information from a text.
Say when not sure of meaning
Complete an article.
Write a fact file.
Citizenship: attitudes
to disability.
A2
A2
A2
B1
B1
Read quickly for gist.
Read in detail and answer Y/N
questions.
Geography: hostile
landscapes
Answer multiple choice questions.
Unit 8
Reading
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
Geography:
describing landscapes
and weather
Natural science:
animals
Speaking
Listening
Writing
CEF
CEF
ref
Page
Unit 8
Contd
Learning and Exam skills
CLIL
I can talk about where I would or wouldn’t like to travel
and give my reasons.
I can describe the weather in my own country.
I can discuss what I need to know before travelling to
another country.
I can ask questions about another country.
I can describe my feelings about landscapes and
animals.
I can ask and answer questions about another country.
I can discuss the best country to visit and give my
reasons.
I can describe a holiday to my partner.
I can understand a conversation about animals.
75
A2
A2
A2
A2
B1
B1
B1
Summarise a text in the author’s
words.
74
Listen / complete a table.
I can write what I know about the UK.
I can compare my country with the UK.
I can complete a postcard from Australia.
I can write a postcard from an amazing holiday.
76/77
A2
B1
A.2
B1
B1
B1
Write questions to ask information
Write a postcard.
Research skills.
I can understand an article about growing cocoa beans
and making chocolate.
I can understand an article about how to cook snails.
80/81
B1
B1
Place photographs in the correct
order.
Match headings to paragraphs.
Answer Y/N questions.
Food science
Cross-cultural studies.
Unit 9
Reading
Vocabulary: Food and cooking
Word formation: verbs > adjectives
Language
Modals: obligation and permission
Quantifiers: some / any
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
82/83
Speaking
Listening
Writing
CEF
I can say where cocoa beans grow and list some of the
things needed to make chocolate.
I can say if I would like to eat various unusual chocolate
foods and give my reasons.
I can describe different processes to prepare and cook
food.
I can talk about my favourite food from my country.
I can understand different people talking about the food
they eat. I can understand an expert giving them advice
on their diets.
I can understand an expert giving advice on exercise.
I can write an article for a website about my favourite
national food.
CEF
ref
Page
Unit 9
Contd
Learning and Exam skills
CLIL
85
A2
B1
B1
B1
Describe a process.
Food science
84
A2
B1
Complete conversations, shopping
lists, sets of rules.
Write what I must / mustn’t do.
Complete sentences giving advice.
Health: diet and
exercise
86/87
B1
B1
88/89
B1
B1
Unit 10
I can understand emails from people asking about
Reading holiday accommodation. I can understand 6 brochures
about holiday accommodation.
Vocabulary: landscapes, different kinds of homes
Compound nouns
Language Present simple passive
active vs. passive
Past simple passive
I can say why each selected holiday is good for each
person and give my reasons.
I can ask and answer questions about places.
Speaking
I can describe different places where I have stayed.
I can talk about famous buildings in different countries.
I can talk about what things are made of.
Listening I can understand a description of an unusual holiday.
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
Geography:
landscapes
90/91
93
A2
B1
B1
B1
B1
92
B1
Express opinions and give reasons. History / Geography
Materials / technology
Writing
CEF
I can write an invitation.
I can write a brochure about a place nearby.
CEF
ref
Page
Unit 10
Contd
Learning and Exam skills
94/95
A2
A2
A2
B1
Complete advertisement for a
sandcastle competition.
Complete brochure about a
famous library.
98/ 99
A2
B1
B1
Skim for gist and scan for details.
103
B1
B1
B1
Express opinions and give reasons.
Give advice.
102
A2
B1
A2
B1
B1
Listening strategies.
CLIL
Unit 11
I can understand a short article an 8-year old with 3
jobs.
Reading
I can understand a discussion between a teacher and
students about work.
Vocabulary: work and jobs
Phrasal verbs and their meanings
Language
Zero and First conditional
Using modals in first conditional
I can say if I think it is a good idea for young children to
work. I can give my reasons.
Speaking
I can discuss the types of work children can do.
I can give advice.
I can understand a radio programme about the school
Listening
reports of famous people.
I can write a school report for a famous person,
reporting on work done in two subjects and suggesting a
Writing
suitable career.
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010
100/101
104/105
Complete a text about a celebrity
visit.
Complete a text about becoming a
TV presenter.
Complete a school report form.
Careers
Reading skills
I can understand a long magazine article about urban
myths.
I can understand a short negative review of a museum.
Vocabulary: science and technology, measurements
Phrasal verbs
Language
Reporting statements and questions.
Relative clauses.
I can describe a successful experiment.
106/107
Reading
Writing
Learning and Exam skills
A2
B1
Match topics to paragraphs.
Answer multiple choice questions.
B1
B1
Ask and answer detailed questions
about a visit to a museum.
Describe sequence of actions.
Understand reported speech.
108/109
111
Speaking
Listening
CEF
ref
Page
CEF
Unit 12
I can understand Simon taking about why his friends use 110
computers.
I can complete an article about secret codes.
112/113
I can report what people said to me.
I can plan and write a review of a museum, describing
it, saying what I liked and didn’t like and summarising
my opinion.
B1
B1
B1
B1
CLIL
Science: testing
theories with
experiments
science and
technology
Plan, write and edit a review.
Note on CEF references: The numbers above refer to an approved list of descriptors prepared for secondary schools in Switzerland. The
appearance of a reference in the table above, indicate that Activate A2 contains an exercise which will contribute to the development of this
communicative skill. It does not indicate that this skill has been achieved by the learner, but the exercise will help learners move towards
achievement of that skill.
You will notice references to some skills listed as A1 and to some listed as B1. The A1 references are consolidation, the B1 references are the
introduction of communicative skills at B1 level.
Activate A2 is very good in training learning skills and also unusual in training students to express and give reasons for their opinions. The
training in giving an oral summary of information and opinions from reading texts is an unusual, but extremely valuable addition to the skills
which are normally taught at A2 level.
© Pearson Longman 2009/2010