Transcript ESOL SfL presentation Dec 2004

New ESOL Skills for Life
qualifications
Skills for Life English for Speakers of other
languages Conferences
Pam Frame
February 2005
ESOL Skills for Life qualifications
Overview of presentation
 Why are new ESOL qualifications needed?
 How are they structured?
 What do they assess?
 How do they relate to funding and targets?
The need for new qualifications
ESOL skills for Life qualifications
 Meet the needs of adult learners, living and working in
England
 Ensure parity with other adult literacy qualifications
 Acknowledge different levels of prior attainment
 Recognise range of goals and assessment preferences
 Establish clear progression routes for learners
 Use the adult ESOL core curriculum
QCA accreditation of ESOL Skills for Life qualifications
NQF
Levels 3 to 8
NQF Level 2
(eg GCSE A*-C)
Key Skills
Level 3, 4, 5
ESOL SfL
Level 2
Lit/Num Level 2 Key Skills
Level 2
NC Level 5
NQF Level 1
(eg NVQ level)
Entry Level
ESOL SfL
Level 1
Lit/Num Level 1 Key Skills
Level 1
NC Level 4
ESOL SfL
Entry 3
Lit/Num Entry 3
NC Level 3
ESOL SfL
Entry 2
Lit/Num Entry 2
NC Level 2
ESOL SfL
Entry 1
Lit/Num Entry 1
NC Level 1
Structural principles: whole qualifications
What can whole qualifications comprise?
 At Entry 1, 2 and 3
 At Levels 1 and 2
d = developed
‘All modes’
d
Speaking and Listening only
d
Reading + Writing
p
‘All modes’
d
Speaking and Listening only
d
Reading + Writing
p
Reading + Speaking and Listening
p
p = permitted
Structural principles: flexibility and titles
 Flexibility
An ‘all modes’ qualification = taking all units at same level
Or
 Taking different units at different levels
 Whole qualification then achieved at level of lowest unit
 Units achieved at higher level portable for 3 years
 Further whole qualification achieved at higher level when
remaining units achieved at that level
Structural principles: flexibility and titles

Titles




Unit achievement recognised by statement of results or
unit certificate, stating level, mode and overall
qualification
Whole qualification recognised by qualification
certificate, stating level and modes
‘All modes’ qualification title = Certificate in ESOL Skills
for Life
Less than ‘all modes’ title = Certificate in ESOL Skills for
Life [+ mode/s in brackets]
Assessing an integrated curriculum
Qualifications
 Select and combine components of curriculum
 offer purposeful tasks – not meaningless, repetitive exercises
 reflect word, sentence, text organisation of curriculum
 integrate speaking and listening
 provide mark schemes specific to mode, task and level
 allow for best fit judgements
 assess language plus content
Assessing Speaking and Listening
 At all levels, three strands need to be taught:
 listen and respond to range of types of talk/speakers
 speak to communicate ideas, feelings, information, in
formal/informal situations
 engage in discussion constructively, taking account of listeners
 Assessment of meaningful communication involves both speaking
and listening
 Mark scheme criteria describe effective communication
Assessing Reading and Writing
 Read and understand different types of text
 Read and obtain information from range of sources
 Write to communicate information, ideas, feelings, adapt to audience
and purpose
 Curriculum covers:
 Text level – overall meaning and purpose of text
 Sentence level – grammar, sentence structure and punctuation
 Word level – individual words, spelling and handwriting
 Assessment at each level and mode
 at least 2 whole texts at each level
 mark schemes reflect W, S, T
 best fit judgement of standard attained
Asking questions about text, sentence and word
Word level
Sentence level
Long groups of nouns
Complete sentences
Full names
Elliptical phrases
Formal
abbreviation
Use of questions to
engage reader
First names
Exclamation mark
conveys writer’s
attitude
Colloquial
idioms
Discourse marker
structures arguments,
together with rule of 3
Whole text: how does each writer use the resources of vocabulary, sentence structure
and text organisation to convey their message effectively?
New target arrangements for ESOL from August 2004
 ESOL Skills for Life qualifications count towards national targets and
replace ‘proxy’ qualifications
 Modes and levels which count
 ‘All modes’ at Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2
 Modes and levels which do NOT count
 Qualifications at Entry 1 or Entry 2
 Speaking and Listening only qualifications at Entry 3, Level 1 or 2
 Modes and levels which could count
 Qualifications in Reading plus Writing at Entry 3, Level 1 and Level
2
 Qualifications in Reading plus Speaking and Listening at Levels 1
and 2
Position of ‘proxy’ qualifications after August 2004
 LSC funding for 'proxy' qualifications post December 04 under review
 Learners already on programme funded until end of course
 For all ESOL provision


Learner need drives qualification choice
LSC guidance published
(http://www.lsc.gov.uk/National/Documents/SubjectListing/Funding
Learning/BasicSkills/Deliveringskillsforlife.htm)
Looking ahead
 For learners: transparency, choice and progression
 For centres: accountability must ensure recruitment with integrity
 All agencies: monitor interaction of qualifications and curriculum
Updates and more information:
www.openquals.org.uk
ESOL Skills for Life qualifications accredited by QCA (at 9 February 2005)
Awarding body
Levels offered
Certificate type
Cambridge ESOL
Entry 1, 2 and 3
All modes
City and Guilds
Entry 1, 2 and 3, Level 1 and
Level 2
English Speaking
Board
Entry 1, 2 and 3
All modes and
Speaking and Listening
mode
Speaking and Listening
mode
Trinity College
London
Entry 1, 2 and 3, Level 1 and
Level 2
Edexcel
Entry 1, 2 and 3, Level 1 and
Level 2
Open College of
the North West
Entry 1, 2 and 3
All modes and
Speaking and Listening
mode
All modes
All modes and
Speaking and Listening
mode