CEFR-aligned curriculum

cascade workshops: Day 1

Getting to know each other

TASK: 3 things about me

D1.S1.1
Session 1: Understanding
foreign/second language
development within the CEFR
context
Understand foreign / second language
development in the Malaysian classroom
CEFR: approaches and principles how
the CEFR supports teaching and learning

D1.S1.2
 English language learning

with a focus on the Malaysian context

D1.S1.3
 The Malaysian classroom
TASK: Work in groups of 3 or 4

Discuss:
What kinds of issues do pupils typically
have in the Malaysian Secondary English
classroom?
Which activities do pupils enjoy?
What do teachers find challenging?
Which activities do teachers find useful?

D1.S1.4
 CEFR: international standards

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, Using the CEFR (2011)
D1.S1.5
 CEFR: international standards

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, Using the CEFR (2011)

D1.S1.6
 Key CEFR ideas

activity strategies contexts

approach tasks reception texts

language competences

conditions and constraints

communicative acts

Handout D1.S1.1
D1.S1.7
 Answer
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 handle communication with flexibility in a variety of
contexts. Performing tasks in different contexts, to the extent that these tasks
conditions and
are not routine or automatic and subject to different
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.

D1.S1.8
 CEFR: how can we use it?

TASK:

Discuss with a partner.

How can we use the CEFR?

D1.S1.9
 CEFR: how can we use it?

evaluating language learning needs

designing courses
developing syllabuses
developing learning materials
informing test development
guiding assessment criteria development
informing continuous/self-assessment
teacher training programmes
describing language policies
D1.S1.10
CEFR: what is the framework?

6-level framework

4 skills
D1.S1.11
CEFR: what is the framework?

D1.S1.12
CEFR: how does it support learning
and teaching?

D1.S1.13
CEFR: how does it support learning
and teaching?

D1.S1.14
CEFR: how does it support learning
and teaching?

D1.S1.15
 CEFR: how does it support learning
and teaching?

Pupils do better if teachers and pupils:

understand goals and outcomes (Learning
Standards)
understand how they are doing in relation to
those Learning Standards
use this information to make decisions about
the best way to achieve them

D1.S1.16
 CEFR: how does it support learning
and teaching?

pre-A1 A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

D1.S1.17
 CEFR

How does it fit into day-to-day teaching?

Why is it important?

D1.S1.18
CEFR: how does it fit into day-to-day
teaching?
SUBJECT :
YEAR/FORM :
DURATION

THEME :
TOPIC :
FOCUS SKILLS : L/S/R/W/LA/LiA :
CONTENT STANDARD :
LEARNING STANDARD :
LEARNING OBJECTIVES :
CROSS-CURRICULAR ELEMENTS :
*ACTIVITIES : i. PRE-LESSON :
ii. LESSON DEVELOPMENT :

iii. POST-LESSON :
TEACHERS REFLECTION

Handout D1.S1.2 D1.S1.19

CEFR: how does it fit into day to day
teaching?

Content &
Learning
Framework Standards
CEFR

Syllabuses

Schemes of Work

D1.S1.20
 CEFR in the Malaysian Secondary
classroom context
The CEFR scales and descriptors identify performance areas and
describe them in can do statements, which appear in the Curriculum
Framework as Content Standards and Learning Standards.
They inform the Syllabuses and Schemes of Work.
From this we can identify Learning Objectives delivered via the
textbook or supplementary lessons.

This allows both teacher and pupil to:

identify all the relevant skills, including those that are problematic,
which pupils need to develop
prompt a focus on these skills in realistic contexts
allow teachers and pupils to measure how well they are progressing.
D1.S1.21
 Our training outcomes
During the rest of the course we will:
consider the CEFR scales and can do
statements in the Malaysian context
understand how to plan using the CEFR context
for planning/delivery in conjunction with:
syllabuses and schemes of work
textbooks
lesson plans
consider ways of monitoring progression and
providing age-appropriate feedback.

D1.S1.22
Session 1: Understanding
foreign/second language
development within the CEFR
context
Understand foreign / second language
development in the Malaysian classroom
CEFR: approaches and principles how
the CEFR supports teaching and learning

D1.S1.23
Session 2: Tracking language
development and progression across
the CEFR levels

Understand how the CEFR is organised

Consider progression across the CEFR
levels
Apply the frameworks and track to support
understanding of progression
D1.S2.1
 Principles of language
activity

Language activity categories

D1.S1.2
 Principles of language
activity
Look at the CEFR self-assessment grid.
What are the three key categories of activity?

See CEFR Scales and Skills

document

D1.S1.3
 Principles of language
activity
Language activity categories:
1. Reception
2. Interaction
3. Production

D1.S1.4
 Principles of language
activity
1. Work in pairs.
2. Look at the CEFR self-assessment grid.
3. Look at the language activity your group
has been assigned. How does the scale
change from A1 to C2? Underline key
features and try to categorise the
differences.

D1.S1.5
 Principles of language activity:
reception, interaction, production

topic
sophisticated range
length
complexity
coherence
accuracy
fluency
basic ease of interaction

D1.S2.6
Curriculum Content and Learning Standards
and the CEFR
Form 1 Form 2 Form 3 Form 4 Form 5 Year 6
Revise
Target*: A2 High B1 Low B1 Mid B1 High
A2 Mid

Working
Starting
towards
at: A2 Mid A2 High B1 Low B1 Mid
A2 Mid or
at A1 High

Note:
- *By the end of the school year, most pupils will have
reached the target CEFR level shown in the table.
- Primary Year 6: A2 Mid

D1.S2.7
 From Primary to Secondary

Work in pairs.
Look at the Learning Standard examples for
different school levels.
What similarities and differences can you
see?
What evidence of progression do you
notice?

Handout D1.S2.1
D1.S2.8
CEFR: bringing the framework into
the classroom an example

Content &
Learning
Framework Standards
CEFR

Syllabuses

Schemes of
Work
D1.S2.9
CEFR: bringing the framework into
the classroom an example

CEFR descriptors and can do

statements

Content and Learning Standards

in Curriculum Framework

Syllabuses and Schemes of

Work: Lesson plans (including
textbook content)
D1.S2.10
CEFR: bringing the framework into
the classroom an example
CEFR descriptor: can do statement
Can understand the main points of clear
standard speech on familiar matters regularly
encountered in work, school, leisure etc.,
including short narratives.
Learning Standard: Listening skills
Secondary 1.1.1
Understand with little or no support the main
ideas in simple longer texts on a range of
familiar topics

Lesson plan from Pulse 2 Unit 1 Its my life!

Page 4 Celebrations: Vocabulary listen to
match pictures / identify the celebration

D1.S2.11
Session 2: Tracking language
development and progression across
the CEFR levels

Understand how the CEFR is organised

Consider progression across the CEFR
levels
Apply the frameworks and track to support
understanding of progression
D1.S2.12
 Session 3: Developing Listening
skills consistent with CEFR-
aligned curriculum frameworks
Recognise developmental needs and challenges
to Listening skills in the Malaysian Secondary
context
Consider the development of Listening skills
according to pupil age and CEFR
Explore activities that support Listening skills
D1.S3.1
Listening skills in the Malaysian
Secondary context

1. What kind of Listening

tasks do teachers normally
use?
2. Which Listening skills are
addressed?
3. What problems do pupils
typically have in
developing Listening?

D1.S3.2
 Listening skills in the Malaysian
Secondary context
This is typically a problem in the classroom: True/False
Texts are not meaningful or realistic
Texts are not varied
Pupils find it difficult to concentrate enough on listening
Naturally-spoken English is too fast for pupils to follow
Too much teacher control and focus on correct answers
Pupils are too passive
Pupils lack confidence
Teachers take on sole responsibility for building an
understanding of the text
The assumption is that there is only one way to listen
Pronunciation makes it difficult for pupils to understand

D1.S3.3
Listening skills in the Malaysian
Secondary context

Can you find descriptors in the CEFR

related to these issues?
What does the CEFR tell you about
progress in Listening?

Look at the CEFR Scales and Skills

document pages 810
D1.S3.4
 CEFR in the Malaysian Secondary
context
The CEFR scales and descriptors identify performance
areas and describe them in can do statements.

This allows both teacher and pupil to:

identify all the relevant skills, including those that are
problematic, which pupils need to develop
prompt a focus on these skills in realistic contexts
allow teachers and pupils to measure how well they are
progressing.

D1.S3.5
 Listening: good listeners

CEFR descriptors tell us:

what listeners can do at different
levels
the types of Listening activities they
do and the skills they use.
D1.S3.6
 Listening: what can we do?

CEFR descriptors tell us:

what listeners can do at different
levels

Brainstorm:
What do good listeners do?
Name at least 5 characteristics.

D1.S3.7
Listening: what types of listening do
we do?

CEFR descriptors tell us:

the types of Listening activities they
do and the skills they use

Handout D1.S3.1 D1.S3.8

Listening: what types of listening do
we do?
CEFR gives the following activity types for the
Listening skill:

understanding interaction between native speakers

listening as a member of an audience
listening to announcements & instructions
listening to radio & audio
watching film or TV

D1.S3.9
Listening: what types of listening do
we do?

CEFR descriptors tell us:

the types of listening activities they do

TASK:
What kind of text types are associated
with these activities?
Handout D1.S3.2 D1.S3.10
 Listening: good listeners

Language in the classroom should

replicate the type of listening that
happens in real life.
This will help pupils:
do realistic tasks
develop these skills.
D1.S3.11
 Listening: supporting pupils

Typical issues for teachers:

Clarity of Learning Standards and tailoring
lessons to specific listening strategies
Ensuring pupils have clear tasks before
asking them to listen
Monitoring to support pupil development
and providing feedback

D1.S3.12
 Listening: supporting pupils

TASK:
Look at the following Listening strategies.
Where might they fit into the CEFR descriptors?

Listening for:
specific detail inference
detailed comprehension
global understanding (gist)
prediction attitude D1.S3.13

CEFR Scales and Skills doc.

 Listening: supporting pupils

TASK:
Why are these areas challenging for pupils?
What can teachers do to help?
Listening for:
specific detail inference
detailed comprehension
global understanding (gist)
prediction attitude
D1.S3.14
 Listening: supporting pupils
summary ideas
Ensure you have identified the skills/strategies you want to develop in
line with Learning Standards
Emphasise different skills (listening for gist/ detail/ specific information)
Pre-teach vocabulary or use pictures / other contexts to activate prior
knowledge
Engage a mix of top down and bottom up processing
Use a variety of task types to reflect what we really do when we listen, e.g.
labelling pictures / filling in charts / understanding if something is true or false
/ summarising / picture sequencing
Encourage even if texts are difficult by highlighting and praising what they
understand
Use video to help by providing paralinguistic and other visual clues
Encourage use of personal devices so pupils can control the listening
themselves D1.S3.15
Handout D1.S3.3
 Listening: supporting pupils

Typical issues for teachers:

Clarity of Learning Standards and tailoring lessons
to specific areas
TASK:
Listening skills/strategies and Learning Standards:
how do they fit?
1. Look at the materials from Pulse 2
2. Connect the materials with the relevant Learning
Standards D1.S3.16

Handout D1.S3.4
 Listening: lesson planning task

TASK:
Look at the material from Pulse 2 (page 13)
and explain:

a) how it is linked to Learning Standards

b) which Listening skills/strategies are involved
c) types of task a teacher might use
d) how the teacher might monitor and give
feedback
D1.S3.17
 Listening: lesson planning task

TASK:
Now read the first part of a lesson plan for the
material from Pulse 2 (p.13) and think about:

a) how it is linked to Learning Standards

b) what Listening skills/strategies are involved
c) types of task the teacher uses
d) how the teacher monitors and gives feedback
D1.S3.18
Handout D1.S3.5
 Session 3: Developing Listening
skills consistent with CEFR-
aligned curriculum frameworks
Recognise developmental needs and challenges
to Listening skills in the Malaysian Secondary
context
Consider the development of Listening skills
according to pupil age and CEFR
Explore activities that support Listening skills
D1.S3.19
 Session 4: Developing Speaking
skills consistent with CEFR-aligned
curriculum frameworks
Recognise developmental needs and
challenges to Speaking skills in the
Malaysian Secondary context
Consider the development of Speaking skills
according to pupil age and CEFR
Explore activities that support Speaking skills
D1.S4.1
Speaking skills in the Malaysian
Secondary context

TASK:
1. What kind of Speaking
tasks do teachers normally
use?
2. Which Speaking skills are
addressed?
3. What problems do pupils
typically have in
developing Speaking?
D1.S4.2
 Speaking: good speakers

CEFR descriptors tell us:

what speakers can do at different
levels
the types of speaking activities they
do and the skills they use

D1.S4.3
Speaking skills in the Malaysian
Secondary context

Look at the CEFR Scales and Skills

Qualitative aspects of spoken language use
(page 7)

1. Which five areas are measured?

2. What differences do you notice in
performance at A1 and B1?

D1.S4.4
Speaking: skills and strategies

TASK:
Which skills and strategies
do speakers use?
Take it in turns to take a
card.
Can you define the term?

Handout D1.S4.1 D1.S4.5

Speaking: skills and strategies

TASK:
Check your answers.
Can you think of tasks
that would provide
practice for each one?

Handout D1.S4.2

D1.S4.6
Speaking: skills and strategies

TASK:
Look at a Form 2 Learning
Standard 2.1.3 Express
opinions about future plans or
events
Which Speaking
skills/strategies might be
used?
What type of task could you
use to practise this? D1.S4.7
 Tasks to build confidence (more
controlled)
Chanting and repetition
Songs
Dialogue builds with prompts
Responding to prompts
Guessing games
Putting pictures in order, to tell stories
Explaining if something is True or False
Describing pictures (in pairs)
Board games with Speaking elements
D1.S4.8
Tasks to focus on Speaking fluency

Role plays
Group discussions and debates
Telling stories and experiences
Making suppositions about photos and
pictures
Creating quizzes or questionnaires and asking
/ answering questions
Problem solving
Interviewing
Presentations
D1.S4.9
 The Speaking skill: potential
challenges for pupils
Potential challenge Possible solution
Shyness

Nothing to say

Use of mother tongue

D1.S4.10
 The Speaking skill: potential
challenges for pupils
Potential challenge Possible solution
Shyness Motivating topic
Encouraging atmosphere
Delay error correction
Nothing to say

Use of mother tongue

D1.S4.11
 The Speaking skill: potential
challenges for pupils
Potential challenge Possible solution
Shyness Motivating topic
Encouraging atmosphere
Delay error correction
Nothing to say Scaffold task
Allow planning time
Pre-teach difficult language
Show models
Use of mother tongue
D1.S4.12
 The Speaking skill: potential
challenges for pupils
Potential challenge Possible solution
Shyness Motivating topic
Encouraging atmosphere
Delay error correction
Nothing to say Scaffold task
Allow planning time
Pre-teach difficult language
Show models
Use of mother tongue Prizes, points, bribes!
D1.S4.13
 Speaking in the classroom

Speaking activities in the classroom

should replicate the type of speaking
that happens in real life.
This will help pupils:
do realistic tasks
develop these skills.

D1.S4.14
 Speaking skills in the Malaysian
Secondary context
Possible features of a good fluency Speaking task: True/False
Produces a lot of language
Encourages pupils to read aloud
Is easy for pupils to follow
Has lots of different rules and activities
Involves the teacher error-correcting all mistakes heard
Is economical to set up
Provides meaningful communication
Gives pupils a chance to interact with each other in groups or pairs
Can be followed by error correction after the task has finished
Should include lots of new vocabulary and grammar forms
Will involve pupils standing and speaking in front of the class one by
one
D1.S4.15
 Speaking: supporting pupils
summary ideas
Ensure you have identified the skills/strategies you
want to develop in line with Learning Standards
Emphasise different skills (turn-taking, fluency,
accuracy and so on) at different points
Pre-teach vocabulary or functional language to ensure
pupils can do the chosen Speaking tasks
Use a variety of task types to reflect what we really do
when we speak
Encourage and create an engaging atmosphere to
allow less confident pupils to feel confident
Choose topics and tasks that are meaningful to pupils
D1.S4.16
 Speaking: lesson planning task

TASK:
Work in pairs. Look at the material from Pulse 2,
p42, and complete an outline lesson plan including:

a) how it is linked to Learning Standards

b) what Speaking skills/strategies are involved
c) types of task the teacher uses
d) how the teacher monitors and gives feedback.

D1.S4.17
 Session 4: Developing Speaking
skills consistent with CEFR-aligned
curriculum frameworks
Recognise developmental needs and
challenges to Speaking skills in the
Malaysian Secondary context
Consider the development of Speaking skills
according to pupil age and CEFR
Explore activities that support Speaking skills
D2.S1.18