Knowing your correct English language proficiency level

Reaching your utmost potential is the ultimate aim of body-building training, but starting with the right weight is the most important initial step to getting stronger each day.

The language learning process has similarities to weight training: just as it is important to prepare your body using the right weights, starting the language learning process at the right point is also essential. Starting at a higher level will make the process too challenging, and it will also make the teacher’s job of reaching the learner problematic. Likewise, input below the learner’s level will not be constructive for them. Therefore, the most important initial step of the language-learning process is knowing where to start.

But asking learners to evaluate their own proficiency level may not always reveal accurate results because a language learner may believe that their proficiency is higher – or lower – than it actually is. The cultural background of the learner is one of the main factors influencing inaccurate assessment.

Another reason why self assessment may not be accurate is, again, related to cultural norms: learners having too low or too high expectations of themselves. If language learners are not educated in a culture that encourages them to be autonomous learners and to set goals for their own learning, they might feel insecure in determining what to expect as foreign language learners.

With any task, it is important to have detailed criteria to correctly assess strengths and weaknesses. The Global Scale of English (GSE) is a remarkable tool that measures a learner’s proficiency via a granular structure. By identifying what they can already do – and what else they need to be able to achieve in order to progress to the next level – language learners can determine the right point at which to start their learning journey.

Visit www.english.com/blog/english-language-proficiency to learn more.

The alignment of Starters, Movers and Flyers and Key for Schools

Cambridge English presents the results of studies into a comparison of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Starters, Movers, Flyers and Key for Schools. These studies show that Young Learners English (YLE) tests cover pre-A1 to A2 levels. Strong performances at Movers indicate A1 and a strong performance at Flyers indicate A2. The correlation of Key for Schools grades, and shields at YLE is also identified.

We are now able to define the relationship between Flyers and Key for Schools with more precision. Young Learners English exams do not precisely map onto one CEFR level and in consequence a broader range of performances should be expected and managed in the classroom.

The studies were carried out to ensure that scores from all Young Learners English exams could be compared in a simple and clear fashion. This has also made a clear and simple relationship between the Young Learners results and the CEFR. When the exams were aligned and compared the results showed that there is a change of two shields as you move from one level to the next: two shields at Flyers is equivalent to four shields at Movers; and two shields at Movers is equivalent to four shields on Starters.

The link to the CEFR is now precise with each CEFR level representing a range of two shields. For example, CEFR level A2 covers four and five shields on Flyers; and CEFR level A1 covers two and three shields. The alignment diagram, which appears on the back of every Young Learners’ certificate, also shows how young learners’ shields compare to scores for Key for Schools and the Cambridge English scale. The alignment works for listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV0Ha1SnlsE to learn more.

Presenter: Mark Elliott & Kathryn Davies (2018, Jan 24). The alignment of Starters, Movers, Flyers and Key for Schools and the impact on learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV0Ha1SnlsE

Taking digital risks in the language classroom

New technology has become important in the classroom and will continue to be so as major advances are made with increasing frequency. Some teachers, however, remain cautious about integrating digital tools into their teaching practice. In a new Cambridge English webinar you can learn strategies for moving teachers o ut of their ‘comfort zone’ and into a place where they can expand their range of skills in the classroom.

Teachers have shown varying degrees of reluctance to use technology, and research has shown that many teachers eschew its use. So why is this the case?

The technosceptics are wary of technology because they feel there is not enough proof of the pedagogical benefits. They believe teachers need to actually see concrete benefits and that technology should be used as support for teaching and not as a way of reducing the role of teachers in learning.

Some challenges from early attempts at moving technology into the classroom revolve around reliability of media and platforms, and that experience has led some teachers to avoid its use. Other teachers are reluctant because they lack confidence in their own ability to use technology well.

Technology can, in fact, be a useful tool and if it is exploited appropriately good teachers can reap benefits for their learners. The range of accessible tools is numerous and there is good evidence to support their use. Putting the learner at the centre of exploring the tools is a good starting point for the Cambridge Digital Framework.

For more information, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1TbWUrkwG4

Presenter: Tilly Harrison. (2017, Dec 14). Taking digital risks in the language classroom [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1TbWUrkwG4