New tasks and assessment criteria for YLE

In January 2018, Cambridge will bring in changes to YLE to keep it relevant to the evolving needs of learners and schools; to incorporate evolving approaches to curriculum design and assessment for young learners; to address feedback from stakeholders; and to position YLE more closely with the Main Suite exams to create a clear language learning journey.

For the Listening, Part 1 of Starters will have the same task type as Part 1 of Movers and Flyers but targeted at pre-A1 level. Instead of placing objects on a picture, candidates will now identify people in the scene. To complete the task, candidates must look at a colourful picture of people doing different things, read the names, listen to a conversation about the people in the picture, identify a person and read the person’s name, then draw a line from a name to the correct person. For movers and flyers,

Cambridge has dropped the drawing in Part 5 because it caused anxiety. The Movers Part 3 will be similar to the Flyers Part 3 task.

For Reading and Writing at Movers level, the task order has been changed so that the easiest task is at beginning; the total number of questions is reduced from 40 to 35, and the current Part 2 has been removed and replaced with a new writing task – Part 6.

For Reading and Writing at Flyers level, the task order has been changed so that the easier tasks are at the beginning of the test and the current Part 2 has been removed to make way for a new writing task – Part 7.

For Speaking, there are more opportunities to speak at all levels. Starters are now asked their name. Movers will also be asked their age, and Flyers have to give their first and last name.

The Speaking assessment criteria has been widened and candidates are scored on a scale from 0 to 5. Starters candidates are not graded on grammar and cohesion in the Speaking assessment, but are expected to know word stress, though not intonation. Movers and Flyers are assessed using a full set of criteria.

For details, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYfzO9eWUus and watch the webinar.

5 trends in literacy education for 2017

Literacy, one of the most valuable outcomes of good education, is vital because it helps build critical thinking skills through regular reading and writing. Investing time and effort on this in the classroom brings great reward.

1. Kinesthetic learning – What is clear today is that the old style of ‘chalk and talk’ has less than efficient effects on learning. In the past, we used to label students who moved around a lot as problematic, but now we understand that students learn in different ways, and incorporating movement into learning makes learning more engaging.

2. Early learning – Experts all agree that when children are exposed to books at an early age their literacy level increases greatly and that helps throughout school life. When parents read to their children, they expose them to new vocabulary and they also model language use. Digital storybooks are also effective especially if the parents are busy.

3. Personalised learning – This has been around for a while but it is worth emphasizing that personalised learning and self-directed study using technology and certain software platforms, as well as small group teaching, is key to boosting literacy. Furthermore, because students in a classroom are of different levels, everyone is able to learn at their own pace.

4. Representative text – Teachers should provide materials that reflect and relate to the students’ experiences and interests. When they see themselves in what they are reading, students feel more engaged and identify with it. If this does not happen, they may feel school is not designed for them.

5. Media literacy – In this era of fake news, it is vitally important for students to identify what is real news and what is fake. However many schools give this low, or no, priority. Media literacy focuses on sourcing and delivery of material rather than the actual content, and as such develops critical thinking.

Go to www.educationdive.com/news/5-trends-in-literacy-education-for-2017/442117/ for more details

Making the world a better place through an international education

Have you ever wondered if the world’s problems – the divisions in society and growing intolerance towards others – could be solved by giving our children an international education promoting globalization and cultural diversity? An IB education can achieve this through developing inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who will help create a more peaceful world.

According to Robert Harrison, head of MYP development, an international education can create a beacon of hope and positively change the next generation to make this world a better place.

Harrison suggests that populations have difficulty adapting to the pace of change in many parts of the world and one of the major challenges we face is learning how to manage such rapid change. Learning how to manage change, he proposes, can be through internationally-minded education, such as the IB program which promotes global thinking, respect, and tolerance. It helps students answer the question ‘How are we going to live together in this globalized world?’.

Harrison also says that an international education can help students make the world a better place by learning about empathy, compassion, respect, being resourceful and strong when encountering difficulties, and developing thoughtful consideration of their own ideas and the ideas of others. IB World Schools can lay claim to inspiring creative entrepreneurs and ethical leaders, and shaping community members to become responsible, active and well-informed.

Go to http://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2017/01/11/why-international-education-is-needed-now-more-than-ever/ to read more.