Level B1 Speaking and Listening

The students' performance in these tasks suggest that they are working within the range of Level B1 in Speaking and Listening. The assessing teacher will need to consider a range of student samples in order to determine whether each student is at the beginning of B1 consolidating B1 or at the B1 standard in Speaking and Listening.       

At beginning Level B1 students:      

• are settling into situations where English is the dominant language
• begin to understand that communication with teachers and peers needs to be conducted in English
• begin to learn the very basic oral English needed to manage learning in an English-speaking classroom
• begin to adapt their limited, emerging English language resources to respond to new communicative and functional demands
• begin to become familiar with patterns in the sounds, intonation, rhythm, grammar and meaning of English
• recognise the importance of non-verbal communication
• understand that different forms of language and levels of politeness are used in different situations and contexts through their home language experiences.

At consolidating Level B1 students:      

• learn through English, well supported by context
• communicate simply but effectively in familiar, basic social and classroom contexts, using simple formulaic and creative structures
• contribute relatively complex ideas through simple English, and use simple English to respond to the ideas of others
• students' English is characterised by varying grammatical accuracy, a short 'telegraphic' structure, simple subject–verb–object construction and overgeneralisation of rules
• use common adjectives to describe or add emphasis
• use repetitive grammar patterns copied from stories, songs, rhymes or the media
• demonstrate comprehensible pronunciation, stress and intonation that shows the influence of home language pronunciation
• use some basic communication strategies, asking for repetition, and questioning to check understanding, clarify or confirm
• use some basic strategies to initiate and sustain simple conversations in English, restating, repeating or re-pronouncing as appropriate. 

At Level B1 Achievement Standard students:      

• communicate verbally and non-verbally in routine social and classroom situations, understanding controlled English that is supported by its immediate context
• use formulas, well-rehearsed and common sentence patterns, and short, simple utterances to contribute relatively complex ideas, usually concerning concrete subject matter
• follow simple instructions, answer predictable questions, make basic requests and express needs simply
• show initial understanding that English changes according to context and audience, and modify their use of English in response to a range of familiar classroom and social purposes
• use appropriate social formulas and non-verbal language
• produce utterances characterised by varying grammatical accuracy
• use common adjectives and adverbs to describe or add emphasis
• use basic communication strategies, asking for repetition, and questioning to clarify and confirm understanding
• restate simply, repeat or re-pronounce when necessary.
  

Student information

The student is 10 years and eight months old. He was born in Afghanistan and speaks Hazaragi as his home language, which is a language spoken by many Hazara people in Afghanistan. His schooling prior to coming to Australia has been limited. He attended an English language school in Pakistan for one year, and he worked full time in a range of jobs for over a year to help his family. He has been in Australia for four months and has been studying in an English language school in a Year 5 class for three and a half months.       

Task

This activity is part of a unit of work on occupations. The students were asked to choose a picture of a person and describe their occupation to the class. Other students were invited to ask questions of the presenter. The students had previously learned the vocabulary related to a range of different occupations and they had read a variety of texts about different people and their work. Some students had modelled a presentation to the class about a particular occupation in previous lessons and the students had used the pictures previously so they were familiar with them.       

In this task the teacher was assessing how well the students used oral language to communicate what they knew about a particular occupation and their ability to understand and respond to simple and predictable questions. The teacher also wanted to know how well the students used adjectives and learned vocabulary in their speech, and the complexity of the language they used. More specifically, the teacher was evaluating how well the students:       

• used words they had previously learned in their speaking
• used non-verbal language to sustain interaction with others
• listened and responded to what others said
• used a range of speaking skills in asking and responding to questions.

In the transcript, the words spoken by the student being assessed are in bold. The words spoken by other students and the teacher are in normal font.

This sample of student work demonstrates that the student can:

• Use appropriate social formulas (VCEALA247)
• Use learnt words in speech (VCEALL260)
• Use a range of learnt word patterns for appropriate purposes (VCEALL254)
• Interact and respond appropriately verbally and non-verbally in simple conversations with teacher or peers (VCEALC241)
• Understand the language of classroom routines (VCEALC244)
• Participate in extended conversations with reliance on other speakers to scaffold, interpret, clarify or elaborate (VCEALC243)
• Use appropriate non-verbal communication to sustain interaction with others (VCEALA249)
• Demonstrate active listening skills, attending to tone, intonation and body language (VCEALC240)
• Use simple conjunctions (VCEALL253)
• Use comprehensible pronunciation for a range of high-frequency words learnt in class (VCEALL262)
• Distinguish spoken English from other languages and respond in English (VCEALA250)
• Identify some key points of information in short spoken texts, with guidance (VCEALC245)
• Speak or listen appropriately during class interactions (VCEALA248)
• Use a small range of descriptive language (VCEALL256)
  

   Possible next steps for this student's learning

Pathways and transitions considerations

A Year 5 student working within the range of Level B1 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.

Student information

The student was born in Afghanistan and speaks Hazaragi as his home language, which is a language spoken by many Hazara people in Afghanistan. He also speaks Farsi and Dari. He attended one year of school in Afghanistan and a further three years in Iran before coming to Australia. He has been in Australia for four months and has been studying in an English language school in a Year 5 class for four months. The student has two brothers and two sisters who all attend the English language school.      

Task

This activity is part of a unit of work on occupations. The students were asked to choose a picture of a person and describe their occupation to the class. Other students were invited to ask questions of the presenter. The students had previously learned the vocabulary related to a range of different occupations and they had read a variety of texts about different people and their work. Some students had modelled a presentation to the class about a particular occupation in previous lessons and the students had used the pictures previously so they were familiar with them.       

In this task the teacher was assessing how well the students used oral language to communicate what they knew about a particular occupation and their ability to understand and respond to simple and predictable questions. The teacher also wanted to know how well the students used adjectives and learned vocabulary in their speech, and the complexity of the language they used. More specifically, the teacher was evaluating how well the students:       

• used words they had previously learned in their speaking
• used non-verbal language to sustain interaction with others
• listened and responded to what others said
• used a range of speaking skills in asking and responding to questions.

In the transcript, the words spoken by the student being assessed are in bold. The words spoken by other students and the teacher are in normal font.

This sample of student work demonstrates that the student can:

• Use appropriate social formulas (VCEALA247)
• Use learnt words in speech (VCEALL260)
• Use a range of learnt word patterns for appropriate purposes (VCEALL254)
• Interact and respond appropriately verbally and non-verbally in simple conversations with teacher or peers (VCEALC241)
• Understand the language of classroom routines (VCEALC244)
• Participate in extended conversations with reliance on other speakers to scaffold, interpret, clarify or elaborate (VCEALC243)
• Use appropriate non-verbal communication to sustain interaction with others (VCEALA249)
• Demonstrate active listening skills, attending to tone, intonation and body language (VCEALC240)
• Use simple conjunctions (VCEALL253)
• Use comprehensible pronunciation for a range of high-frequency words learnt in class (VCEALL262)
• Distinguish spoken English from other languages and respond in English (VCEALA250)
• Identify some key points of information in short spoken texts, with guidance (VCEALC245)
• Speak or listen appropriately during class interactions (VCEALA248)
• Use a small range of descriptive language (VCEALL256)
  

   Possible next steps for this student's learning

• Using cue cards during a presentation to ensure he is using all the technical vocabulary learned (VCEALC246)
• Creating, practising and delivering a presentation about a chosen occupation (VCEALC246) 
  
• Playing games such as Celebrity Heads or Guess Who? (VCEALC246)
  
• Preparing simple questions to ask his classmates during their presentations (VCEALC243) (VCEALA248) 
  

Student information

The student was born in Iran and their home language is Persian. They had age-equivalent schooling in Iran and came to Australia 5 months ago. They are 10 years and 7 months old in Year 5. They are currently studying in a new arrivals program.

Task

The students recently participated in an excursion to the beach as part of a wider unit of work on The Beach, in which they learned about sea creatures and the marine environment as well as beach and water activities. Before this task, students revised vocabulary using the dioramas they had made as well as various objects brought by the teacher. The teacher modelled choosing items from the box and using them to create a narrative, using ideas suggested by the students. In the task, the students were asked to describe the setting of their story using the diorama and then create their own narrative.  The task was completed with a small group in a familiar environment. 

The teacher was assessing the student’s ability to:

• use learnt topic-specific vocabulary in their speaking
• replicate features of a narrative text
• use a small range of descriptive language
• use sequencing vocabulary.

The words spoken by the student being assessed are in bold.

This sample of student work demonstrates that the student can:

• Use a small range of descriptive language (VCEALL256)
• Attempt to self-correct (VCEALL258)
• Use learnt words in speech (VCEALL260)
• Rehearse or role-play short scenarios or exchanges, for example replicating features of conversation (VCEALC246)
• Construct short utterances that use common adjectives to describe or add emphasis (VCEALL252)
• Use simple conjunctions (and) (VCEALL253)
• Use comprehensible pronunciation for a range of high-frequency words learnt in class (VCEALL262)
• Participate in extended conversations with reliance on other speakers to scaffold, interpret, clarify or elaborate, for example, seeking help or clarification from other speakers through home language(VCEALC243)
• Use appropriate non-verbal communication to sustain interaction with others (VCEALA249)

Possible next steps for this student’s learning

• Rehearse short scenarios or exchanges, exchanging and responding to feedback about aspects of speech, such as phrasing, fluency, intonation, volume and pace, with group members when rehearsing (VCEALC246)
• Extend knowledge of a range of simple conjunctions (VCEALL253)
• Maintain consistent verb tense when describing events in the past (VCEALL255)

Extend range of descriptive language (VCEALL256)

Pathways and transitions considerations

A Year 5 student working within the range of Level B1 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.

Student information

The student was born in Pakistan and had age-equivalent schooling there. Their home language is Pashto. They are 10 years and 4 months old and in Year 5. They came to Australia one year ago and are currently in a new arrivals program.

Task

The students recently participated in an excursion to the beach. In preparation, students learned about dangers that might be present in the beach environment and discussed ways that they could stay safe. The excursion was part of a wider unit of work on The Beach, in which they learned about sea creatures and the marine environment as well as beach and water activities.  Students have also learned about modal verbs and practised these in their beach safety discussions. Before this task, students revised modal verbs and the rules they followed on their excursion. In this task, the students used a picture prompt to identify and describe dangers and possible consequences, and were asked to give advice to the characters to tell them how they should behave safely.  The task was completed with a small group in a familiar environment. 

The teacher was assessing the student’s ability to:

• use learnt topic-specific vocabulary in their speaking
• use learnt modal verbs in their speaking
• use non-verbal language to sustain interaction with others
• listen and respond to others
• replicate features of instructional interactions.

The words spoken by the student being assessed are in bold.

This sample of student work demonstrates that the student can:

• Responding with short or sometimes more extended responses, including answering questions, adding to other speakers’ points or giving personal opinions (VCEALC243)
• Participate in extended conversations with reliance on other speakers to scaffold, interpret, clarify or elaborate (VCEALC243)
• Speak or listen appropriately during class interactions (VCEALA248)
• Attempt to self-correct (VCEALL258)
• Use a range of learnt word patterns for appropriate purposes (VCEALL254)
• Participate in extended conversations with reliance on other speakers to scaffold, interpret, clarify or elaborate (rewording to clarify) (VCEALC243)
• Rehearse or role-play short scenarios or exchanges (VCEALC246)
• Use simple conjunctions (VCEALL253)
• Use comprehensible pronunciation for a range of high-frequency words learnt in class (VCEALL262)
• Construct short utterances that use common adjectives to describe or add emphasis (VCEALL252)
• Beginning to use the most basic forms of modality (VCEALL257)
• Use learnt words in speech (VCEALL260)
• Attempt to self-correct (rephrasing sentences) (VCEALL258)

Possible next steps for this student’s learning

• Continue to practise language structures through rehearsing or role-playing short scenarios or exchanges (VCEALC246)
• Practise maintaining consistent tense (VCEALL255)
• Practise the correct personal pronouns to refer to people and things (VCEALL256)

Continue to practise the most basic forms of modality (VCEALL257) 

Pathways and transitions considerations

A Year 5 student working within the range of Level B1 in any one language mode is not ready to transition to the English curriculum regardless of their proficiency in the other two language modes. This student will continue on Pathway B of the EAL curriculum in all language modes.