Level C1 Speaking and Listening

The student work samples on this page are also available to download:

C1 Speaking and Listening proficiency levels and Achievement Standard

The students' performance in these tasks suggest that they are working within the range of Level C1 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 C1, consolidating C1 or at the C1 standard in Speaking and Listening.

At beginning Level C1 students:    

  • can communicate using formulaic language and simple, well-rehearsed grammatical features of their limited English repertoire
  • understand common instructions and questions, and simple descriptions and explanations when strongly supported in familiar contexts, but cannot necessarily respond in English
  • recognise the use of stress and intonation within language according to context and situation, and have begun to use it in some familiar interactions and to imitate models with some accuracy
  • understand the basic subject–verb–object grammatical pattern, common regular and irregular verbs, and basic prepositions and connectives related to most routine social and school needs, but cannot use them accurately
  • use some very basic strategies to initiate and sustain simple conversations in English, such as a smile or nod, and can repeat and re-pronounce as necessary.

At consolidating Level C1 students:    

  • have begun to take their own initiative to initiate interaction with others (for example, ask for a library book or give simple instructions), and respond confidently when encountering familiar, formulaic and routine questions
  • are still dependent on slow careful speech and face-to-face contact, but have begun to identify essential information from short simple texts relevant to their personal experience or familiar topics with teacher support
  • demonstrate an ability to recognise the situational and contextual use of word stress, rhythm, and intonation by attempting to adjust their own responses accordingly
  • observe others and are attempting to add to their own repertoire of listening and speaking behaviours, including the giving of and responding to non-verbal cues
  • still provide frequent examples of a transfer of knowledge of the structure of spoken texts and discourse patterns from their home language to English.

At Level C1 Achievement Standard students:                

  • communicate simply but effectively in English in social and classroom contexts across the curriculum
  • negotiate meaning and interact with others using formulaic language; short, simple and well-rehearsed grammatical features; and creative adaptations of their English repertoire
  • use some stress and intonation appropriately in familiar interactions
  • use subject–verb–object utterances, basic prepositions and some common regular and irregular verbs
  • understand and use introduced vocabulary, common basic grammatical patterns and connectives, such as time and sequence markers
  •  use these with varying grammatical accuracy to express ideas and preferences, and provide simple explanations and descriptions
  • understand common instructions and questions, descriptions or explanations in familiar contexts and areas related to their prior knowledge and experience
  • use some basic strategies to initiate and sustain conversations, repeating or re-pronouncing as necessary.

Informative text - Describing the human digestive system (1)

Student information

The student was born in Afghanistan and is 13 years and eight months old. He has been Australia for eight months. His first language is Dari. He also speaks Pashtu although he cannot read and write in Pashtu. The student attended school for five years in Pakistan where Dari was the language of instruction. He has missed two years of age equivalent schooling. He attended a weekly English class in Pakistan for a short time before he came to Australia and had some very basic English when he began attending an English language school. He is currently in a Year 7 class at the English language school.    

Task

The class was asked to reconstruct the human digestive system using graphics on the computer and then to explain how the digestive system works with reference to a model. The students had previously learned about how the digestive system works with the vocabulary for the relevant organs. The students have discussed the location and function of the organs. In this context, the students learnt the use of the passive voice and ways of indicating the sequence of steps in a process. The teacher is evaluating the capacity of the students to follow simple spoken instructions, understand and use relevant scientific terminology, use language appropriate to the study of science or biology and use appropriate subject-verb agreements.     

She is specifically assessing how well the student uses:     

  • language specific to the topic
  • the simple present and passive
  • words that indicate the sequence of events
  • conjunctions to link ideas
  • correct forms of subject verb agreement.

In the transcript, the words spoken by the student being assessed are in bold.     

  •            
  •            

This sample of student work demonstrates that the student can:

  • Comprehend a simple spoken text (VCEALC547)
  • Respond appropriately in a range of commonly encountered situations using short, familiar formulas or expressions (VCEALA552)
  • Negotiate transactions for different purposes (VCEALC545)
  • Sequence events chronologically using time markers (VCEALL558)
  • Use simple cohesive devices to link spoken text (VCEALL559)
  • Attempt different verb forms, with some consistency (VCEALL561)
  • Use words from lexical sets related to communicative need, interest, experience or learning (VCEALL564)
  • Speak with greater confidence and fluency (VCEALL565)
  • Repeat or re-pronounce words or phrases through self-correction, if not understood (VCEALL566)
  • Contribute to a short dialogue or classroom interaction on a familiar topic (VCEALC551)
  • Employ non-verbal strategies to elicit support from the listener (VCEALA553)

Overall, this student can also:

  • Extract essential information from short, simple texts relevant to personal experience (VCEALC548)
  • Comprehend and produce short spoken text types (VCEALL557)

  Possible next steps for this student's learning

  • Delivering a structured, short talk explaining the digestive system, including the introduction, body and conclusion (VCEALL557)
  • Learning about, and describing other processes that occur in the body using learned sentence structures, for example, how oxygen is used by the body (VCEALL564)
  • Practising using linking words to connect ideas, for example, then, after that, finally … (VCEALL559)
  • Completing writing activities about topics that are discussed orally in class (VCEALC590)
  • Recording the presentation and discussing things done well and areas for improvement (VCEALA594)

Pathways and transitions considerations

A Year 7 student who is working within the range of Level C1 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 C of the EAL curriculum.

Informative text - Describing the human digestive system (2)

Student information

This student is from Iran, and her first language is Farsi. She is 12 and a half years old. She has been in Australia for just over eight months. The student attended school for five years in Iran, where Farsi was the language of instruction. She has been in a Year 7 level class in an English language school for just over two months. She attended an English language centre interstate for six months prior to starting at her current English language school.     

Task

The class was asked to reconstruct the human digestive system using graphics on the computer and then to explain how the digestive system works with reference to a model. The students had previously learned about how the digestive system works with the vocabulary for the relevant organs. The students have discussed the location and function of the organs. In this context, the students learnt the use of the passive voice and ways of indicating the sequence of steps in a process.     

The teacher is evaluating the capacity of the students to follow simple spoken instructions, understand and use relevant scientific terminology, use language appropriate to the study of science or biology and use appropriate subject-verb agreements.     

She is specifically assessing how well the student uses:     

  • language specific to the topic
  • the simple present and passive
  • words that indicate the sequence of events
  • conjunction to link ideas
  • correct forms of subject verb agreement.

In the transcript, the words spoken by the student being assessed are in bold. 

  •            
  •            

This sample of student work demonstrates that the student can:

  • Comprehend a simple spoken text (VCEALC547)
  • Respond appropriately to a range of commonly encountered situations using short, familiar formulas or expressions (VCEALA552)
  • Identify key vocabulary and ideas from short, familiar spoken texts, supported by context (VCEALL563)
  • Contribute to a short dialogue or classroom interaction on a familiar topic (VCEALC551)
  • Use simple cohesive devices to link spoken text (VCEALL559)
  • Attempt different verb forms, with some consistency (VCEALL561)
  • Use words from lexical sets related to communicative need, interest, experience or learning (VCEALL564)
  • Employ non-verbal strategies to elicit support from the listener (VCEALA553)
  • Sequence events chronologically using time markers (VCEALL558)
  • Speak with greater confidence and fluency (VCEALL565)
  • Repeat or re-pronounce words or phrases through self-correction, if not understood (VCEALL566)

Overall, this student can also:

  • Extract essential information from short, simple texts relevant to personal experience (VCEALC548)
  • Comprehend and produce short spoken text types (VCEALL557)
  • Identify key vocabulary and ideas from short, familiar spoken texts, supported by context (VCEALL563)

   Possible next steps for this student's learning

  • Learning about, and describing other processes that occur in the body using learned sentence structures, for example, how oxygen is used by the body (VCEALL564)
  • Practising using linking words to connect ideas, for example, then, after that, finally …  (VCEALL559)
  • Completing writing activities about topics that are discussed orally in class  (VCEALC590)

Pathways and transitions considerations

A Year 7 student who is working within the range of Level C1 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 C of the EAL curriculum.

Persuasive text – Mobile phones at school

Student information

The student had age-equivalent schooling in Iran before coming to Australia 8 months ago. Their home language is Persian. They are 12 years and 8 months old, and in Year 7. They are currently in a new arrivals program.

Task

The student has been learning about persuasive texts in their English class. They wrote their own persuasive texts about a topic of their choice and delivered it as a speech to the class. In this task, the student delivers their speech using the notes they prepared for class.

The teacher is assessing the student’s ability to: 

  • construct simple sentences
  • produce a short, spoken text
  • use simple cohesive devices 
  • use modal verbs.

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

Transcript

00:05 - ­03:51   

Good morning everyone.    

Today, I'm talking about mobile phones at school. I strongly believe that mobile phone are usually helpful at school. There are three reason I have. Firstly, a student can learn with a learning game. Secondly, a student can use their phone at, on their free time. And lastly student can use their phone to write better handout and they can study better.   

Reason one: Firstly student can learn with their learning game. If a student learn with games and they will not bored and learn more. There are many games that help educate us students like Kahoot, Adventure Academic, Buzzmath and Camp Wonderopolis. Because of this mobile phone are usually helpful at school.   

In addition, a student can use their phone on their free time at recess time or lunch time. If a student can't use their mobile phones at recess time or lunch time, they will use it sneakily. Or if they don't use their mobile phone they will be bored and tired. So mobile phone are usually helpful for a students.   

Finally, a student can use their phones to write better handouts so they can study better. Student can record teacher voice or take image from whiteboard, ah, and they can revise each lesson with handout.   

This is why mobile phone are usually helpful for a students.   

We have seen a student can learn with learning game, a student can use their phone at recess time and student can write better handout and better education. I hope you will agree with my reasons.Thank you.   

What do you think are two good rules for using mobile phones at school?   

I think first good rule is um student can, a student. Each class must have a cupboard or a packet to students put their phone on it. And when teachers say no, you can't use their, you can't use your phone.   

And secondly, I think school internet must filter some apps and just open learning games and learning app and like this and…finish.   

Fantastic rules, thank you. So how do you use your mobile phone to help you write or study at home?   

Oh, I always, when I go home, look at the new words and in dictionary. Every question I have I Google it and find a dictionary. In Persian, English and with both of them I look at them and yes.   

Great. Thank you. And why do you think mobile phones are banned in all schools?   

I think maybe, um, you know, mobile phone can use in very good way and use very, very bad way. Maybe some students use their phone in bad way like um they're bullying students, they're chatting and cheating in their class. And I think it's very important to use in good way, not bad way. Yes.   

Absolutely. Thank you Bardia.   

   

This sample of student work demonstrates that the student can:

  • Comprehend and produce short spoken text types (VCEALL557)
  • Use simple cohesive devices to link spoken text (VCEALL559)
  • Attempt different verb forms, with some consistency (VCEALL561)
  • Use a small range of common descriptive language (VCEALL562)
  • Use words from lexical sets related to communicative need, interest, experience or learning (VCEALL564)
  • Speak with greater confidence and fluency (VCEALL565)
  • Respond appropriately in a range of commonly encountered situations using short, familiar formulas or expressions (VCEALA552)
  • Transfer knowledge from home language to English learning - using home language in learning, for example taking notes or writing vocabulary lists (VCEALA556)

Possible next steps for this student’s learning

  • Practise correct use of prepositions of place (VCEALL560)
  • Practise using an increased range of common synonyms (such as ‘hot’ and ‘warm’) and antonyms (such as ‘fast’ and ‘slow’) to communicate a range of meanings (VCEALL564)
  • Practise using an increasing range of common descriptive language (VCEALL562)

Pathways and transitions considerations

A Year 7 student who is working within the range of Level C1 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 C of the EAL curriculum.

Imaginative text – Storytelling

Student information

The student had age-equivalent schooling in China before coming to Australia 6 months ago. Their home language is Chinese. They are 13 years and 6 months old, and in Year 8. They are currently studying at an English language school.

Task

In this task, the student and teacher discuss a series of pictures and collaborate to create a story. The student then retells the story independently.

The teacher is assessing the student’s ability to: 

  • create simple sentences
  • sequence events using time markers
  • use simple cohesive devices 
  • use past tense
  • use a small range of descriptive language.

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

Transcript

00:05 - 03:36  

I want you to tell me what you can see in each picture.  

Okay.  

So let's start with the first one what can you see?  

Um, I can see a girl look out the window, to outside the raining is very very big.  

What about in the third picture, what can you see?  

The third picture uh, I can see the, the girl, the girl go, go, out, out pick the dog inside.   

Yeah the girl went outside, picked up the dog and brought the dog inside.  

The dog, the dog is wet.  

The dog is wet, yes.  

A blue clothed boy open the door. He is surprised.   

He is surprised.  

Yes. The boy is surprised.  

The last picture I can see the dog and the blue clothed boy is happy because the, because the, the girl is, is sad. Here, I think he loved the dog too.  

One rainy day a Mary is look out of the window.   

When she looked out the window, she saw a little dog walking in the rain on the street.  

Mary looks quickly, quickly gets the dog in the home.   

One day Mary, Mary sees the, the dog, the dog picture sticking on the outside, in the outside.  

One rainy day Mary looks out of the window and she sees a dog walk, a walk in the rainy outside.  

Mary quickly, quickly gets the girl into the home.  

Mary and this dog is wet too. In home… .in home Mary gives some, this dog, the dog some dog food, he eat.   

One, one day Ma, Mary looks at this dog's picture and it's lost. Her name is Jay. Jay, Jay is a, is a person's dog. Mary is a quick, is a quickly go to the dog's home. He is, he want, he want to open the door.   

Suddenly he open the door, Where it's a blue clothed boy. He looks the girl and the dog. Fine, er, finally the boy and the dog is very happy because the girl is dry and sad.  

Well done. Thank you.  

  

This sample of student work demonstrates that the student can:

  • Respond appropriately to a range of commonly encountered questions using short, familiar formulas or expressions - borrowing words or phrases from the question to respond (VCEALC544)
  • Use basic collaborative language in cooperative group work (VCEALC549)
  • Exchange information in oral interactions (VCEALC550)
  • Contribute to a short dialogue or classroom interaction on a familiar topic (VCEALC551)
  • Use words from lexical sets related to learning (VCEALL564)
  • Comprehend and produce short spoken text types (VCEALL557)
  • Sequence events chronologically using time markers (VCEALL558)
  • Beginning to use some simple cohesive devices to link spoken text (VCEALL559)
  • Choose correct syntactic forms for questions, statements and commands (VCEALL560)
  • Attempt different verb forms, with some consistency (VCEALL561)
  • Repeat or re-pronounce words or phrases through self-correction, if not understood (VCEALL566)

Possible next steps for this student’s learning

  • Continue to practise contributing in familiar situations with support to develop confidence and fluency (VCEALC551)
  • Continue to practise constructing short spoken texts on familiar topics (VCEALL557)
  • Continue to practise different verb forms to build consistency (VCEALL561)
  • Practise constructing simple noun groups using adjectives (VCEALL562)

Pathways and transitions considerations

A Year 8 student who is working within the range of Level C1 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 C of the EAL curriculum. 

Related pages

Student work samples: Level C1 Reading and Viewing 
Student work samples: Level C1 Writing 
Student work samples: Level C2 Speaking and Listening 
Student work samples: Level CL Speaking and Listening