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Canadian Language Benchmark 8
Reading: High Level
Global Performance Descriptor
- Learner can follow main ideas, key words and important details in
an authentic two- to three-page text on a familiar topic, but within
an only partially predictable context.
- May read popular newspaper and magazine articles and popular easy
fiction as well as academic and business materials.
- Can extract relevant points, but often requires clarification of
idioms and of various cultural references.
- Can locate and integrate several specific pieces of information in
visually complex texts (e.g., tables, directories) or across paragraphs
or sections of text.
- Text can be on abstract, conceptual or technical topics, containing
facts, attitudes and opinions. Inference may be required to identify
the writer’s bias and the purpose/function of text.
- Learner reads in English for information, to learn the language,
to develop reading skills.
- Uses a unilingual dictionary when reading for precision vocabulary
building.
Performance Conditions
- Text is one page, five to 10 paragraphs long and is related to personal
experience or familiar context.
- Text is legible, easy to read; is in print or neat handwriting.
- Instructions are clear and explicit, but not always presented step
by step.
- Pictures may accompany text.
- Context is relevant, but not always familiar and predictable.
- Text has clear organization.
- Text content is relevant (e.g., commercials/advertising features,
business/form letters, brochures).
- Informational text is eight to 15 paragraphs long with clear organization
in print or electronic form.
- Pictures often accompany text.
- Language is both concrete and abstract, conceptual and technical.
- Text types: news articles, stories, short articles, reports, editorials,
opinion essays.
Competency Outcomes and Standards
| I. Social Interaction Texts |
What the person can do
Obtain factual details and inferred meanings in moderately complex
notes, e-mail messages and letters containing general opinions and
assessments of situations, response to a complaint and expressions
of sympathy. |
Examples of tasks and tests
Community, Study, Workplace: Read authentic notes, e-mail messages
and letters (personal and public) containing general opinions, assessments
of current affairs, response to a complaint/conflict, or expression
of sympathy. Identify correctly specific factual details/inferred
meanings. |
Performance Indicators
Identifies specific factual details and inferred meanings in text.
Identifies purpose of text, context of the situation, reader-writer
relationship.
Identifies mood/attitude of writer and register of the text. |
| II. Instructions |
What the person can do
Follow an extended set of multi-step instructions for established
process.
Follow coherent extended instructional directions. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Community, Workplace: Explain how to assemble a simple object,
according to written instructions and diagrams.
Follow instructions for CPR and what to do in case of a serious injury
in a car accident. |
Performance Indicators
Follows an extended set of multi-step instructions for an established
process or procedure.
Completes tasks. |
| III. Business/service texts |
What the person can do
Identify factual and inferred meanings in written proposed solutions,
recommendations and proposals; and in statements of rules, regulations,
laws and norms of behaviour.
Locate and integrate three or four pieces of information contained
in moderately complex formatted texts. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Workplace: Interpret selections from texts about safety precautions
at a workplace (e.g., WHMIS: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information
System), by locating and integrating three to four pieces of information
from the text.
Community, Workplace: Read and explain a written declaration
of the rights and responsibilities of a client, customer, patient,
student. |
Performance Indicators
Identifies main intent, main idea, factual details and some inferred
meanings in the texts.
Identifies writer’s purpose/intent/attitude.
Identifies communicative value of text, and its parts.
Finds and integrates three or four pieces of specific information
in extensive and visually complex directories. |
| IV. Informational texts |
What the person can do
Demonstrate comprehension of factual details and inferred meanings
in an extended description, report or narration when events are reported
out of sequence. Draw conclusions.
Express in alternative forms verbal ideas and graphics contained in
charts, graphs.
Information literacy/reference and study skills competencies
Access/locate several pieces of information in on-line electronic
reference sources. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Study: Identify main ideas of a five- to 10-paragraph text about
a current event; summarize the text into 150 to 200 words.
Based on the information, hypothesize how something may work or may
have worked.
Based on the information, complete an unfinished classification/categorization
diagram.
Interpret orally or in written text a process flow chart related to
basic science or social science.
Community, Study, Workplace: Access/locate several pieces
of information in on-line electronic reference sources. |
Performance Indicators
Identifies factual details and inferred meanings in text (70%-80%).
Identifies main idea.
Identifies organization of text, topic sentences and logical relationship
links between paragraphs.
Follows the sequence of narration or process even when events are
out of sequence.
Distinguishes facts from opinions.
Extracts detailed information.
Infers meaning of words from contextual clues.
Hypothesizes how something works.
Evaluates ideas in text, draws conclusions and expresses personal opinion.
Interprets key information in a diagram or graph as verbal text; transfers
key ideas diagrammatic display.
Accesses/locates several pieces of information in on-line electronic
reference sources.
Uses effective search strategy and tools. |
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