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Canadian Language Benchmark 4
Writing: Basic Level
Global Performance Descriptor
- Learner can effectively convey in writing simple ideas and information
about personal experience within predictable contexts of everyday needs.
- Can write simple descriptions and narration of events, stories, future
plans about self and family, or other highly familiar topics.
- Can write short messages; postcards, notes, directions, and letters.
- Can fill out simple application forms.
- Can copy information from dictionaries, encyclopedias, and manuals.
- Can take a slow, simple dictation with frequent repetitions.
- Shows ability to use successfully one-clause sentences or coordinated
clauses with basic tenses.
Performance Conditions
- Circumstances range from informal to more formal occasions.
- Addressee is familiar.
- Topics are of immediate everyday relevance.
- Letter is one paragraph long.
- Note is three to five sentences long.
- Texts to copy are one to two paragraphs, with easy layout, in legible
handwriting or print.
- Texts may come from various sources and may be of a more specialized
or technical nature.
- Forms are simple in format, 20 items long.
- Text is one paragraph long, on a familiar and personally relevant
topic.
Competency Outcomes and Standards
| I. Social interaction |
What the person can do
Convey personal messages in an informal or formal personal short letter
or a note to express invitations, thanks, regrets, cancellations and
apologies. |
Examples of tasks and tests
Write a short letter to your friend to tell her or him about your
new apartment, car, job or trip.
Write a formal invitation for a special family function (e.g., housewarming
party, graduation, wedding, special birthday, etc.).
Write a personal note to thank your host for a dinner or a party. |
Performance Indicators
Conveys the message: reader can follow.
Uses language and content that are appropriate to the occasion, intent
and social context.
Uses simple grammar structures, punctuation and spelling with few
errors.
Conveys main ideas and supports them with detail in a basic paragraph
structure. |
| II. Recording information |
What the person can do
Copy short texts to record information for personal use, or to complete
tasks, or to learn information. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Copy definitions from two to three different sources (e.g., dictionaries
or encyclopedias), and compare them.
Copy information about a product or service from catalogues, directories,
instructions and manuals for comparison purposes. |
Performance Indicators
Competently copies information, including capitalization, lower case,
punctuation, and phonetic and other notations.
Has legible handwriting or printing. Makes no major omissions in copying
information. There are only a few occasional copying mistakes or slight
uncertainty in decoding. |
| III. Business/service messages |
What the person can do
Fill out simple forms.
Convey simple business messages as written notes. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Fill out an application form: car rental, direct deposit request.
Write a short note to your child’s teacher notifying her or
him about an absence.
Write down a message from one person to pass on to another. |
Performance Indicators
Fills out form with required information.
Spells and follows punctuation conventions.
Has legible handwriting or printing. Makes no major omissions in providing
information.
Conveys a simple message.
Uses simple structures with few errors in grammar. |
| IV. Presenting information |
What the person can do
Write a short text about a personal or familiar situation, event,
personal experience, future plans. Explain reasons. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Describe an event or tell a story (e.g., write about coming to
Canada).
Write about your work experience in the past.
Write about what you would like to do and why (e.g., future plans
and the reasons for them). |
Performance Indicators
Describes a situation: reader can follow.
Conveys main ideas, supporting detail.
Uses basic paragraph structure.
Uses simple structures; few errors.
Uses adequate vocabulary for the topic.
Spells correctly; follows punctuation conventions.
Has legible handwriting or printing. |
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