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Skilled Worker Class » Will
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Canadian Language Benchmark 8
Speaking: High Level
Global Performance Descriptor
- Learner can communicate effectively in most daily practical and social
situations, and in familiar routine work situations.
- Can participate in conversations with confidence.
- Can speak on familiar topics at both concrete and abstract levels
(10 to 15 minutes).
- Can provide descriptions, opinions and explanations; can synthesize
abstract complex ideas, can hypothesize.
- In social interaction, learner demonstrates increased ability to
respond appropriately to the formality level of the situation.
- Can use a variety of sentence structures, including embedded and
report structures, and an expanded inventory of concrete, idiomatic
and conceptual language.
- Grammar and pronunciation errors rarely impede communication.
- Discourse is reasonably fluent.
- Uses phone on less familiar and some non-routine matters.
Performance Conditions
- Interaction is with one or more people, face to face or on the phone.
It is often at a normal rate.
- Speech is partly predictable and does not always support the utterance.
- Considerable level of stress affects performance when verbal interaction
may result in personal consequences (e.g., on the job).
- Audience is small familiar and unfamiliar informal groups.
- Setting and context are familiar, clear and predictable.
- Topic is familiar, concrete and abstract.
- Pictures and other visuals are used.
- Length of presentation is 15 to 20 minutes.
Interaction one-on-one
- Interaction is face to face or on the phone.
- Interaction is formal or semi-formal.
- Learner can partially prepare the exchange.
Interaction in a group
- Interaction takes place in a familiar group of up to 10 people.
- The topic or issue is familiar, non-personal, concrete and abstract.
- Interaction is informal or semi-formal.
Competency Outcomes and Standards
| I. Social Interaction |
What the person can do
Interpersonal competencies
Introduce a person (e.g., guest, speaker) formally to a large unfamiliar
audience.
Express/respond to a formal welcome/toast.
Express sympathy formally.
Respond to a minor conflict or complaint.
Comfort and reassure a person in distress.
Conversation management
Manage conversation. Check comprehension.
Use a variety of strategies to keep conversation going.
Encourage others to participate.
Phone competencies
Carry on a brief phone conversation in a professional manner. |
Examples of tasks and tests
Interpersonal competencies
Community, Study, Workplace: Formally welcome or introduce a person
(e.g., guest, speaker) to a large unfamiliar group.
Make a toast.
Express sympathy formally.
Respond to a minor conflict (e.g., acknowledge or clarify a problem,
apologize, suggest a solution).
Conversation management
Can you follow? Is it clear? And what happened next? Did you want
to comment, Li? How about you, Mary? What do you think, Tran?
Phone competencies
Workplace: Answer a routine business call; direct the call appropriately. |
Performance Indicators
Interpersonal competencies
Introduces a person (e.g., guest, speaker) formally to a small familiar
group.
Expresses/responds to a formal welcome or toast.
Expresses/responds to sympathy.
Responds to a minor conflict; comforts and reassures.
Uses appropriate non-verbal behaviour.
Adjusts conversation to appropriate formality level.
Conversation management
Manages conversation.
Checks if listener can follow.
Keeps conversation going with a range of strategies, including follow-up
questions.
Includes others.
Phone competencies
Greets/identifies organization.
Provides clear information to simple routine questions.
Clarifies/confirms information.
Refers/transfers calls.
Closes conversation.
Speaks intelligibly. |
| II. Instructions |
What the person can do
Give/pass on instructions about an established familiar process or
procedure (technical and non-technical). |
Examples of tasks and texts
Workplace: Give instructions on how to administer first aid.
Give instructions/directions to tourists on points of interests, trails,
museums, restaurants, etc.
Give instructions on operating a cash register. |
Performance Indicators
Gives spoken directions.
(Conveys the sequence of steps; uses clear reference, correct stress
and intonation: listener can follow the instructions.) |
| III. Suasion (getting things done) |
What the person can do
Indicate problems and solutions in a familiar area.
Propose/recommend that certain changes be made in a familiar area. |
Examples of tasks and texts
I think that the real question here is … In my opinion, the problem
is …
Provide your opinions and suggestions as a respondent in a phone survey
on health-care services or bank services, etc. |
Performance Indicators
Identifies the problem.
Indicates possible solutions.
Recommends best solution.
Provides required details.
Speaks intelligibly; listener can follow all details. |
| IV. Information |
What the person can do
Presentations
Give a presentation to describe and explain a complex structure, system
or process based on research. Use a diagram to support the explanations.
Tell a story, which includes an anecdote.
Interaction one-on-one
Ask for or provide detailed information related to personal needs,
varied daily activities and routine work requirements.
Discuss options.
Interaction in a group
Participate in a debate/discussion/meeting on an abstract familiar
topic or issue.
Express and analyse opinions and feelings.
Express doubts and concerns; oppose or support a stand or a proposed
solution. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Presentations
Study: Make a 15-minute oral presentation on the researched topic.
Analyse opinions, synthesize information.
Present a summary of the weekly newscast.
Describe and explain the internal structures of organisms or objects,
using cross-sectional sketches in a 20-minute formal presentation.
Compare two similar processes, (e.g., two processes of water treatment/purification).
Tell a story, including an anecdote.
Interaction one-on-one
Community, Study: Obtain multiple opinions about a medical
condition, treatment options, prognosis.
Interaction in a group
Study: Discuss values and attitudes in different cultures (intercultural
education).
Workplace: Participate in a group during a training meeting/workshop.
Give a three-minute summary talk as a spokesperson for the group. |
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Performance Indicators
Presentations
Addresses the purpose of the task.
Expresses main ideas and supports them with details.
Provides an introduction, development and conclusion.
Narrates, describes coherently (agents, actions, circumstance, process
and sequence are clear).
Provides accurate and detailed descriptions, explanations or account
of events in the story sequence.
Uses style of presentation and formality in addressing the listener.
Demonstrates good use of complex structures, with only minor difficulties.
Demonstrates adequate vocabulary for the topic, including sufficient
technical language to describe a process.
Speaks with adequate fluency and intelligibility.
Interaction one-on-one
Explains or asks about the nature of inquiry or concern and information
needed.
Initiates questions to gather, analyse and compare information needed
for some decision making.
Responds to questions with required information.
Summarizes and repeats the information.
Closes.
Speech is intelligible; listener can follow all details.
Interaction in a group
Participates in a seminar-style or business meeting (e.g., debate/discussion/meeting).
Expresses opinions, feelings, doubts and concerns.
Qualifies opinions, adds information, elaborates.
Opposes or supports a stand, idea, proposed solution.
Uses appropriate non-verbal behaviour.
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