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Skilled Worker Class » Will
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Canadian Language Benchmark 8
Writing: High Level
Global Performance Descriptor
- Learner demonstrates fluent ability in performing moderately complex
writing tasks.
- Can link sentences and paragraphs (three or four) to form coherent
texts to express ideas on familiar abstract topics, with some support
for main ideas, and with an appropriate sense of audience.
- Can write routine business letters (e.g., letters of inquiry, cover
letters for applications) and personal and formal social messages.
- Can write down a set of simple instructions, based on clear oral
communication or simple written procedural text of greater length.
- Can fill out complex formatted documents.
- Can extract key information and relevant detail from a page-long
text and write an outline or a one-paragraph summary.
- Demonstrates good control over common sentence patterns, coordination
and subordination, and spelling and mechanics. Has occasional difficulty
with complex structures (e.g., those reflecting cause and reason, purpose,
comment), naturalness of phrases and expressions, organization and style.
Performance Conditions
- Circumstances range from informal to more formal occasions.
- Addressees are familiar.
- Topics are of immediate everyday relevance.
- Text is one or two short paragraphs in length.
- Text to reproduce is one or two pages in legible handwriting or print,
or may be a short oral text (10 to 15 minutes).
- Texts are varied and may be of a specialized or technical nature.
- Learner may fill out a teacher-prepared summary grid to aid note
taking or summarizing.
- Forms have over 40 items/pieces of information.
- Messages are two or three paragraphs in length.
- Brief texts required in pre-set formats are one to several sentences,
up to one paragraph long.
- Learner text is three or four paragraphs long, on non-personal, abstract
but familiar topics and issues.
- Where necessary for the task, learners must include information presented
to them from other sources (e.g., photographs, drawings, reference text/research
information, diagrams).
Competency Outcomes and Standards
| I. Social interaction |
What the person can do
Convey a personal message in a formal short letter or note, or through
e-mail, expressing or responding to sympathy; clarifying a minor conflict;
or giving reassurance. |
Examples of tasks and tests
Community, Study, Workplace: Write a personal note of sympathy
to someone who has experienced a loss.
Community, Study, Workplace: Write an appropriate note or
letter to address or to attempt to explain and resolve a minor conflict. |
Performance Indicators
Addresses the purpose of the task.
Expresses main ideas and gives details.
Conveys a sense of audience: language, format and content are appropriate.
Demonstrates good use of complex structures.
Demonstrates adequate vocabulary for the topic. |
| II. Reproducing information |
What the person can do
Write instructions about an established process or procedures given
in a live demonstration, over the phone or from pre-recorded audio
or video material.
Write an outline or a summary of a longer text. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Community, Study, Workplace: Listen to oral instructions for,
or a demonstration of, a complex recipe. Write accurate, neatly organized
notes for other cooks. |
Performance Indicators
Addresses the purpose of the task.
Conveys essential information to the reader.
Reduces information to main points, with accurate supporting details,
with no major omission of important points or details.
Fills out all form sections with required information.
Conveys a sense of audience in language format and content.
Demonstrates good use and control of complex grammatical structures,
vocabulary, spelling and punctuation.
Presents text in legible handwriting or print, with clear layout. |
| III. Business/service messages |
What the person can do
Convey business messages as written notes, memorandums, letters of request,
or work record log entries, to indicate a problem, to request a change,
or to request information.
Fill out forms and other materials in pre-set formats with required
brief texts. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Workplace: Write an effective personal résumé and a formal covering
letter/letter of application for employment to a personnel/human resources
manager. Ask for an interview.
Fill out application for employment forms of any length.
Community, Workplace: Write a report/memo in paragraph form
(progress, action plan, incident, inspection, e.g., what has been
discovered or why something is not working the way it should). |
Performance Indicators
Addresses the purpose of the task.
Conveys essential information to the reader.
Reduces information to main points, with accurate supporting details,
with no major omission of important points or details.
Fills out all form sections with required information.
Conveys a sense of audience in language format and content.
Demonstrates good use and control of complex grammatical structures,
vocabulary, spelling and punctuation.
Presents text in legible handwriting or print, with clear layout. |
| IV. Presenting information and ideas |
What the person can do
Write three or four paragraphs to narrate a historical event;
to tell a story; to express or analyse opinions on a familiar abstract
topic; or to provide a detailed description and explanation of a phenomenon
or a process.
Write a paragraph to relate/explain information in a table, graph,
flow chart or diagram. |
Examples of tasks and texts
Study, Workplace: In a three- or four-paragraph essay/composition,
describe how a business (e.g., sawmill, furniture manufacturing plant,
farm, bank, store, restaurant, courier service, commercial laundry,
hospital kitchen, daycare, etc.) operates.
Study: Write a three- or four-paragraph essay/composition
on a general, previously researched academic or work-related topic,
to relate events, describe, explain, or express opinions or argue
a point.
Write a paragraph to relate/explain information in a pie, line or
bar graph, or in a process flow chart. Use a flow chart to describe
a procedure or a process, in the correct sequence. |
Performance Indicators
Addresses the purpose of the task.
Expresses main ideas and gives details.
Conveys a sense of audience.
Demonstrates good use of complex structures, with only minor difficulties.
Demonstrates adequate vocabulary.
Provides accurate and detailed descriptions/explanations in the report/story
sequence.
Provides an introduction, development and conclusion, and paragraph
structure.
Presents text as a coherent connected whole with good use of appropriate
logical connectors (at the same time).
Demonstrates accurate spelling and punctuation; makes minor errors
only.
Presents text in legible handwriting. |
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