New ESOL Skills for Life qualifications Pam FrameFebruary 2005 Skills for Life English for Speakers of other languages Conferences

ESOL Skills for Life qualifications Overview of presentation  Why are new ESOL qualifications needed?  How are they structured?  What do they assess?  How do they relate to funding and targets?

The need for new qualifications ESOL skills for Life qualifications  Meet the needs of adult learners, living and working in England  Ensure parity with other adult literacy qualifications  Acknowledge different levels of prior attainment  Recognise range of goals and assessment preferences  Establish clear progression routes for learners  Use the adult ESOL core curriculum

QCA accreditation of ESOL Skills for Life qualifications NQF Levels 3 to 8 Key Skills Level 3, 4, 5 NQF Level 2 (eg GCSE A*-C) ESOL SfL Level 2 Lit/Num Level 2Key Skills Level 2 NQF Level 1 (eg NVQ level) ESOL SfL Level 1 Lit/Num Level 1Key Skills Level 1 NC Level 5 NC Level 4 Entry Level ESOL SfL Entry 3 Lit/Num Entry 3NC Level 3 ESOL SfL Entry 2 Lit/Num Entry 2NC Level 2 ESOL SfL Entry 1 Lit/Num Entry 1NC Level 1

Structural principles: whole qualifications What can whole qualifications comprise? ‘All modes’d Speaking and Listening onlyd Reading + Writingp  At Levels 1 and 2 ‘All modes’d Speaking and Listening onlyd Reading + Writingp Reading + Speaking and Listeningp  At Entry 1, 2 and 3 d = developed p = permitted

Structural principles: flexibility and titles  Flexibility An ‘all modes’ qualification = taking all units at same level Or  Taking different units at different levels  Whole qualification then achieved at level of lowest unit  Units achieved at higher level portable for 3 years  Further whole qualification achieved at higher level when remaining units achieved at that level

Structural principles: flexibility and titles  Titles  Unit achievement recognised by statement of results or unit certificate, stating level, mode and overall qualification  Whole qualification recognised by qualification certificate, stating level and modes  ‘All modes’ qualification title = Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life  Less than ‘all modes’ title = Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life [+ mode/s in brackets]

Assessing an integrated curriculum Qualifications  Select and combine components of curriculum  offer purposeful tasks – not meaningless, repetitive exercises  reflect word, sentence, text organisation of curriculum  integrate speaking and listening  provide mark schemes specific to mode, task and level  allow for best fit judgements  assess language plus content

Assessing Speaking and Listening  At all levels, three strands need to be taught:  listen and respond to range of types of talk/speakers  speak to communicate ideas, feelings, information, in formal/informal situations  engage in discussion constructively, taking account of listeners  Assessment of meaningful communication involves both speaking and listening  Mark scheme criteria describe effective communication

Assessing Reading and Writing  Read and understand different types of text  Read and obtain information from range of sources  Write to communicate information, ideas, feelings, adapt to audience and purpose  Curriculum covers:  Text level – overall meaning and purpose of text  Sentence level – grammar, sentence structure and punctuation  Word level – individual words, spelling and handwriting  Assessment at each level and mode  at least 2 whole texts at each level  mark schemes reflect W, S, T  best fit judgement of standard attained

Asking questions about text, sentence and word Word level Full names Formal abbreviation First names Colloquial idioms Sentence level Long groups of nouns Complete sentences Elliptical phrases Use of questions to engage reader Exclamation mark conveys writer’s attitude Discourse marker structures arguments, together with rule of 3 Whole text: how does each writer use the resources of vocabulary, sentence structure and text organisation to convey their message effectively?

New target arrangements for ESOL from August 2004  ESOL Skills for Life qualifications count towards national targets and replace ‘proxy’ qualifications  Modes and levels which count  ‘All modes’ at Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2  Modes and levels which do NOT count  Qualifications at Entry 1 or Entry 2  Speaking and Listening only qualifications at Entry 3, Level 1 or 2  Modes and levels which could count  Qualifications in Reading plus Writing at Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2  Qualifications in Reading plus Speaking and Listening at Levels 1 and 2

Position of ‘proxy’ qualifications after August 2004  LSC funding for 'proxy' qualifications post December 04 under review  Learners already on programme funded until end of course  For all ESOL provision  Learner need drives qualification choice  LSC guidance published ( Learning/BasicSkills/Deliveringskillsforlife.htm) Learning/BasicSkills/Deliveringskillsforlife.htm

Looking ahead  For learners: transparency, choice and progression  For centres: accountability must ensure recruitment with integrity  All agencies: monitor interaction of qualifications and curriculum Updates and more information:

ESOL Skills for Life qualifications accredited by QCA (at 9 February 2005) Awarding bodyLevels offeredCertificate type Cambridge ESOLEntry 1, 2 and 3All modes City and GuildsEntry 1, 2 and 3, Level 1 and Level 2 All modes and Speaking and Listening mode English Speaking Board Entry 1, 2 and 3Speaking and Listening mode Trinity College London Entry 1, 2 and 3, Level 1 and Level 2 All modes and Speaking and Listening mode EdexcelEntry 1, 2 and 3, Level 1 and Level 2 All modes Open College of the North West Entry 1, 2 and 3All modes and Speaking and Listening mode