1. English Language Proficiency Benchmarks Assessment
Session 2
English Language Proficiency Benchmarks
Assessment

2. Key messages
The child’s culture and first language should be respected at home and in school.
Assessment is most useful when it informs teaching and learning.
Listening, speaking, reading and writing should be taught in an integrated manner. 2

3. English Language Proficiency Benchmarks
based entirely on the language needs of the Primary School Curriculum
devised by IILT 2000-revised 2003
derived from the Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR). 3 3

4. English Language Proficiency Benchmarks
Breakthrough Level
Lowest Level A2
Waystage Level B1
Threshold Level
For pupils entering with no English, this represents the first learning targets
Pupils progress into this level
Pupils able to carry out the activities in this level without any help should be capable of full integration into the mainstream class.
a series of ‘can do’ statements of what a child can do at each level 4 4

5. Global benchmarks of communicative
proficiency
what a child can do at each level
Global scales of
underlying linguistic competence how well a child can do it at each level
Thirteen themes 5

6. Thirteen Themes Caring for my locality People who help us Weather
Myself
Our school
Animals and plants
Transport and travel
Seasons, holidays and festivals
People and places in other areas
Food and clothes
Shapes, colours, opposites
Time
Local wider community 6

7. When to use English Language Proficiency Benchmarks
assess a pupil before language support begins
devise a language programme
to monitor children’s progress
to assess the child’s level at the end of language support
to make a case for children who need support for more than two years. 7

8. Speaking and Listening
Global benchmarks of communicative proficiency (Up and Away, p. 38 and 39)
- listening
- spoken interaction
- spoken production
Global scales of underlying linguistic competence (Up and Away, p. 40)
- vocabulary control
- grammatical accuracy
- phonological control 8

9. A2 (Waystage) B1 (Threshold)
A1 (Breakthrough)
A2 (Waystage)
B1 (Threshold)
Listening
Spoken Interaction
Spoken
Production 9

10. Listening Spoken Interaction Spoken Production A1 (Breakthrough)
A2 (Waystage)
B1 (Threshold)
Listening
Can understand basic school and classroom rules when they are explained very simply and with appropriate gestures.
Can understand instructions given in the classsroom, gym, playground, etc.
Can understand detailed instructions in the classroom, gym etc.
Spoken Interaction
Can ask permission to go to the toilet.
Can ask for attention in class.
Can interact spontaneously in the playground, engaging with other pupils in games and activities.
Spoken
Production
Can use key words and simple phrases/sentences to describe a playground game.
Can use a series of phrases and sentences to describe what he/she watches on television, how he/she likes to do homework after school and what he/she does at home.
Can give a simple talk about the school. 10

11. Assessment “… gathering, recording, interpreting,
using and reporting information about a
child’s progress and achievement in
developing knowledge, skills and attitudes”
Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum:
Guidelines for Schools, NCCA, 2007

12. Both inform teaching and learning
Assessment of Learning
Assessment for Learning
When?
happens after the learning takes place
an integral part of the learning process
information is gathered by the teacher
Who?
information is shared with the learner
information is usually transformed into marks or grades
information is available on the quality of learning
What?
comparison with aims and objectives is important
comparison with the performance of others
Why?
looks forward to the next stage of learning
Purpose
looks back on past learning
Both inform teaching and learning

13. Assessment Strategies
Profile of child’s prior learning

14. Source: English as an Additional Language in Irish Primary Schools, NCCA

15. Assessment Strategies
Profile of child’s prior learning
Monitoring language and social development during the silent phase

16. Source: IILT,

17. Assessment Strategies
Profile of child’s prior learning
Monitoring language and social development during the silent phase
Teacher observation and checklists

18. Source: Up and Away p.21

19. First Feedback From Class teacher
Source: Up and Away, IILT, 2007

20. Feedback on Progress of Language Support Pupil p. 23
Source: Up and Away, IILT, 2007 20

21. Assessment strategies
Profile of child’s prior learning
Monitoring language and social development during the silent phase
Teacher observation and checklists
Portfolios
Teacher-designed tasks and tests
Criterion-referenced benchmarks
(English as an Additional Language in Irish Primary Schools, NCCA, p ) 21

22. Standardised tests Education Act Circular 0138/2006
“Pupils may be excluded from the test if in the view of the school principal they have a learning or physical disability which would prevent them from attempting the test, or in the case of newcomer pupils, where their level of English is such that attempting such a test would be inappropriate.” 22 22

23. Reporting the child’s progress to parents
essential part of link between school, home and the community
explore strategies
work collaboratively with all relevant staff
engage the services of a translator
pictorial representation of progress
invite parents to view samples of child’s work 23

24. A tool to assess language proficiency
3 sets of tests:
- Set 1 (Placement)
- Set 2
- Set 3

25. Primary School Assessment Kit
four skills need to be assessed (depending on age of child)
reading and writing are not provided for infants
skills can be assessed at different times.

26. Primary School Assessment Kit (June 2008, cover letter)
‘… with tests of English language proficiency, to be used with their pupils for whom English is a second language. The results of these tests will, in the future, be required by Primary Teachers’ Payments Section, in connection with applications from schools for language support’

27. Primary School Assessment Kit
one of many tools for assessment
can be used for AoL and AfL
assesses a pupil’s level of proficiency on entry to the school
can assist in smooth transition between schools
determines progress across broad curricular themes
provides ongoing assessment
contributes to pupil profile

28. Primary School Assessment Kit
reading and writing tests are differentiated for junior and senior primary
receptive skills of listening and reading are easy to assess
productive skills of speaking and writing are more difficult to assess 28

29. Video Clip
Listening test
Speaking test

30. Primary School Assessment Kit, IILT/DES, 2007

31. Assessment “… gathering, recording, interpreting,
using and reporting information about a
child’s progress and achievement in
developing knowledge, skills and attitudes”
Assessment in the Primary School Curriculum:
Guidelines for Schools, NCCA, 2007