Origins of the ESOL Core Curriculum (CC) A Fresh Start – Improving Literacy and Numeracy (DfEE, 1999) The Moser Report National standards for adult literacy and numeracy (2000) Breaking the Language Barriers (DfES 2000) ESOL Core Curriculum (DfES 2001)

Basis for the ESOL CC Based on the national standards for adult literacy National consultation with teachers and managers of ESOL programmes “Defines in detail the skills, knowledge and understanding that non-native English speakers need in order to demonstrate achievement of the national standards” (literacy)

Organisation of the ESOL CC Level (E1, E2, E3, L1, L2) Skill Word / sentence / text level Level descriptor (literacy standards) Example of application Sample activities

Common European Framework “We have NOT set out to tell practitioners what to do or how to do it” (p xi) “The examples are suggestive only. You may well wish to keep some, reject others and add some of your own. You should feel quite free to do so, since it must be for you to decide on your objectives and your product” (p xiii)

Key Features Common Reference Levels Illustrative descriptors Global and skills based descriptors “Can do” statements No division between “word / sentence / text” – Holistic view of skills “The framework cannot replace reference grammars or provide a strict ordering”(p152) – No list of grammatical structures.

A curriculum using the ALTE framework A detailed framework describing competences, not a prescriptive list of skills and structures Grammatical structures are not linked to level and lexis has a place in framework Assessment can focus on learner and what they “can do” Teachers address the needs of learner, not an “E2” (mapping superfluous)

Grammatical structures are not linked to level “While there is a natural sequence which specifies the general outline of development, there will be differences in the order of development of specific features” Understanding Second Language AcquisitionR. Ellis

Question formation (Lightbown + Spada) Stage 3:Wh- fronting,Do – fronting Stage 4:Wh + copula, non “do” auxiliary in yes/no question (e.g. “Is there”) Stage 6:Complex questions e.g. question tags

Teachers address the needs of learner, not an “E2 learner” “As an Entry 1 learner the student needs to be able to write cursively, use adjectives effectively, scan and skim text and understand many phonological features” Written work from L4 teacher trainee

Other benefits A European perspective rather than a labelling of ESOL learners Potential to include community languages Financial support for training of teachers in competences required to apply framework Trust in the professional competence of teachers