Canadian Language Benchmark 4

Reading: Basic Level

Global Performance Descriptor

• Learner is able to read a simple two- to three-paragraph passage within a mostly familiar, predictable context of daily life and experience: simple narrative, biographical or descriptive prose, set of simple instructions, plain language news items, classified ads, sales promotion coupons and flyers.
• Can locate, compare and contrast one or more specific pieces of information in larger texts.
• Is able to use low-level inference and to tolerate some ambiguity (e.g., when guessing the meaning of the unknown words in the text).
• Uses a bilingual dictionary almost constantly.
• Reads in English for information, to learn the language and to develop reading skills.
• Can read silently for meaning, with little visible or audible vocalization efforts, but reads slowly.

Performance Conditions

• Text length: two or three paragraphs.
• Language is mostly concrete, factual and literal, with some abstract vocabulary items.
• Most words are familiar to the learner.
• Instructions are common everyday instructions without pictures.
• Prose passages (narrative, biographical or descriptive) can be related to personal experience. News items are in plain language, with few idioms.
• Context is often familiar and partly predictable; pictures occasionally accompany text.
• Handwritten text is legible, in print-like handwriting.

Competency Outcomes and Standards

I. Social Interaction Texts

What the person can do

• Get information from personal notes, e-mail messages and letters.

Examples of tasks and tests

• Read an authentic note, e-mail message or letter; answer seven to 10 questions about the text.

Performance Indicators

• Gets the gist of the note or letter.
• Gets key information/main idea from texts.
• Identifies important details/specific information as required.

II. Instructions

What the person can do

• Follow one- to six-step common everyday instructions and instructional texts.

Examples of tasks and texts

• Properly sequenced instructions on how to make a long distance call or how to use the automatic teller machine.
• Follow instructions on employment forms.
• Sequence a simple five- to eight-line recipe.

Performance Indicators

• Follows the one- to six-step instructions.
• Numbers steps in sequence.

III. Business/service texts

What the person can do

• Find information in formatted texts: forms, tables, schedules, directories.
• Get information from short business brochures, notices, form letters and flyers.

Examples of tasks and texts

• Use a bus route map to match several bus stops with arrival/departure times.
• Use the White Pages to locate the closest medical clinic/emergency service.
• Find an ad to match your list of apartment requirements.

Performance Indicators

• Identifies layout of forms; finds specific information.
• Gets overall meaning; identifies type and purpose of text.
• Gets key information and specific details from verbal text and graphics or a simple graph.
• Finds information in complex directories, dictionaries, maps. Identifies main idea, key and supporting details.
• Identifies links between paragraphs.
• Compares facts to make choices.
• Predicts, guesses meaning.
• Distinguishes facts from opinions.

IV. Informational texts

What the person can do

• Get the gist, key information and important details of simple, explicit two- to three-paragraph texts (e.g., news articles, educational content materials, stories).
• Use standard reference texts: dictionaries, maps and diagrams, graphs.

Examples of tasks and texts

• Read a short newspaper article: answer seven to 10 questions.
• Label a diagram using information in a text.
• Give a text an appropriate and informative title.
• Identify the percentage of Canadians who are first-generation immigrants by looking at a simple pictorial graph (e.g., a pie graph).

Performance Indicators

• Identifies layout of forms; finds specific information.
• Gets overall meaning; identifies type and purpose of text.
• Gets key information and specific details from verbal text and graphics or a simple graph.
• Finds information in complex directories, dictionaries, maps. Identifies main idea, key and supporting details.
• Identifies links between paragraphs.
• Compares facts to make choices.
• Predicts, guesses meaning.
• Distinguishes facts from opinions.