Canadian Language Benchmark 4

Speaking: Basic Level

Global Performance Descriptor

• Learner can take part in short routine conversations about needs and familiar topics of personal relevance with supportive listeners.
• Can communicate basic needs and personal experience.
• Can ask and respond to simple familiar questions.
• Can describe a situation, tell a simple story, describe the process of obtaining essential goods (e.g., purchasing, renting) or services (e.g., medical). Uses a variety of short sentences.
• Demonstrates control of basic grammar (basic structures and tenses).
• Uses correct past tense with many common verbs.
• Demonstrates adequate vocabulary for routine everyday communication.
• Clear evidence of connected discourse (and, but, first, next, then, because).
• Pronunciation difficulties may impede communication.
• Needs only a little assistance.
• Can use the phone only for very short, simple, predictable exchanges, communication without visual support is very difficult for him or her.

Performance Conditions

• Interaction is face to face, with one person at a time or in a familiar supportive group.
• Interaction on the phone is rare and brief.
• Speech rate is slow to normal.
• Verbal communication is strongly supported by gestures and other visual clues.
• Instructions and directions have only three to four steps and are sometimes supported with hand gestures.
• Learner’s speech is guided by specific questions from the interlocutor if needed.
• Interaction is empathetic and supportive.
• Topics are about common everyday matters.

Competency Outcomes and Standards

I. Social Interaction

What the person can do

• Open, close and respond to short casual small talk.
• Introduce two persons.
• Take leave appropriately.
• Answer the phone.
• Leave a short simple message.

Examples of tasks and tests

Nice to see you. How are you doing? Nice day. Have a good day. See you soon. This is Ela, my sister. Sorry, you’ve got the wrong number. Vi is not home. Can you call later?

• Leave a simple voice mail message: This is … Please call me back. My number is … Thank you.

Performance Indicators

• Opens, develops and closes short small-talk conversation, as appropriate to the situation (casually or more formally).
• Introduces a person to one or two individuals.
• Handles basic phone situations and standard replies.

II. Instructions

What the person can do

• Give sets of simple everyday instructions and directions.

Examples of tasks and texts

• Tell someone where to find something or someone; give directions how to get there.
• Give instructions on how to set an alarm clock, use a tape recorder and play a video.

Performance Indicators

• Gives simple directions.
• Listener can follow the directions.

III. Suasion (getting things done)

What the person can do

• Request, accept or reject goods or services, assistance or offer in a service or sales situation.
• Respond to warnings.

Examples of tasks and texts

• Obtain a service or purchase; return or exchange goods in a transaction.
• Respond to warnings on simple by-law violations (e.g., You can’t park here. Please remove your car. Smoking is not allowed.).

Performance Indicators

• Responds to openings, routine questions and closings in a service or sales transaction discourse.
• Provides required information/description of item. Asks relevant questions about price, availability, location, appearance, function.
• Responds to warnings.

IV. Information

What the person can do

• Relate a story about an everyday activity.
• Express preference, satisfaction/dissatisfaction.

Examples of tasks and texts

Yes, this is right. It is okay. That’s fine. No, I’m sorry, this is not right. I don’t like this; I prefer that.

• Tell a story about obtaining goods or services (e.g., about registering a child in a daycare or going to the doctor).

Performance Indicators

• Relates the story about an everyday activity in a coherent narrative (connected discourse).
• Listener can follow the story.
• Expresses need, preference, satisfaction/dissatisfaction.