Real-world English: How GSE Job Profiles bridge learning and work

Sara Davila
Sara Davila
Students sat at a desk looking at a textbook together, with a teacher pointing to it
Reading time: 5 minutes

Did you know that improving your English proficiency can increase earning potential by up to 50% and safeguard your career against AI? Recent research by app highlights that English is not just a skill but a career-defining advantage in today’s globalized workplace. For millions of adult learners, the journey from the classroom to the workplace requires more than general conversational abilities—it’s about gaining targeted, job-ready skills as quickly as possible. For English language educators, understanding what “jDz-𲹻” English is and how to identify “jDz-𲹻” skills can provide a significant advantage in ensuring learners are prepared to communicate effectively and collaborate with their future coworkers.

That’s where the Global Scale of English (GSE) Job Profiles comes in. For educators and program developers, it offers a bridge between real-world job skills and the English learners need to perform them. Whether you’re creating programs for nursing assistants, hospitality workers, or IT professionals, this tool ensures that learners build the precise English skills they need to thrive in their roles.

Let’s walk through how to create a GSE Job Profile and explore its practical use for building programs that align with today’s professional realities.

Using GSE Job Profiles for modern program development
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Creating a GSE Job Profile in the GSE Teacher Toolkit

The GSE Job Profiles integrates real-world job requirements with GSE learning objectives. It maps skills to proficiency ranges on the GSE scale (10-90), giving you a snapshot of what learners need to do and at what level.

Here’s how to create a job profile:

  1. Access the
    • Navigate to the Professional Learners section to find the GSE Job Profiles information.
  2. Select ‘Choose Job Role’ to filter by Industry and Job Role
    • Use the intuitive menu to select your target industry (e.g., Healthcare support, Legal, or Construction and Extraction).
    • Choose the specific role you’re targeting, such as Registered Nurse.
  3. Generate the profile
    • Keep the GSE slider open to see all skill levels, from Starter (10 / <A1) to Expert (90 / C2).
    • Click Search to generate results.
  4. Download the profile
    • Export the list of skills as a PDF. This gives you a ready-made framework to guide curriculum design and stakeholder discussions.

Using GSE Job Profiles for modern program development

Creating a profile is just the first step—how do you use it? The real power of the GSE Job Profiles lies in its ability to transform curriculum design, ensuring that your program delivers the most relevant skills efficiently.

Case study: Designing an accelerated language program for licensed practical nurses

Let’s say you’re tasked with developing a short program to support licensed practical or vocational nurses. Use the GSE Teacher Toolkit to generate a learner profile.

After generating the GSE Job Profile, you see 32 key skills ranging from GSE 46 to GSE 63. You decide to build a four-module program with clearly defined milestones. Here is an example of the program outline based on the GSE Job Profile.

Program plan: Accelerated licensed practical nurses

Module

Focus Skills

GSE Range

CEFR Level

Module 1: Understanding instructions

Reading, Listening

46-55

B1-B1+

Module 2: Technical communication

Speaking, Writing

51-57

B1+

Module 3: Collaborative problem-solving

Speaking, Listening

54-60

B1+-B2

Module 4: Advanced workplace communication

Speaking, Reading

59-63

B2

Step 1: Prioritize targeted skills

The job profile shows which skills are essential at each GSE level. For Module 1, there may only be four foundational skills, such as working with straightforward instructions or recognizing speaker attitude. While this might seem limited, focusing on these critical objectives ensures learners master essential communication within their role.

For example:

  • Skill: "Can recognize a speaker's feelings or attitudes.”
  • GSE Level: 50 (B1).

In a six-week module, lessons would combine reading, listening and speaking tasks related to this skill, ensuring learners gain confidence in using the language in relevant ways. A nuanced understanding of feelings and attitudes in the healthcare industry can help prevent numerous potential misunderstandings.

By developing these skills, the course improves language ability in relevant ways, improving daily communication with patients, making learning more meaningful and ensuring that each lesson moves learners forward in their communication and career goals.

Step 2: Build scaffolding and stretch goals

With GSE ranges, you can strategically challenge learners by introducing skills slightly above their current level. For instance, Module 3 learners working to make additional progress in English by increasing the GSE level, for example: Can suggest solutions to problems and explain why they would work (GSE 60). This “stretching” builds confidence and helps the learner progress.

Step 3: Align content and assessment

Once the curriculum is outlined, use the job profile as a benchmark to review your:

  • Materials: Choose textbooks, digital resources and practice activities that target the identified skills.
  • Assessments: Build quizzes or role-play activities to evaluate learners’ mastery of job-specific tasks.

Example: For Module 2 learners (GSE 51-57), assessments might involve clearly instructing a patient in a role-play conversation. This might include instructions on how to take specific medications or explaining how to use specific medical equipment the patient may need to use daily.

Why it works: Focus, precision and measurable outcomes

GSE Job Profiles enables educators to:

  1. Save time: Focus on relevant skills without guessing what learners need.
  2. Target proficiency: Design programs that match learners’ current abilities while pushing them forward.
  3. Measure success: Use GSE levels to set realistic goals, monitor progress and demonstrate impact to stakeholders.

The future of English for employability

The GSE Job Profiles is more than just a tool—it’s a roadmap for educators looking to equip learners with job-ready English in a fast-changing workplace. Whether you’re addressing skills gaps, revising existing curricula, or developing new programs, this tool ensures every hour spent in the classroom delivers measurable progress toward future success.

Find out more about how app’s Global Scale of English helps fast-track learner progress with our free resources for educators.

Explore our GSE resources

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    The ultimate guide to language assessment in business

    By Samantha Ball
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    Effective international communication is crucial in the world of global commerce. In today's borderless marketplace, companies need to be linguistically flexible to be successful. For HR managers and business practitioners, comprehensive language evaluations are not just an add-on but a vital duty that can enhance your organization's success in the international market.

    This guide will take you through the crucial role of language assessment in business. It will discuss why language assessment is important, how to effectively implement it, its benefits for students and business professionals, and the current tools and technologies available. By the end, you will have the knowledge to identify the significance of language assessment in your business and make informed decisions that reflect the essential role of linguistic ability in the modern global economy.

    Why language assessment matters

    Enhancing communication effectiveness

    Effective communication is the lifeblood of any successful business. When diverse teams come together, be it in an office, on a shop floor, or at a virtual meeting, the ability to exchange information clearly and concisely can mean the difference between streamlined operations and costly misunderstandings. Language assessment ensures that employees possess the necessary language skills needed to communicate across teams and with clients worldwide.

    Global market competitiveness

    Accessing international markets hinges largely on the language capabilities of your workforce. Assessing language skills not only amplifies your organization's ability to engage with prospective clients and partners but also ensures that the customer experience is seamlessly delivered, regardless of the customer's primary language.

    Talent acquisition and retention

    Proper language assessments play a pivotal role in the recruitment process. They aid in identifying candidates with the language proficiencies required for specific roles, such as those involving international correspondence or multilingual customer support. By enabling a streamlined and objective measurement of language ability, your business can attract and retain talent, securing a competitive edge in a multilingual talent pool.

    Types of language assessments

    Proficiency tests

    Proficiency tests are the benchmarks for evaluating a person’s overall language capability. This category includes tests that cover all language skills, such as reading, writing, listening and speaking, like the Versant tests offered by app. These tests provide a comprehensive analysis that helps gauge an individual's ability to function effectively in a language, both in academic settings, the workplace and everyday contexts.

    Interviews

    Conversational skills and the application and comprehension of language in real-world scenarios play a significant role in many job roles. Structured interviews that focus on language are a vital component of the language assessment suite. These interviews typically evaluate oral and sometimes written language skills, providing context-specific insight into how these skills might translate in a professional setting.

    Role-playing scenarios

    Simulations that mimic workplace interactions provide an immersive method of assessing language skills beyond language proficiency tests. Candidates engage in practical scenarios that mirror the challenges and dynamics of a business environment, which is particularly valuable for assessing their ability to manage real-time communication under pressure.

    Implementing language assessment

    Best practices for HR managers

    When starting your language assessment program, begin with a thorough needs analysis. This involves identifying which roles require language proficiency, to what level and in which languages. Then, select or develop an assessment that aligns with these requirements. It's also important to provide clear instructions and support for candidates, ensuring that the assessment process is transparent and equitable.

    Training and development strategies

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    Benefits for business professionals

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