The Global Scale of English and planning: A perfect partnership

Leonor Corradi
A teacher helping a student at a table

As a teacher, I realized that planning had become an 'automatic pilot' routine from which I did not learn much. Like many others, I thought scales such as the Global Scale of English (GSE) or the Common European Framework of Reference are just that; references that are beyond the realities of their lessons.

However, I've seen that the GSE is a very powerful resource to help us at the level of planning.Ìý

If you're using a coursebook you may have noticed that, after completing one of the books in the series, students move up one level, such as from elementary to pre-intermediate or from intermediate to upper-intermediate.

We all understand what it means to be an elementary or intermediate student. These levels are usually defined in terms of structures – conditional sentences, passive voice, and tenses – Simple Past, Future Continuous, etc.

But why do students want to learn English? Using it means being able to listen or read and understand, interact with others, and communicate in writing. Even if it is parents who enroll their children in language institutes, what they want is for them to use the language. We can see a mismatch between how levels are defined and students' aims to study English.

Here's how the GSE can help English language teachers

First, you need the right scale for your group – Pre-primary, Young Learners, Adults, Professionals or Academic, which can be downloaded at:

/languages/why-pearson/the-global-scale-of-english/resources.html

Focus on your students' level. There you will see all the learning objectives that students need to achieve to complete the level at which they are and move on in their learning journey.

What are learning objectives?ÌýThey are can-do statements that clearly describe what students are expected to achieve as the result of instruction. In other words, these objectives guide teachers in our planning to help students learn.

When we plan our lessons, rather than working at lesson level only, we should reflect on how the activities proposed are referenced against the learning objectives of the level. We may see that some activities need some adapting in order to focus on the selected learning outcomes.

At the level of planning as well, I also use the GSE to analyze the activities proposed in the materials I am using. Let me tell you what I do. Let's take listening, for instance. You may use the downloaded scales or the Teacher Toolkit that the GSE provides. Let's run through how this works.Ìý

Ìý

Image of the GSE Teacher Toolkit

Here's the link to the Toolkit:

  • In the 'Learning Objectives' tab, choose the learner: Pre-primary, young learners, etc.
  • Then move the slides at either end of the scale so that you only work on the range you are teaching.
  • After that, select the skill you want to focus on, in this case Listening, and click on 'Show results'. You'll get a list of the LOs for listening at the selected range. You can download it as a pdf or Excel document.
  • Next, analyze the listening activity proposed in the materials used. Are the items in the activity at the right level? May the students need guidance or support? Are they required to extract information, an operation that may be beyond their level? Are there learning objectives that are not present at all?

After the analysis, I sometimes decide to add objectives, which I write on the board or will add support and guidance to the items in the activity. Occasionally, I divide the items into A and B categories, with A being at the right level and less demanding than B items.

I share this with learners and challenge them to complete some of the B items. But since they know they are more challenging, they're less likely to get frustrated if they cannot find the right answer. Also, as these tasks are more demanding, I might play the audio more often or chunk it and stop at each chunk.

You may think this is time-demanding, which is true, but it's time well invested, not wasted. On the one hand, I'm helping students reach their target level. On the other, I am tailoring all activities, personalizing them. What's not to like about this?

Since starting using the GSE myself and with groups of English teachers, I have seen improvements in students. They know what it takes to move on in their learning process and feel more responsible and committed to it. It's their decision, not mine. Another realization is that this type of reflection directly impacts my teaching methods. It makes me more reflective and focused on my students' needs and it has changed lesson planning into a learning practice.

About the author

Leonor Corradi is an English teacher based in Argentina. She is a former member of the Foreign Languages Team at the National Ministry of Education in Argentina, in charge of English and coordinator of state plurilingual schools in the City of Buenos Aires. She has extensive experience as a materials designer and coursebook writer and is an academic consultant for different educational institutions such as the British Council, and Ministries of Education in Latin America.Ìý

She has run professional development courses for teachers and has presented extensively at national and international conferences. She is the author of the Curriculum for Foreign Languages for the City of Buenos Aires (2001, English) and has been an ELTons Judge since 2014. Leonor has been a member of the Global Scale of English (GSE) Advisory Board since 2014 and is a GSE Ambassador.

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • A adult teacher sat down with two older students talking to them

    Test-taking strategies for adult ESOL students

    Reading time: 2 minutes

    Although test-taking is an important part of education in the United States, it's also a source of anxiety and stress for students and teachers alike. In the case of ELLs (English Language Learners), many factors pose challenges to their test-taking success. In this blog post, we will discuss strategies to ensure ESOL students succeed in taking the new and more rigorous CASAS STEPS assessment series.

    Inspire a positive classroom mindset

    Adult ESOL instructors often have a strong rapport with their students. They are mindful of the challenges students face in their new American lives – challenges such as immigration status, family situation, financial and housing status, which might deter them from fully focusing on their studies. Compassion and a positive classroom mindset are powerful tools for long-term academic success.

    One way for teachers to cultivate confidence in students is by celebrating their victories – big or small – such as a student passing their driver's license test, making an MSG (Measurable skill gain) in the CASAS STEPS, or even just increasing their test score at all.Ìý

    Clarify testing information

    Another step to help students succeed while testing is demystifying tests. Many adult ESOL students might not be familiar with standardized testing at all. In addition, students (especially those in lower NRS level classes) might encounter language barriers in testing terminology.

    To help reduce test anxiety, teachers can explain the ins and outs of the CASAS STEPS ahead of time. For instance, how long students have for each session, how many questions there are in each portion, what the scores mean and what they don't mean (a low score will not remove them from their class or program).

    Practice, Pratice, PracticeÌý

    Providing students with regular practice exercises is a great tool to combat fear of the unknown. Teaching with the test in mind, instructors can include a daily warm-up listening question or two at the beginning of class that relates to the day's lesson topic and/or provide a daily timed "exit ticket" reading question (both can be found in the FUTURE series books and accompanying MyEnglishLab.) so they can practice time management skills for test tasking.

    Encourage self-care

    While mental preparation is crucial, feeling physically comfortable and having basic needs met makes concentrating on tests a lot easier. According to Harvard, getting a good night's sleep is one of the keys to testing well.

    Eating nutritious food, avoiding sugar, and drinking plenty of water are equally important measures. The temperature in the testing rooms can play a role in students' comfort and ability to focus; teachers can remind students to bring sweaters or wear layers and comfortable clothes.

    The CASAS STEPS, along with most standardized assessments, is a test of mental and physical endurance. Preparation makes a direct impact on their scores. Developing students' confidence and growth mindset, clearly communicating test information, providing plenty of opportunities to practice with the FUTURE series and MyEnglishLab, and encouraging self-care will help students achieve higher results.ÌýWhat other test-taking strategies do you use with your students?Ìý

  • A teacher standing next to a student who is sat down, he has a pen and is gesturing to her work on the table.

    Assessing listening skills with the GSE

    By
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    In today’s interconnected world, effective communication in English is more crucial than ever. As educators and language learners seek to measure and improve English proficiency, a resource like the Global Scale of English (GSE) offers a valuable framework for assessment. This blog post will explore how the GSE can be used to assess listening skills, providing insights into how it also helps tailor instruction and support language development.

    For listening skills, the GSE focuses on how well learners can understand spoken English in different contexts. It assesses comprehension at varying levels of complexity:

    Understanding simple information: At lower levels, learners are expected to understand basic information, such as simple instructions or everyday topics. The GSE provides learning objectives for how well learners can grasp essential details.

    Understanding main ideas: As proficiency grows, learners should be able to identify main ideas and key points in more complex spoken texts, such as conversations and broadcasts. The GSE outlines how well learners can extract important information from various sources.

    Understanding detailed information: At advanced levels, learners are expected to comprehend detailed and nuanced information, including implicit meaning and speaker intent. The GSE describes the level of detail and depth of understanding required at these stages.

    The GSE also shows how students engage in different operations of listening, from global comprehension, recognizing information and identifying specific information to extracting information. By taking this into account, teachers can monitor students’ progress and assess their listening skills. An example will show this in action.

    Let’s consider a level, say GSE 30-35 (equivalent to low A2 on the CEFR) and focus on how students process information. When checking a listening activity, rather than simply focusing on whether the answers are correct or incorrect, we can analyze our learners using the GSE and see what progress they are making and what we need to do as teachers to help them move on. Heres how:

  • Two friends stood over a book in a library reading it and smiling

    Why are English days named what they are?

    By
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Ever wondered why Monday is called Monday or how Wednesday got its name? The names of the days of the week in English have fascinating origins, rooted in ancient history and steeped in mythology. Understanding these origins not only enriches our language ability but also provides intriguing insights into cultural heritage.