Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9 (Schools) - Grade Seven

Learning Area: Languages - First Additional Language

Learning Outcome 1:  Listening

The learner will be able to listen for information and enjoyment, and respond appropriately and critically in a wide range of situations.

Assessment standards

We know this when the learner:

• Understands and appreciates stories, including those told by other learners:
  • responds personally and critically, asks and answers questions;
  • evaluates the storytelling performance and gives feedback.
• Understands oral texts (e.g. recounts, sports commentaries):
  • answers questions of growing complexity;
  • identifies point of view (e.g. considers two accounts of the same incident);
  • with support, retells and summarises.
• Listens for specific information:
  • takes very simple notes (e.g. completes given notes, lists points);
  • uses information to complete a table or chart, or label a diagram.
• Listens actively in a discussion:
  • responds to ideas and treats other views with respect;
  • invites contributions from others and responds to their views;
  • disagrees politely and does not interrupt others.

Learning Outcome 2:  Speaking

The learner will be able to communicate confidently and effectively in spoken language in a wide range of situations.

Assessment standards

We know this when the learner:

• Translates:
  • tells stories from home language in the additional language.
• Interacts in additional language:
  • uses language for a range of functions: expresses opinions and feelings, makes choices, gives advice and makes suggestions (e.g. ‘I think you should...’), etc.;
  • takes part in a role-plays of different situations involving different kinds of language (e.g. formal and informal telephone conversations).
• Shows developing ability to use features of spoken language to communicate: word stress, weak vowels, intonation and rhythm.
• Begins to debate social and ethical issues:
  • shares out roles (e.g. chairperson, timekeeper, secretary);
  • brings people into the discussion (e.g. ‘What do you think?’, ‘Don’t you?’);
  • interrupts politely (e.g. ‘Excuse me ...’);
  • expresses opinions and supports them with reasons (e.g. ‘I’d just like to say that ... because ...’);
  • expresses agreement (e.g. ‘You’re right.’) and disagreement (e.g. ‘Yes, but...’);
  • switches languages where necessary.
• Demonstrates critical awareness of own language use:
  • uses language to include people, and not to exclude people.

Learning Outcome 3:  Reading and Viewing

The learner will be able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts.

Assessment standards

We know this when the learner:

• Reads a text (fiction or non-fiction):
  • identifies purpose, audience and context;
  • notices how the text is constructed to represent a particular view of the world (point of view);
  • notices the role played by visual images in constructing meaning;
  • identifies main points;
  • with fiction, demonstrates an understanding of character, plot and setting.
• Understands in a simple way some elements of poetry (e.g. simile, rhyme, alliteration, personification), and understands some of the terms used to describe these elements (e.g. personification).
• Reads and responds to social texts (e.g. simple invitations, letters):
  • identifies purpose, audience and context.
• Reads for information:
  • follows information texts (e.g. a description of a process like paper making);
  • reads simple diagrams, graphs and charts;
  • summarises information.
• Analyses advertisements and pamphlets:
  • identifies the audience (‘Who is this advert for?’);
  • identifies the context (‘Where do you see adverts like this?’);
  • identifies the message;
  • identifies emotive language;
  • says how it makes self feel and why.
• Uses reading strategies:
  • matches different ways of reading to different texts (e.g. reads instructions slowly and carefully);
  • uses strategies to work out the meanings of words (e.g. reads the surrounding words, asks someone to translate it);
  • begins to develop and evaluate reading speed.
• Reads for pleasure:
  • reads fiction and non-fiction books at an appropriate reading and language level;
  • reads some new kinds of books (e.g. romances);
  • evaluates books in a book report;
  • reads a simple book review;
  • solves word puzzles.
• Shows some understanding of how reference books work:
  • uses contents page and index to find information;
  • uses a dictionary: understands dictionary entry (spelling, pronunciation, parts of speech, meaning);
  • uses a simple thesaurus.
• Demonstrates a reading vocabulary of between 4000 and 5500 common words. Learners who will study other Learning Areas through their additional language should aim for 5500 words.

Learning Outcome 4:  Writing

The learner will be able to write different kinds of factual and imaginative texts for a wide range of purposes.

Assessment standards

We know this when the learner:

• Writes to communicate information:
  • fills in forms and timetables;
  • writes one or two paragraphs describing a process (e.g. how to change a car tyre);
  • uses information from an interview to write a report or description;
  • writes text types required in other Learning Areas (e.g. a report).
• Writes for social purposes:
  • writes simple personal letters (e.g. accepts an invitation, responds to an advertisement), showing awareness of features of the text type.
• Writes for personal reflection:
  • writes a diary.
• Writes creatively:
  • shows development in the ability to write stories, poems and play-scripts (e.g. by including dialogue in a story).
• Designs media texts:
  • using a ‘frame’, designs a simple advertisement;
  • using a ‘frame’, designs a simple brochure.
• Treats writing as a process:
  • drafts, reads and discusses own writing critically;
  • uses feedback to revise, edit and rewrite;
  • uses knowledge of grammar, spelling, etc., to edit;
  • thinks about design and layout.
• Uses developing knowledge of language structure and use:
  • makes text cohesive (e.g. by using pronouns);
  • begins consciously to adopt a point of view in writing.

Learning Outcome 5:  Thinking and Reasoning

The learner will be able to use language to think and reason, as well as to access, process and use information for learning.

Assessment standards

We know this when the learner:

• Uses language and literacy across the curriculum:
  • understands some concepts from other Learning Areas and uses the vocabulary associated with them in the additional language (e.g. ‘trade’ in Economic and Management Sciences);
  • understands and produces texts used in other Learning Areas (e.g. a factual description in Geography or a report in Natural Sciences).
• Uses language for thinking:
  • asks and answers more complex questions (e.g. ‘What would happen if ....?’);
  • defines and classifies.
• Collects and records information in different ways:
  • selects relevant material and takes notes (identifies key words and sentences, lists important points);
  • does simple research and writes a report using tools such as graphs, tables, diagrams and statistics;
  • transfers information from one mode to another (e.g. uses information from a visual or written text to create a graph or a chart, or to label a diagram).

Learning Outcome 6:  Language Structure and Use

The learner will know and be able to use the sounds, words and grammar of the language to create and interpret texts.

Assessment standards

We know this when the learner:

• Revises the grammar learned in the earlier grades.
• Extends use of questions to include questions tags.
• Extends use of prepositions, determiners, adjectives and adverbs.
• Understands and uses modals to express possibility, probability and necessity, for example:
  • ‘It will rain.’ (certain - positive);
  • ‘It should rain.’ (probable);
  • ‘It may rain.’ (possible);
  • ‘It might rain.’ (unlikely);
  • ‘It will not rain.’ (certain - negative).
• Understands and uses modals to express obligation and necessity, for example:
  • ‘You must be careful.’ (necessity);
  • ‘You should be careful.’ (desirable);
  • ‘You shouldn’t be careless.’ (undesirable);
  • ‘You mustn’t be careless.’ (forbidden).
• Understands and uses the first conditional (e.g. ‘If the lens is dirty, the camera won’t work.’).
• Uses some language to talk about language (meta-language terms such as verb, noun, adverb, adjective).
• Expands vocabulary (e.g. by working with word families: happy, unhappy, happiness, unhappiness, happily).
• Demonstrates an understanding of between 4000 and 6500 common spoken words in context by the end of Grade 7. Learners who will do some of their learning through their additional language should aim for 6500 words.