The Can-Do Statements in Teacher Education

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Marisa Constantinides,
CELT International Teacher Development Centre
© Marisa Constantinides – CELT Athens – CEFR Web Conference March 29 2014

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Number & scope of levels

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Exams – levels – courses

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From the Eaquals Document
http://clients.squareeye.net/uploads/eaquals2011/documents/EAQUALS_British_Council_Core_Curriculum_April2011.pdf

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The Alte
Can Do
Statements

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Interpretation of descriptors

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Problems with some descriptors
http://www.englishprofile.org/images/pdf/GuideToCEFR.pdffrom

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Similarities in descriptors

CEFR includes very general and
sometimes arcane descriptors for
the language teacher
…especially at
pre-service level

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The Alte Can Do Statements
CEFR document not sufficient on its own
The ALTE Framework
Here
http://events.alte.org/resources/framework_english.pdf
Or here
http://events.alte.org/cando/index.php

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Related &
Necessary
Documents

http://www.ealta.eu.org/documents/resources/Threshold-Level_CUP.pdf
http://www.ealta.eu.org/documents/resources/Breakthrough%20specification.pdf
http://www.ealta.eu.org/documents/resources/Waystage_CUP.pdf
http://www.ealta.eu.org/documents/resources/Vantage_CUP.pdf
Links to Related & Necessary Documents

The can dos vs detailed specifications

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• Theory or View of Language clear & transparent
• Support the setting of objectives formulated as
outcomes
• Include the standard of behaviours acceptable
in fulfillment of said objectives
• Imply the necessity of language in a context of
use

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“Some of the instruments produced
within the Council of Europe have
played a decisive role in the teaching of
so-called “foreign” languages by
promoting methodological innovations
and new approaches to designing
teaching programmes.”
https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/dnr_EN.asp

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Models of Teaching
Richards, J. & Rodgers T., 2001, Approaches & Method in Language Teaching, CUP.

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• Do not include a Theory of Learning foreign
languages
• Procedures to be selected not readily obvious
• Additional documentation & further analysis of
can do statements a must
• Do not imply or generate a sequence of linguistic
elements

http://www.englishprofile.org/images/pdf/GuideToCEFR.pdf
Guidance for teachers
How can the CEFR be useful for teachers?
• Understanding language levels better
• Seeing more clearly what learners need to work on
• Assessment grids
• Curriculum plan

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Link to transcript of the chat

Some of the things mentioned in #ELTchat
• None of the participants knew about all of the
resources
• None of us had learnt about the CEFR either at
University or their pre-service or in-service Teacher
Courses
• Most of us liked the concept of the can do’s and
what it implies
• Some of us share them with our learners though
difficult to interpret fully by learners on their own

Those in #ELTchat who were more
informed
• Materials writers
• Directors of studies
• Teacher educators
• Test designers
• Worked for an examining body as examiners or
markers
• ESP teachers
• Had completed postgraduate programmes
• Were engaged in research

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Some thoughts
• Information obscured by academic
language
• Resources spread over a large
number of documents
• Reading of these documents not
included in teacher preparation
programme syllabuses

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What is it used for?
From http://www.englishprofile.org/images/pdf/GuideToCEFR.pdf

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How does each level of Teacher-ed
make use of the CEFR?
Pre-service In-Service
Developing a syllabus
Creating tests/exams
Marking tests/Exams
Evaluating learner needs
Designing a course
Developing learning materials
Describing language policies
Continuous self-assessment
Teacher training programmes

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How does each level of Teacher-ed
make use of the CEFR?
Pre-service In-Service
Developing a syllabus 
Creating tests/exams  
Marking tests/Exams  
Evaluating learner needs  
Designing a course 
Developing learning materials  
Describing language policies
Continuous self-assessment
Teacher training programmes

Question of Accessibility at pre-
service level
• Not mentioned in syllabuses
• Not in prescribed reading lists

An example of how pre-service
teachers are expected to make
use of the CEFR
• Focus on the learner assignment
• Aims of lessons
• Choice of contexts of use
• Language selection for activities
• Suitability of materials in
coursebooks

In-service training programmes –
e.g. The Cambridge DELTA
• All areas in pre-service level Plus
• Needs analysis
• Course Planning
• Test Design & for placement, or
other purposes
• Extended Assignments focusing on
Exam preparation

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What’s missing?
 Clearer requirements by Teacher Education syllabuses
 Pre-course familiarisation tasks – a website?
 Training tasks on pre-service and in-service programmes
 E.g. Given a can-do statement, what
 Language functions
 Exponents of said functions
 Grammatical structures
 Lexical fields
 E.g. Given a collection of the above, what
 Context of use is anticipated
 What CEFR level would they be suited for

From http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/28906-alte-can-do-document.pdf
CAN …
• go to a department store or other shop where goods are on display and
• ask for what (s)he wants.
• ask for what is required, if it is something which the shopkeeper can
• readily understand.
• deal with complex or sensitive transactions, for example the export of
• an antique
• exchange basic information, related to place in the queue, etc., with
other customers.
• go to a counter service shop and ask for most of what (s)he wants.
• understand where the shopkeeper explains the difference between two
or more products all serving the same basic purpose.
• bargain in the market place where what is purchased is a relatively
straightforward item and where the transaction is restricted to the
exchange of the item for cash.
• ask effectively for refund or exchange of faulty or unwanted goods.
• bargain for what (s)he wants and reach an agreement.
Training task sort into levels
CEFR Level?

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Photo Credit: THE SHOW MUST GO ON via Compfight cc
My Three Wishes

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Simplification of documentation
Translate into simpler language accessible to teachers
Photo credits – Image courtesy of http://www.123rf.com/photo_11961229_the-concept-of-education-of-children-the-generation-of-knowledge.html

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A text machine?
Including corpora?
Grammar/functions bank?
Fleisch & Kincaid scales?vs
Image from http://www.alpha60.de/art/poetry_machine/

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Training
Materials
from the Wikimedia Commons
• A training section on a central website with
all resources
• A course to ensure that we all have a fuller
understanding

Photo Credit: Stuck in Customs via Compfight cc

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My email marisa.constantinides@gmail.com
Twitter @Marisa_C
My Centre www.celt.edu.gr
My Blog ttp://marisaconstantinides.edublogs.org/

The Can-Do Statements in Teacher Education

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