Skill Descriptor: Demonstrate understanding of conversations and spoken texts on personally relevant topics across social and academic contexts.

Global Competencies: CM, SASM, CL, SGC, ICE, CTPS

Achievement Indicators:

• Demonstrate understanding of both the general message and the key details in conversations and discussions
• Demonstrate understanding of most multimedia materials on topics of interest
• Demonstrate understanding of the main points and supporting details in a clearly structured lecture or presentation on a familiar or school-related topic
• Identify opinions and supporting details in a variety of familiar contexts
• Demonstrate understanding of instructions or announcements when delivered with some background noise
• Demonstrate understanding of complex directions or explanations related to everyday or academic tasks

Skill Descriptor: Participate in conversations on topics that are familiar, of personal interest, educational and/or pertinent to everyday life.

Global Competencies: CM, CL

Achievement Indicators:

• Have a sustained conversation on simple and abstract topics, asking for and giving opinions, information, or advice
• Manage conversations by showing interest and using turn-taking strategies
• Participate in routine formal discussions, contributing factual information or suggestions related to practical problems
• Express personal and abstract opinions clearly, responding to others with agreement or disagreement, and inviting others’ perspectives
• Summarize key ideas from short stories, interviews, or discussions and share personal reactions
• Discuss events in the past and future plans, making few errors in sustained conversation

Skill Descriptor: Express ideas on a range of topics by giving detailed descriptions, explaining ideas and experiences, and delivering short, prepared presentations with supporting reasons or examples.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM

Achievement Indicators:

• Describe my dreams, hopes, and goals.
• Give detailed descriptions and explanations on familiar topics, using a wider range of vocabulary and expressions
• Develop an argument and communicate the main points with supporting reasons or examples
• Describe how to do something, giving detailed instructions
• Deliver a prepared presentation with clear main points and respond to follow-up questions, asking for clarification if needed
• Give a detailed account of experiences or events, describing feelings and reactions, and presenting the information as a clear, linear sequence of points
• Use pronunciation and intonation flexibly to enhance clarity and engagement

Skill Descriptor: Effectively use a variety of reading strategies.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM, CL

Achievement Indicators:

• Select and apply multiple comprehension strategies (e.g., skimming, scanning, questioning, summarizing) while reading longer or more detailed texts
• Use graphic organizers to compare information, distinguish facts from opinions, and track plot elements
• Make more complex connections to texts
• Make and adjust supported predictions about content and purpose during reading
• Interpret tone and purpose in a variety of texts
• Monitor comprehension and adjust strategies when necessary
• Use a variety of text features to enhance comprehension in subject-specific texts
• Read aloud with fluency, using pace, phrasing, tone and expression to show understanding and convey meaning

Skill Descriptor: Demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts on a variety of personal and educational topics.

Global Competencies: CM, CTPS, SASM, CL

Achievement Indicators:

• Summarize the content and main ideas of fiction and non-fiction texts on familiar and personally relevant topics
• Identify the elements of narrative texts, including simplified novels
• Distinguish the main idea from the supporting ideas in a short text dealing with familiar topics, using a graphic organizer when needed
• Follow the development of arguments or opinions in clearly structured texts (e.g., persuasive essays, reviews)
• Demonstrate understanding of technical directions and subject-specific procedures
• Demonstrate understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts with some unfamiliar vocabulary and moderately complex structure, using contextual clues to understand unfamiliar words
• Identify the main arguments and conclusions in a persuasive text and explain how they are supported

Skill Descriptor: Create clear and purposeful connected text, using a variety of sentence structures, with only minor errors.

Global Competencies: CM, SASM, ICE

Achievement Indicators:

• Spell common and studied words correctly
• Use correct punctuation within sentences, with rare exceptions
• Write with a fair degree of grammatical and spelling accuracy, even if some minor errors remain
• Plan and revise a short text using appropriate tools or strategies
• Use cohesive devices/transitions to connect ideas in a short text
• Write complex sentences with reasonable accuracy, using a variety of subordinating conjunctions

Skill Descriptor: Produce clear and connected text with a clear main idea, supported with secondary ideas that relate to past or future events as well as expanding topics of personal interest.

Global Competencies: CM, SASM, ICE

Achievement Indicators:

• Use subject-specific vocabulary mostly appropriately
• Write a narrative or account following a clear chronological sequence and including feelings or reactions
• Write short opinion texts on familiar topics, using reasons and examples to support a position
• Compose a report or paragraph summarizing key information from familiar topics
• Write a report on the main idea of a film or book, with some supporting details
• Follow a writing template to create a personal information text
• Follow a writing template to write a creative personal text

Skill Descriptor: Exchange thoughts, feelings, and information on a variety of familiar subjects through multiple modes of communication.

Global Competencies: CM, SASM, ICE

Achievement Indicators:

• Write informal emails or messages to exchange ideas and feelings on familiar topics (e.g., music, school events)
• Write polite responses to requests asking for specific information or clarifying questions
• Use writing to clarify misunderstandings or explain a simple problem (e.g., with an assignment or schedule)
• Take down and relay clear messages with multiple pieces of information (e.g., from a phone call, announcement or advertisement)

Skill Descriptor: Demonstrate intercultural skills as members of Canadian society within a connected global community.

Global Competencies: CM, SGC, SASM, CTPS, ICE

Achievement Indicators:

• Discuss the concepts of culture and diversity within the Canadian context through multiple modes of representation, expression, and action
• Discuss rights and responsibilities across school, community, and country
• Communicate the intended message, from one language to another, in a variety of contexts
• Discuss a variety of cultural texts, connecting personal experiences and reflecting on the experiences of others
• Use a range of expressions in a variety of social interactions with people outside of familiar contexts
• Employ social and school-related norms in a variety of situations in the school context

Skill Descriptor: Demonstrate independent and consistent use of effective strategies for academic and personal success.

Global Competencies: CM, SGC, SASM, CTPS, ICE

Achievement Indicators:

• Explain ways to avoid plagiarism
• Work collaboratively with others
• Independently use reference materials and resources to find information
• Take notes while listening
• Provide feedback to others and act on feedback provided, through self- and peer-assessment
• Set learning goals, self-monitor progress, and make adjustments, as needed
• Complete a strengths, needs and interests’ inventory, summarize the results and reflect on them
• Organize my learning materials and offer reflection on strategies for doing so
• Use discourse strategies to ensure comprehension when talking with a variety of others