Jiřina Hrbáčková 1 Summer School on Writing: CEFR Level Specifications for Writing Vocabulary for Writing Levels of Formality How to write a CV ECFR as the Basis of the Language Policy of Europe §EC: Languages are a fundamental aspect of people’s lives and the democratic functioning of society. § §Q: Why are languages “a fundamental aspect of people’s lives” and “the democratic functioning of society”? § §In response to the needs identified in or by its member states, the EC has been working over the past few decades to compile a set of resources made available to education authorities and professionals and benefiting all Europe’s citizens. 2 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office ECFR: EC’s Value and Language Policy §Some of the end products have been widely distributed beyond Europe. The objectives of the EC’s language policy form part of the broader role and goals of the EC (in the context of the European Cultural Convention), concerning in particular the rights of individuals, social inclusion and cohesion, intercultural understanding and equal access to quality education. 3 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office ECFR: Plurilingual and Intercultural Education §Language learners/users lie at the heart of the work of the Language Policy Program. Whatever their status, all languages are covered: foreign languages, major languages of schooling (used for learning/teaching at school), languages spoken in the family and minority or regional languages. A specific program focuses on the linguistic integration of migrants (adults and young people, and also refugees). § §The analytical tools and working aids that have been produced, together with the studies and reference material that have been made available, are all based on respect for and acknowledgement of linguistic plurality and cultural diversity. Many of them concentrate on the development of and conditions for implementing plurilingual and intercultural education. § 4 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office European Language Portfolio §The ELP is a document in which those who are learning or have learned one or more languages can record and reflect on their language learning and intercultural experiences. § §The ELP supports the development of learner autonomy, plurilingualism and intercultural awareness. § 5 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Three main aims of ELP §to help learners give shape and coherence to their experience of learning and using languages other than their first language, § §to motivate learners by acknowledging their efforts to extend and diversify their language skills at all levels, § §to provide a record of the linguistic and cultural skills they have acquired (to be consulted, for example, when they are moving to a higher learning level or seeking employment at home or abroad. 6 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office CEFR and Learner Autonomy §In an ELP, all language proficiency is valued, whether it was gained inside or outside formal education. In addition: §It is linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (users assess themselves in relation to the CEFR’s proficiency levels). §It conforms to a common set of Principles and Guidelines that have been approved by the Committee of Ministers and recommended to Member States. §The EC’s work in language education has enriched the ELP in a number of ways, especially as regards plurilingual and intercultural education. The values inherent in the ELP are also central to the projects of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML). 7 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office CEFR as an Internationally Comparable Scheme §The Common European Framework for Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR) can be used to specify language learning goals and outcomes in an internationally comparable manner. §The CEFR describes in a comprehensive manner: §the competences necessary for communication, §the related knowledge and skills and §the situations and domains of communication. §The CEFR defines levels of attainment in different aspects of its descriptive scheme with illustrative scales. These are summarised in the Self-assessment Grid. 8 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Use of CEFR in Second Language Education 9 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office §The CEFR was developed to provide a common basis for the explicit description of objectives, content and methods in second/foreign language education. § §The CEFR adopts an action-oriented approach, describing language learning outcomes in terms of language use; § §has three principal dimensions: language activities, the domains in which they occur, and the competences on which we draw when we engage in them; Language Activities and Domains in CEFR §CEFR divides language activities into four kinds: §reception (listening and reading), §production (spoken and written), §interaction (spoken and written), §mediation (translating and interpreting); §provides a taxonomic description of four domains of language use – §public, §personal, §educational, §professional – §for each of which it specifies locations, institutions, persons, objects, events, operations, and texts. 10 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office CEFR’s “Can Do” Descriptors §For reception, production, interaction, and some competences the CEFR defines six common reference levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2), using “can do” descriptors to define the learner/user’s proficiency at each level. § §Rather than use number of hours, or qualifications, it describes what people can actually do in the language. These abilities would range from knowing just some words, to knowing and using the language almost perfectly. § §The common reference levels provide a basis for comparing second/foreign language curricula, textbooks, courses and exams. Together with the rest of the CEFR’s descriptive apparatus, they can also be used to support the design of curricula, teaching programs, learning materials, and assessment instruments. 11 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office CEFR’s Self-assessment Grid §The self-assessment that is a central feature of the ELP provides the essential link between the ELP and the CEFR. Self-assessment is carried out using checklists of “I can” descriptors arranged by language activity and common reference level (language biography) and summarized with reference to the CEFR’s self-assessment grid, in the following aspects: §Listening §Reading §Spoken Interaction §Spoken Production §Writing § 12 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office CEFR’s “Global Scale” (British Council) §CEFR’s “global scales" have three levels, and each level is divided into two: §A: Basic User §A1 Breakthrough or beginner §A2 Waystage or elementary §B: Independent User §B1 Threshold or intermediate §B2 Vantage or upper intermediate §C: Proficient User §C1 Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced §C2 Mastery or proficiency § 13 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office How the British Council Defines CEFR §For each level, the CEFR describes what a learner can do in reading, listening, speaking and writing. §For example, at the end of level A1, the learner: §Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.* §Compare this with C2: §Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.* §Against this Framework, any formal exam, certificate or syllabus can be matched. In other words, any aspect of learning, teaching or testing a language can – given time and effort – be put somewhere on this table. 14 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office CEFR’s Correspondence to Cambridge System §Individual learners will progress differently depending on many factors, such as exposure to the language and culture, knowledge of other languages, motivation, and so on. § §As a rough guide, Cambridge exams estimate that each level is reached with the following guided learning hours: A2, 180–200; B1, 350–400; B2, 500–600; C1, 700–800, and C2, 1,000–1,200. 15 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office What Describes Your Writing? §According to CEFR: §A1: I can write a short, simple postcard, for example sending holiday greetings. I can fill in forms with personal details, for example entering my name, nationality and address on a hotel registration form. §A2: I can write short, simple notes and messages relating to matters in areas of immediate needs. I can write a very simple personal letter, for example thanking someone for something. §B1: I can write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest. I can write personal letters describing experiences and impressions. §B2: I can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects related to my interests. I can write an essay or report, passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view. I can write letters highlighting the personal significance of events and experiences. § 16 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office CEFR: C1-C2 §C1: I can express myself in clear, well-structured text, expressing points of view at some length. I can write about complex subjects in a letter, an essay or a report, underlining what I consider to be the salient issues. I can select style appropriate to the reader in mind. § §C2: I can write clear, smoothly-flowing text in an appropriate style. I can write complex letters, reports or articles which present a case with an effective logical structure which helps the recipient to notice and remember significant points. I can write summaries and reviews of professional or literary works. 17 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Strategies for Learner Autonomy §How to use a word in its context: Sketch Engine §Corpus linguistics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32RjJ-lA-8Q §Metaphor as a means of expanding vocabulary §Metaphor in English and your first language §Up and down §In and out §Understanding the English morphology §McCarthy’s video §Table of English morphology 18 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Understanding English morphology §One advantage of English vocabulary is that many words are formed from the same root. §As a result, if you know the word friend, it is easy to understand other words from the same root such as friendly, friendship, unfriendly and befriend. When you meet a new word, it is a good idea to write it down with other words using the same root + different prefixes and suffixes. § 19 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Verb Noun Adjective Adverb doubt doubt doubtfully conserve conserved, -ing - destroy destruction destructively empowerment empowered, -ing - consume consumable, -ed, consumingly force force forcible, forcing, forced subsidise subsidy - develop developed, -ing - benefit benefit beneficially 20 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Tips for Memorizing Vocabulary §Listen to the Cambridge University Press author Michael McCarthy and take notes. §https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evTXudMf2M4 § §Discussion: What are the author’s suggestions? 21 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office How to Learn Correct Usage in Context? §Sketch Engine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL5wOxwQ1S4 § §Demo: http://ske.fi.muni.cz/login/ § §The British National Corpus (BNC) is a 100-million-word text corpus of samples of written and spoken English from a wide range of sources. The corpus covers British English of the late 20th century from a wide variety of genres, with the intention that it be a representative sample of spoken and written British English of that time. 22 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office 23 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office in- dis- im- mis- ir- sub- il- under- un- over- ab- self- re- de- experienced valuable perfect mature conscious rational judged loaded valued honest normal legible stable spoilt aware compatible Metaphor as a Way of Expanding Vocabulary §Concept: ARGUMENT §Conceptual Metaphor: ARGUMENT IS WAR §Your claims are indefensible. §He attacked every weak point in my argument. §His criticisms were right on target. §I demolished his argument. §I've never won an argument with him. §You disagree? Okay, shoot! §If you use that strategy, he'll wipe you out. He shot down all of my arguments. § 24 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office §TIME IS MONEY: §You're wasting my time. §This gadget will save you hours. §That flat tire cost me an hour. §I've invested a lot of time in her. §I don't have enough time to spare for that. §You're running out of time. §You need to budget your time. §Is that worth your while? §He's living on borrowed time. §You don't use your time profitably. § § 25 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office §American author George Lakoff on how to express LOVE and LIFE in English and the system of metaphor shapes the English vocabulary. §https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu-9rpJITY8 § §Discussion: Look back again at the expressions. Do they work in your first language(s) as well? § 26 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office §How metaphor shapes political thinking §https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RytyWu3zUq8 27 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Formal and informal English §Review: formality §contractions (e.g. can’t, won’t, isn’t) §short forms of words (e.g. cos for because, w8 for wait) §slang (e.g. dude, cash, cool) §imprecise words (e.g. some, a lot, thing) §personal pronouns (e.g. I, my, we) §rational (not emotional or opinion based) §complex (in terms of grammar and vocabulary) §hedged (use of cautious language) §https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdKYl8Tg_FQ § 28 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office How to Use Hedges §Hedges: §modals, §questions, §adverbs §Is use to express caution and politeness. §On politeness (if time permits): §https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQN4-l5AXE0 § 29 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Verbs and Phrasal Verbs in Writing a)Unfortunately, the meeting will have to be put off until next week. b)Haven't you heard? The football match has been called off because of bad weather. c)She was really hurt and upset when the critics pulled apart her latest novel. d)We've had a second bathroom put in for our guests to use. e)In my school days, I was always being told off by the teachers for being naughty. f)You should own up to having broken the window before someone else gets into trouble. g)He was badly beaten up by the gang of youths on his way home from work. h)Although I like going to the gym it leaves me feeling tired out. i) i) §postponed cancelled severely criticized installed reprimanded confess assaulted exhausted a) § 30 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Up and Down in the English System §HAPPY IS UP; SAD IS DOWN §I'm feeling up. §That boosted my spirits. §My spirits rose. §You're in high spirits. §Thinking about her always gives me a lift. §I'm feeling down. §I'm depressed. §He's really low these days. §I fell into a depression. §My spirits sank. § 31 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office CONSCIOUS IS UP; UNCONSCIOUS IS DOWN §Get up. §Wake up. §I'm up already. §He rises early in the morning. §He fell asleep. §He dropped off to sleep. §He sank into a coma. § 32 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office HEALTH AND LIFE ARE UP; SICKNESS AND DEATH ARE DOWN §He‘s at the peak of health. §Lazarus rose from the dead. §He's in top shape. §As to his health, he's way up there. §He fell ill. §He's sinking fast. §He came down with the flu. §His health is declining. §He dropped dead. §He’s already over the hill. § 33 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office dragged out/drew out – dry out – give out – hang ... out – hold out –spread out – stick ... out – wash out – burned out – root out §1. Please spr... ... the map on the table, it’ll make it easier to find the place. §2. The nets are still wet, we have to h... them ... . §3. I can only hope that my car will h... ... another year. §4. We’ll have to ... it ... here till the end of the academic year. §5. The lawyer ... ... all the details during the trial. §6. He is a an alcoholic who is trying to dr... ... . §7. With a good detergent the stains will w... ... in no time. §8. My old car will g... .../pack up one of these days; I’d better look around for another one. §9. I have been doing this job so long, I feel b... ... . §10. It’s high time you did something to r... ... your smoking habit. 34 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office outdoes – outlived –outnumbered – outrun – outvoted – outweigh –outwit §1. The opposition outv... the majority that was divided on the issue. §2. The leopard runs fast, but the cheetah can outr... it. §3. At fifty, his father still outd... him in physical strength. §4. I believe that the advantages of your solution outw... the disavantages. §5. This old bicycle has outl... its usefulness. §6. The demonstrators outn... ... the police by ten to one. §7. John isn’t very bright; Sue will easily outw... him. 35 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office clock in, clock out – dig in – go in for – pay in – phase in – put in – (had a) run-in – sign in – sucked in/pulled in - is/fell in love - cut in on §1. In factories, workers cl... ... before work and cl... ... after work. §2. D... ..., children, before the food gets cold! Enjoy your meal. §3. Personally, I would not g... ... ... such a deal. Turn it down. §4. Before I realised they were having an argument I got s... .../p... ... . §5. Participants s... ... when they arrive, so that we know who stays here. §6. Ph... ... the new programme now so that people get adjusted to it. §7. If you p... ... 5,000 dollars, the account will yield 7% interest. §8. Sue had a r... ... with her boss yesterday. §9. Did you know (that) Mary is/fell ... l... with John? §10. “Wait a minute,” he c... ... ... the lady, “I disagree with you.” 36 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Yocur name / Unit, O in'centive – 'income – in'forming – in'jected – 'inlaws– in'quiries – 'inroads – in'sider – 'intake §1. If you don’t reward people, they have no inc... to work hard. §2. Low-inc... families are entitled to get extra financial benefits. inc ...................... §3. I always become nervous when my in-l... come to visit. §4. Our firm receives several inq... a week about our activities. §5. The yearly int... of the candidates at the university is limited. §6. As he is an ins... he cannot be impartial in his judgement. §7. Robots have made considerable inr... in car manufacturing. §8. I have pleasure inf... you that you’ve been selected as a candidate. §9. To alleviate the pain, the doctor inj... a small dose of morphine. 37 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office bear on – hinges ... on - put on – take on – touch on - caught on – is hooked on - dragging on - rambled ... on – carry on – dwell on §1. You are tired because you t... ... too much work. §2. If you eat too much, you will p... ... weight very fast. §3. The implications of the study b... ... all aspects of daily life. §4. The validity of your claims h... to a large extent ... the facts you can back them up with. §5. My talk ran late, so I wasn’t able to t... ... my last point. §6. Unfortunately, he is h... ... drugs. §7. The new fashion c... ... Immediately. §8. As the meeting was dr... ..., several members dozed off/dropped off. §9. As usual, the old boss r... ... for ever. §10. Don’t disturb me. Please let me c... ... with my work. §11. It’s counter-productive to d... ... one’s past all the time. 38 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office blast off/lift off –came off – off with – peeling off – shake ... off - drop ... off – strike ... off – touched off – wander off – yanked off §1. There is snow on your cap. Sh... it ... before you come in! §2. The handle of my bag suddenly c... ... . §3. The hostile crowd shouted: ‘O... ... his head!’ §4. The spacecraft will bl... ... /l... ... next week in Florida. §5. The old wallpaper as well as the paint started p... ... . §6. The authorities will str... ... you ... the hoteliers’ list if you don’t clean up this kitchen. §7. A small skirmish with the police nearly t... ... a riot. §8. Don’t ... ... from the group or you will never find your way §back. §9. A mugger coming from behind y... ... my sister’s purse and ran away. §10. Could you d... me ... at the (railway) station? 39 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Formality of Language in Salutation §Choose which phrases below are very formal (VF), formal (F), informal (I) and very informal (VI) in opening (A) and closing (B) letter salutations. § §A) a) Dear Mr Cottrell b) Hi Mark c) Dear Professor Cottrell d) Hello Mark e) Hey there f) Dear Sir/Madam g) Dear Mark h) Hello all i) Dear Mark (if I may) j) Mark, k) Hey Mark l) To Whom It May Concern § §B) a) Kind regards b) C ya c) Yours sincerely d) All the best e) Love f) Best wishes g) Cheers h) See you i) Regards j) Bye for now k) Best regards I) All the very best m) Looking forward to hearing from you n) LOL o) Yours p) Best to the family § 40 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Exercise: rewrite into an academic style § §These days a lot of kids are starting school early. Years ago, they began at 5, but now it’s normal to start at 4 or younger. Why is this? One thing is that mums need to get back to work. Is it good for the kids? Jenkins has studied this and says that early schooling causes social problems like stealing, drug taking etc. I think he’s right and we should pay mums to stay at home. § § 41 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Sample §Currently, significant numbers of children are starting school at the age of four or less, whereas 30 years ago five was the normal age. There appear to be various reasons for the change; mothers, for example, need to rejoin the labour force. There are mixed views about the effects of this change on the children concerned. Jenkins (1989)claims that early school attendance causes social problems, such as theft and drug taking. There seems to be considerable evidence to support his views and there may be an argument in favour of a state subsidy for women to stay at home with their children. 42 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office How to describe a process §How to describe a process (such as making coffee or withdrawing money from an ATM): Use of transition words to express the chronological order. First of all, Secondly, Thirdly, Furthermore, Following this, In/At this stage, 43 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office §To begin, the clay which is used to make the bricks is dug up from the ground by a large digger. This clay is then placed onto a metal grid, which is used to break up the clay into smaller pieces. A roller assists in this process. §Following this, sand and water are added to the clay, and this mixture is turned into bricks by either placing it into a mould or using a wire cutter. Next, these bricks are placed in an oven to dry for 24 – 48 hours. §In the subsequent stage, the bricks go through a heating and cooling process. They are heated in a kiln at a moderate and then a high temperature (ranging from 200c to 1300c), followed by a cooling process in a chamber for 2 – 3 days. Finally, the bricks are packed and delivered to their destinations. § §http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-process-diagram.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_learning_strategies 44 Sample 1: Describing a process Sample 2 45 Writing Your CV §CV: Curriculum Vitae (resume) §a summary of your experience and skills. Typically 2-3 pages. §Includes: §academic background, §teaching experience, degrees, research, awards, publications, presentations, and other achievements. § 46 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Things to Consider When Composing Your CV §CV is more like a marketing tool where you sell your skills, qualities, expertise and potential. §•Key purpose: to present yourself in the best way – convincing the evaluators that you are the best researcher for the project – in such a way, that they will recommend your proposal for funding! §Why me? 47 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Things to Avoid §A photo might be OK §–However, avoid vacation photos; rather have a photo with you in your lab §Start with personal information §–name, birthdate, contact information etc §Provide a link to your web page §–However, make sure that it is updated! §When listing your information - list the most recent data first, followed by older data §Do you have "time gaps" in your CV - make sure to explain these gaps 48 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Education §EDUCATION: §199? PhD §Name of Faculty/ Department, Name of University/ Institution, Country §Name of PhD Supervisor §Add the title of your thesis; date – not only the year; a short descriptive text – what were the main conclusions of your thesis. If applicable, add any distinctions or honours to your title, such as “Best Thesis” §199? Master §Name of Faculty/ Department, Name of University/ Institution, Country 49 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Current Position(s) §CURRENT POSITION(S): §201? – Current Position §Name of Faculty/ Department, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §200? – Current Position §Name of Faculty/ Department, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §If you work with a world-wide known research leader, you can add this persons name – this may demonstrate that you work with the best researchers in the world. § 50 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Previous Positions § §200? – 200? Position held §Name of Faculty/ Department, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §200? – 200? Position held §Name of Faculty/ Department, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §You could add a short descriptive text describing what you got out of the different positions – especially if it is relevant for your current research project. §Highlight any country to country mobility – this is a hidden evaluation criteria for many funding agencies. 51 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Scholarships/Fellowships §More often than scholarship awards, fellowship grants will include an internship or other service commitment, often for a period of one or more years. § §200? – 200? Scholarship, Name of Faculty/ Department/Centre, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §199? – 199? Scholarship, Name of Faculty/ Department/Centre, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §For each fellowship, add a short descriptive text of what you achieved – especially if it is relevant for your current research project. 52 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Commssion/Positions of Trust §201? – Scientific Advisory Board, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §201? – Review Board, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §201? – Review panel member, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §201? – Editorial Board, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §200? – Scientific Advisory Board, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §200? – Reviewer, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §Add name of the journal and funding agencies in case of reviewing and editorial activities and the frequency (how often you are doing this) 53 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Memberships of Scientific Societies §MEMBERSHIPS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES: §201? – Member, Research Network “Name of Research Network” §200? – Associated Member, Name of Faculty/ Department/Centre, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §200? – Funding Member, Name of Faculty/ Department/Centre, Name of University/ Institution/ Country §Add if you were “invited”, “elected” or “nominated” 54 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office Publications and Grants §For your most important publications: add a short descriptive text about what the main findings were, your contribution (did you participate in the design of the project? Performed any experiments? Wrote the manuscript?) and what impact the article/book made. §Add analysis of your publications and citations per year and the impact factor for the journals. §Add information about the funding agency, amount awarded, title of the project and indicate whether you are the main PI or a co-PI. You can also add the success rate for the different calls. 55 Define footer - Name of the presentation / Your name / Unit, Office