Summary Tables of Texas Adult Education Content Standards & Benchmarks

Created by M.J. Ochoa, Far West GREAT Center
July 2008 (revised January 2009)

ESL CONTENT STANDARDS
LEVEL 5 – HIGH INTERMEDIATE

SPEAK SO OTHERS CAN UNDERSTAND • Determine the purpose for communicating. • Organize and relay information to effectively serve the purpose, context and listener. • Pay attention to conventions of oral English communication, including grammar, word choice, register, pace and gesture in order to minimize barriers to listener’s comprehension. • Use multiple strategies to monitor the effectiveness of the communication.	LISTEN ACTIVELY • Attend to oral information. • Clarify purpose for listening and use listening strategies appropriate to that purpose. • Monitor comprehension, adjusting listening strategies to overcome barriers to comprehension. • Integrate information from listening with prior knowledge to address listening purpose.	READ WITH UNDERSTANDING • Determine the purpose for reading. • Select reading strategies appropriate to the purpose. • Monitor comprehension and adjust reading strategies. • Analyze the information and reflect on its underlying meaning. • Integrate new understanding with prior knowledge to address the reading purpose.	CONVEY IDEAS IN WRITING • Determine the purpose for communicating. • Organize and present information to serve the purpose, context, and audience. • Pay attention to conventions of English language usage, including grammar, spelling and sentence structure. • Seek feedback and revise to enhance the effectiveness of the communication.
Vocabulary for Communication (S1.5) Use appropriate vocabulary in familiar and unfamiliar situations with proper level of formality. Example: Call a supervisor to report an on-the-job problem. Grammar Usage (S2.5) Demonstrate control of some complex grammar conventions in authentic communication. Example: Respond to questions about experience and qualifications in a simple job interview. Monitor Communication (S3.5) Use complex strategies to monitor communication and self-correct with increasing accuracy. Example: Begin to self-assess problems. Pronunciation (S4.5) Produce spontaneous comprehensible oral language independently with increasing control of pronunciation, rhythm, stress, and intonation. Example: Participate in telephone conversations.	Attend to Oral Communication (L1.5) Understand and respond to complex sentences, questions, and multi-step instructions in conversations and narratives related to familiar tasks and situations. Example: Follow short telephone conversations or recorded messages. Recognize Grammar Usage (L2.5) Recognize and respond to many complex grammar conventions used in speech. Example: Respond to complex sentences and time clauses. Attend to Pronunciation (L3.5) Distinguish sounds from different speakers in authentic communication in a variety of settings to determine meaning. Example: Understand speech at a normal rate of speed. Develop Comprehension Strategies (L4.5) Use a range of strategies in a variety of settings to gather missing information and/or repair gaps in comprehension. Example: Request clarification, paraphrase, make notes, and summarize. Recognize Cultural Conventions of Speech (L5.5) Use knowledge of various more complex cultural conventions to understand oral communication. Example: Demonstrate understanding of taking turns in discussions, arguments, and meetings.	Purpose (R1.5) Read for real-life purposes in increasingly complex situations. Example: Read a poster about minimum wage. Decoding (R2.5) Recognize unfamiliar and some specialized words and abbreviations independently. Example: Use knowledge of word parts and word relationships (e.g., science/scientist/ scientific). Vocabulary and Language Structure (R3.5) Demonstrate knowledge of everyday and high interest vocabulary, as well as vocabulary in less familiar authentic text. Example: Use computer vocabulary. Locating Information (R4.5) Locate information in text and graphs using multiple strategies. Example: Use web search engines if available. Comprehension (R5.5) Comprehend key points and most supporting details in more complex texts and authentic documents. Example: Distinguish fact from fiction. Monitor Reading (R6.5) Self-monitor accuracy in comprehension using advanced strategies. Example: Identify conflict and resolution.	Determine Purpose (W1.5) Write for a self-determined purpose and audience for communicating with limited instructional support. Example: Write a thank you note to a friend. Organize Information (W2.5) Organize ideas to support a specific purpose to produce a legible and comprehensible document. Example: Write to convey a personal experience such as a complaint to a store as to why you are returning an item. Present Information (W3.5) Convey ideas with several supporting details and/or examples with appropriate vocabulary. Example: Write out a complete recipe. Revise Content of Writing (W4.5) Revise writing to organize and develop ideas independently. Example: Review grammar use and sentence. Edit Grammar and Mechanics of Writing (W5.5) Use resources to make more complex edits with increasing independence. Example: Exchange a writing sample for peer review followed by self-edit.

SPEAK SO OTHERS CAN UNDERSTAND

• Determine the purpose for communicating.
• Organize and relay information to effectively serve the purpose, context and listener.
• Pay attention to conventions of oral English communication, including grammar, word choice, register, pace and gesture in order to minimize barriers to listener’s comprehension.
• Use multiple strategies to monitor the effectiveness of the communication.

LISTEN ACTIVELY

• Attend to oral information.
• Clarify purpose for listening and use listening strategies appropriate to that purpose.
• Monitor comprehension, adjusting listening strategies to overcome barriers to comprehension.
• Integrate information from listening with prior knowledge to address listening purpose.

READ WITH UNDERSTANDING

• Determine the purpose for reading.
• Select reading strategies appropriate to the purpose.
• Monitor comprehension and adjust reading strategies.
• Analyze the information and reflect on its underlying meaning.
• Integrate new understanding with prior knowledge to address the reading purpose.

CONVEY IDEAS IN WRITING

• Determine the purpose for communicating.
• Organize and present information to serve the purpose, context, and audience.
• Pay attention to conventions of English language usage, including grammar, spelling and sentence structure.
• Seek feedback and revise to enhance the effectiveness of the communication.

Vocabulary for Communication
(S1.5) Use appropriate vocabulary in familiar and unfamiliar situations with proper level of formality.

Example: Call a supervisor to report an on-the-job problem.

Grammar Usage
(S2.5) Demonstrate control of some complex grammar conventions in authentic communication.

Example: Respond to questions about experience and qualifications in a simple job interview.

Monitor Communication
(S3.5) Use complex strategies to monitor communication and self-correct with increasing accuracy.

Example: Begin to self-assess problems.

Pronunciation
(S4.5) Produce spontaneous comprehensible oral language independently with increasing control of pronunciation, rhythm, stress, and intonation.

Example: Participate in telephone conversations.

Attend to Oral Communication
(L1.5) Understand and respond to complex sentences, questions, and multi-step instructions in conversations and narratives related to familiar tasks and situations.

Example: Follow short telephone conversations or recorded messages.

Recognize Grammar Usage
(L2.5) Recognize and respond to many complex grammar conventions used in speech.

Example: Respond to complex sentences and time clauses.

Attend to Pronunciation
(L3.5) Distinguish sounds from different speakers in authentic communication in a variety of settings to determine meaning.

Example: Understand speech at a normal rate of speed.

Develop Comprehension Strategies
(L4.5) Use a range of strategies in a variety of settings to gather missing information and/or repair gaps in comprehension.

Example: Request clarification, paraphrase, make notes, and summarize.

Recognize Cultural Conventions of Speech
(L5.5) Use knowledge of various more complex cultural conventions to understand oral communication.

Example: Demonstrate understanding of taking turns in discussions, arguments, and meetings.

Purpose
(R1.5) Read for real-life purposes in increasingly complex situations.

Example: Read a poster about minimum wage.

Decoding
(R2.5) Recognize unfamiliar and some specialized words and abbreviations independently.

Example: Use knowledge of word parts and word relationships (e.g., science/scientist/ scientific).

Vocabulary and Language Structure
(R3.5) Demonstrate knowledge of everyday and high interest vocabulary, as well as vocabulary in less familiar authentic text.

Example: Use computer vocabulary.

Locating Information
(R4.5) Locate information in text and graphs using multiple strategies.

Example: Use web search engines if available.

Comprehension
(R5.5) Comprehend key points and most supporting details in more complex texts and authentic documents.

Example: Distinguish fact from fiction.

Monitor Reading
(R6.5) Self-monitor accuracy in comprehension using advanced strategies.

Example: Identify conflict and resolution.

Determine Purpose
(W1.5) Write for a self-determined purpose and audience for communicating with limited instructional support.

Example: Write a thank you note to a friend.

Organize Information
(W2.5) Organize ideas to support a specific purpose to produce a legible and comprehensible document.

Example: Write to convey a personal experience such as a complaint to a store as to why you are returning an item.

Present Information
(W3.5) Convey ideas with several supporting details and/or examples with appropriate vocabulary.

Example: Write out a complete recipe.

Revise Content of Writing
(W4.5) Revise writing to organize and develop ideas independently.

Example: Review grammar use and sentence.

Edit Grammar and Mechanics of Writing
(W5.5) Use resources to make more complex edits with increasing independence.

Example: Exchange a writing sample for peer review followed by self-edit.