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 6 – ADVANCED

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 (S1.6) Use complex vocabulary and phrases (including idioms) in familiar and unfamiliar situations. Example: Give a short speech to the class about a childhood memory. Grammar Usage (S2.6) Demonstrate consistent control of most grammar conventions and complex sentences in authentic communication. Example: Give a 2-minute oral response to a likely job interview question. Monitor Communication (S3.6) Use complex strategies to frequently monitor communication with accuracy. Example: Predict questions or concerns of listener. Pronunciation (S4.6) Produce spontaneous comprehensible oral language independently with appropriate control of pronunciation, rhythm, stress, and intonation. Example: Resolve a problem over the telephone (e.g., dispute a charge on a utility bill).	Attend to Oral Communication (L1.6) Understand and respond to extend explanations and narratives, detailed instructions, and complex conversations in varied contexts where language is not adjusted for English language learners. Example: Understand slang and colloquialisms. Recognize Grammar Usage (L2.6) Understand highly complex sentences used in speech, including the integration of most grammatical forms. Example: Respond to mixture of tenses. Attend to Pronunciation (L3.6) Begin to distinguish regional and non-native pronunciation of sounds in words to determine meaning. Example: Distinguish and understand “Dawg” vs. “Dog.” Develop Comprehension Strategies (L4.6) Use a wide range of strategies to repair gaps in understanding, taking into account implied meaning, the level of formality of the situation, and other socio-cultural factors. Example: Hold questions until a speaker has finished and clarify comprehension. Recognize Cultural Conventions of Speech (L5.6) Use knowledge of a wide range of more complex cultural conventions to understand oral communication. Example: Interpret meaning from multiple sources.	Purpose (R1.6) Read for real-life purposes by independently selecting appropriate materials. Example: Read employee handbooks. Decoding (R2.6) Recognize and use multiple decoding strategies to read with fluency. Example: Read with efficiency and accuracy. Vocabulary and Language Structure (R3.6) Demonstrate increased knowledge of everyday and some specialized vocabulary in preparation for transition to other educational programs. Example: Understand work-related jargon. Locating Information (R4.6) Locate information in a variety of text and graphs using increasingly complex strategies. Example: Extract information from tables, charts, and graphs. Comprehension (R5.6) Comprehend, interpret, and draw conclusions in a variety of more complex texts and documents. Example: Interpret expressive language such as poetry. Monitor Reading (R6.6) Self-monitor accuracy in comprehension using multiple advanced strategies. Example: Pose and answer questions.	Determine Purpose (W1.6) Write for a self-determined purpose and audience for communicating in writing independently. Example: Write a landlord explaining a needed repair. Organize Information (W2.6) Organize ideas using multiple planning and prewriting strategies to produce a clear and comprehensible document. Example: Use strategies such as outlining, graphic organizers,* and categorization of ideas.* Present Information (W3.6) Convey ideas coherently with several supporting facts, details, appropriate vocabulary, and examples, using a variety of simple and complex sentence structures. Example: Write a persuasive essay. Revise Content of Writing (W4.6) Revise writing independently to check for coherence and progression of ideas. Example: Check for transitions between paragraphs. Edit Grammar and Mechanics of Writing (W5.6) Use multiple strategies to edit self-generated text independently. Example: Reread text and correct as needed.

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
(S1.6) Use complex vocabulary and phrases (including idioms) in familiar and unfamiliar situations.

Example: Give a short speech to the class about a childhood memory.

Grammar Usage
(S2.6) Demonstrate consistent control of most grammar conventions and complex sentences in authentic communication.

Example: Give a 2-minute oral response to a likely job interview question.

Monitor Communication
(S3.6) Use complex strategies to frequently monitor communication with accuracy.

Example: Predict questions or concerns of listener.

Pronunciation
(S4.6) Produce spontaneous comprehensible oral language independently with appropriate control of pronunciation, rhythm, stress, and intonation.

Example: Resolve a problem over the telephone (e.g., dispute a charge on a utility bill).

Attend to Oral Communication
(L1.6) Understand and respond to extend explanations and narratives, detailed instructions, and complex conversations in varied contexts where language is not adjusted for English language learners.

Example: Understand slang and colloquialisms.

Recognize Grammar Usage
(L2.6) Understand highly complex sentences used in speech, including the integration of most grammatical forms.

Example: Respond to mixture of tenses.

Attend to Pronunciation
(L3.6) Begin to distinguish regional and non-native pronunciation of sounds in words to determine meaning.

Example: Distinguish and understand “Dawg” vs. “Dog.”

Develop Comprehension Strategies
(L4.6) Use a wide range of strategies to repair gaps in understanding, taking into account implied meaning, the level of formality of the situation, and other socio-cultural factors.

Example: Hold questions until a speaker has finished and clarify comprehension.

Recognize Cultural Conventions of Speech
(L5.6) Use knowledge of a wide range of more complex cultural conventions to understand oral communication.

Example: Interpret meaning from multiple sources.

Purpose
(R1.6) Read for real-life purposes by independently selecting appropriate materials.

Example: Read employee handbooks.

Decoding
(R2.6) Recognize and use multiple decoding strategies to read with fluency.

Example: Read with efficiency and accuracy.

Vocabulary and Language Structure
(R3.6) Demonstrate increased knowledge of everyday and some specialized vocabulary in preparation for transition to other educational programs.

Example: Understand work-related jargon.

Locating Information
(R4.6) Locate information in a variety of text and graphs using increasingly complex strategies.

Example: Extract information from tables, charts, and graphs.

Comprehension
(R5.6) Comprehend, interpret, and draw conclusions in a variety of more complex texts and documents.

Example: Interpret expressive language such as poetry.

Monitor Reading
(R6.6) Self-monitor accuracy in comprehension using multiple advanced strategies.

Example: Pose and answer questions.

Determine Purpose
(W1.6) Write for a self-determined purpose and audience for communicating in writing independently.

Example: Write a landlord explaining a needed repair.

Organize Information
(W2.6) Organize ideas using multiple planning and prewriting strategies to produce a clear and comprehensible document.

Example: Use strategies such as outlining, graphic organizers, and categorization of ideas.

Present Information
(W3.6) Convey ideas coherently with several supporting facts, details, appropriate vocabulary, and examples, using a variety of simple and complex sentence structures.

Example: Write a persuasive essay.

Revise Content of Writing
(W4.6) Revise writing independently to check for coherence and progression of ideas.

Example: Check for transitions between paragraphs.

Edit Grammar and Mechanics of Writing
(W5.6) Use multiple strategies to edit self-generated text independently.

Example: Reread text and correct as needed.