ESL Pathways Curriculum

• Mandate

• Vision

• Theoretical Frameworks

• Key Characteristics

• Curriculum Guidelines

Mandate

• Implement CLB and Essential Skills

• Focus on three domains

• Use authentic materials sourced online

• Use Portfolio Based Language

Assessment (PBLA)

Theoretical Framework:Communities of Practice

“Communities of practice refer to natural or

intentional affiliations and organizations of people

who share a common profession, skill, or practice”

– Explains how foundational learning can contribute to student

success or failure entering target communities

– Implies certain characteristics in curriculum

– Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (1991)

Theoretical Framework:Activity Theory

• Connection with culture

• Characteristics

• Relation to the Task

• Implications to curriculum

Vygotsky and Leon’tev (2009)

Theoretical Framework: Student-Centred Approach

• Enables responsiveness to students’ shifting needs,

goals and conditions

• Supports more transactions between students and

the process of learning

• Incorporates needs assessment in curriculum

development and during implementation

• Includes specific qualities

Key CharacteristicsEmbedded Competencies

• Determined by research

• Provide additional opportunities for skills, language and

learning strategies

• Not explicitly assessed, but support Task completion

• Integrated into the curriculum pages, lesson plans, and

materials

Key Characteristics:Assessment

• Integrated Assessment in the form of Portfolio-Based

Language Assessment (PBLA)

• Learner self-evaluations in each Activity

• Instructor self-evaluations

Curriculum Guidelines:Key Components

• Activity

• Task

• Learning Outcomes

• Embedded Competencies

• Competency Statements

• Indicators of Ability

• Suggested Approach

• Instructor Self Evaluation

Curriculum Guidelines:

Key Components – page 1

Embedded Competencies

Icons

• = Speaking

• = Listening

• = Reading

• = writing

• = PBLA Tool or Exercise

Page 2

Instructor Self-Evaluation

Curriculum Guidelines:Student Pages

Key Components:

• Getting Started: What do I know?

• Student Activity Pages

• Student Self-Evaluation

Student Curriculum Guidelines:

Getting Started: What do I know?Target Activity 1: Empathizing Getting Started: What do I know?

Use the following scale to rate the statements below: 2 - Yes 1 - Somewhat 0 - No

Activity

____ I can empathize.

Task

____ I can participate in and maintain common social conversations for many everyday purposes.

____ I can identify purpose, details, and implied meanings to interpret (explain) communication intended to influence or persuade.

____ I can identify mood, purpose, and register (formality) in social interactions and identify and interpret (explain) information in the interaction.

Language

____ I can use intonation correctly when questioning and confirming information. ____ I can use reported speech correctly.

____ I can use transitions to show cause and effect (such as consequently).

Skills

____ I can use strategies for active listening.

____ I can use strategies for empathizing.

____ I can work jointly with a partner on an assignment or project to get it finished.

Questions I have about this activity: _________________________________________________________________________________

Student Self-Study Pages Autonomous Learning

Target Activity 1: Empathizing Student Self-Study

Orienting to Activity

To help you prepare for this activity, think about and/or discuss the questions below. 1. What is the difference between “sympathy” and ‘”empathy”? 2. In your home country, is it common to seek professional counselling to deal with difficult situations? 3. Counselling can happen in a formal situation between a counsellor and a client as well as informally between friends, family members, colleagues,

and others. Who do you speak to when you are experiencing stress?

Analyzing Content

To help you with the content in this activity, complete the exercise(s) below. 1. Type “Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab” into Google (or go to www.esl-lab.com). Scroll down

to “General Listening Quizzes.” In the difficult (left) column click “Personal Problems.” Listen to the quiz. Complete the questions and exercises.

Practicing Skills

To help you with skills in this activity, complete the exercise(s) below. 1. Type “How to Actively Listen wikiHow” into Google. Click on the link. Read the steps. (Or go to www.wikihow.com/Actively-Listen.) 2. Answer the questions below.

a. What are 3 ways you can prepare yourself to listen actively? _______________________________________________________________________ b. Active listening involves focusing on 2 things, according to the website. What are they? _______________________________________________________________________ c. What is empathy? _______________________________________________________________________ d. What are verbal cues? Give some examples. _______________________________________________________________________

Experiential Learning

Complete the exercise(s) below. 1. Practice the active listening strategies from the website above (www.wikihow.com/Actively-Listen) with a classmate, family member, or friend. Did

they work? Report back to class.

Student Self-Study Pages Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning

Complete the exercise(s) below. 1. Practice the active listening strategies from the website above (www.wikihow.com/Actively-Listen) with a classmate, family member, or friend. Did

they work? Report back to class.

Student Self-EvaluationTarget Activity 1: Empathizing Student Self-Evaluation

How did you do when performing the tasks for this activity? Check the appropriate box. I can do this. I would still

like to practice this.

I can’t do this.

I can empathize.

I can participate in and maintain common social conversations for many everyday purposes.

I can identify mood, purpose, and register (formality) in social interactions, and identify and interpret (explain) information in the interaction.

I can identify purpose.

I can use intonation correctly when questioning and confirming information.

I can use transitions to show cause and effect (such as consequently).

I can use reported speech correctly.

I can use strategies for active listening.

I can use strategies for empathizing.

I can work jointly with a partner on an assignment or project to get it finished.

I can practice active listening strategies with a classmate, family member, or friend and report back to class.

My strengths in this activity, Empathizing, are:

Challenges completing this activity, Empathizing, are:

Conclusion

“Knowing the curriculum guidelines and how

it’s put together gives you ownership of what

you’re doing in the classroom. It gives you

voice and authority to do what you do. And

it’s the same for students… they are also

invited into the learning journey.”