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What’s the level Assimil can take you to? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| MrScotchpie Newbie United Kingdom Joined 4790 days ago 5 posts - 11 votes Studies: Japanese | Message 33 of 40 05 February 2012 at 4:02pm | IP Logged | ||
That's why I said "use to." It is well known that over the last 10 or so years, ever since the introduction of "league tables," there has been a general dumbing down of standards. I've read recently, sorry I cannot remember where, that university professors have complained because they are basically having to teach A level standards to first year undergrads because they are not up to the standard required for a university course. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Elexi Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5350 days ago 938 posts - 1839 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 34 of 40 05 February 2012 at 7:00pm | IP Logged | ||
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I would agree with you both, I was just pointing out that the OCR board word list
'would' take you into the B1 range if you could use them all. As to undergraduates - I teach in a university and I tend to have to spend the first term teaching first year students how to be able to a) write in an academic fashion, b) organise their thoughts/research in a logical and coherent order (which links to a), and c) learn to use a dictionary when they don't know what words in their own language mean. I admit that these were difficult things to learn when I was 15-16 but by the time I finished my A levels and before I started my university course, I had those skills already. [Edits due to today being a major grammar fail day] Edited by Elexi on 05 February 2012 at 7:04pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Random review Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5568 days ago 781 posts - 1310 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Portuguese, Mandarin, Yiddish, German | Message 35 of 40 16 February 2012 at 11:41pm | IP Logged | ||
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OK, I'm going to have to get down off my high horse and eat some humble pie on this one:
I was discussing this issue with my sister and it turns out that my memory was playing tricks on me, she got a D not a B. It appears that G.C.S.E's are maybe not so bad after all. My apologies to all on this thread. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Jeffers Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4694 days ago 2151 posts - 3960 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German | Message 36 of 40 17 February 2012 at 6:49pm | IP Logged | ||
Sorry to get a bit off topic, but in the interests of not "dumbing down" these forums, I'll point out that you should have written "used to", not "use to". Let's keep language standards high. :) 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| smallwhite Pentaglot Senior Member Australia Joined 5093 days ago 537 posts - 1045 votes Speaks: Cantonese*, English, Mandarin, French, Spanish | Message 37 of 40 17 February 2012 at 9:21pm | IP Logged | ||
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Bottom-right of this table on this page it says
A1 = Foundation Tier GCSE A2 = Higher Tier GCSE 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| MrScotchpie Newbie United Kingdom Joined 4790 days ago 5 posts - 11 votes Studies: Japanese | Message 38 of 40 17 February 2012 at 9:40pm | IP Logged | ||
I prefer to cross reference this table to the one on the page discussing the UK's NQF qualification: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Qualifications_Framewo rk B2 - level 3 - A level B1 - level 3 - GCSE A to C grade A2 - level 2 - GCSE D to G grade A1 - level 1 - foundation/Entry level certificate Now it may be my age but a D grade in the GCSE was a fail in my day and so I do not count A2/level2 as equivalent to a GCSE. Also I was reading on the Chartered Institute of Linguists that the C2 equalled a masters degree. That fits my linear correlation perfectly. C2 - MA C1 - BA B2 - A levels etc... Edited by MrScotchpie on 17 February 2012 at 9:43pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| HMS Senior Member England Joined 4892 days ago 143 posts - 256 votes Speaks: English* | Message 39 of 40 17 February 2012 at 10:00pm | IP Logged | ||
I don't think current UK qualifications have the right to be even considered as worthy comparison to other country's ones nowadays.An A* grade can be gained by simply choosing a lucky box of cornflakes it would appear. I speak from the standpoint of somebody who has, in the past, had to teach somebody how to use 24hr clock - after that person had previously broadcast their A-star prowess. Grrrrr etc. I really wish another country would take charge of the UK! Edited by HMS on 17 February 2012 at 10:01pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Elexi Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5350 days ago 938 posts - 1839 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 40 of 40 18 February 2012 at 1:49pm | IP Logged | ||
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I think one of the problems with the CEFR scale is that it is framed in the typically
vague EU-speak of 'competences', whilst most language learners think in terms of functions and grammar. The vagueness of the 'competences' description means that publishers can manipulate what their course actually covers without necessary breaking any product description laws. I have posted this somewhere before, but I think it is worth doing again - it is a set of rough notes (sorry for any mistakes) comparing the CEFR description with what a number of French as Foreign Language type textbooks and A1 exam exercise books reckon DELF A1 involves. What CEFR say A1 competence involves: Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. Syllabus based on number of French as a Foreign Language textbooks for A1 (e.g. Latitudes, Echo, Reussir le DELF A1) Functions Please and thank you, Excuse Me, Tu or Vous, The Alphabet, Numbers, Self Presentation, Use of ‘on’, Asking and describing age, name and profession, affirmation and negation (oui, non, si), likes and dislike, The time, tomorrow, yesterday, months and the date, drinks and food, expressing tastes, asking someone to do a simple task, inviting and accepting an invitation, expressing a point of view (je trouve que, ca me plait), colours, expressions of quantity, price (combien?), directions, far, near, cardinal numbers, In front of, under, behind etc., expressions of obligation or interdiction, advice (e.g. pourrais, ll ne faut pas), describing a place, location and how to get there, expressions of frequency (e.g. encore, souvent, deux fois) Grammar definite and indefinite articles (le, la, les), article contractions (au, a la, du), personal and possessive pronouns, adverbial pronouns (y and en), interrogative pronouns (que, qui, ou), question forms (e.g. est-ce que, verb-subject inversion, rising intonation), main irregular/auxiliary verbs (etre, avor, aller, faire), regular -er verbs, adjectives, near future ‘tense’ (futur proche), perfect tense (passe compose), conditional tense for politenes (e.g. je voudrais . . ., vous pourriez . . .?), demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces), distinction between c’est and il/elle est, negative constructions (ne...pas) I have a 'pass GCSE French' textbook somewhere and I will go and check what more one would have to do in order to pass GCSE in the ordinary and higher tier for comparison. 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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