Second Year Language (CEFR: B2)
Descriptors providing an indication of the passive and productive abilities of students passing Second Year Language.
‘Can do’ statements
The following descriptors provide an indication of the passive and productive abilities of students passing this course.
| Students passing at grade: | Will meet these criteria: |
|---|---|
| A | almost all of the time |
| B | most of the time |
| C | regularly |
| D | some of the time |
Listening Comprehension
- Understand the main ideas of complex speech on concrete and abstract topics delivered in a standardised dialect.
- Follow main ideas in a discussion, but may find it difficult to understand a discussion between several speakers who do not modify their language in any way
- Follow essentials of lectures, talks and reports and other forms of complex academic presentation
Reading comprehension
- Read with a large degree of independence, using dictionaries and other reference sources selectively when necessary.
- Rapidly grasp the content and significance of news, articles and reports and decide if a closer reading is worthwhile.
- Understand articles, reports and reviews in which the writer express specific points of view, eg. political commentary, critiques, plays, films etc.
- Read literary texts written in straightforward language and style if familiar with the story and/ or the writer.
Spoken
- Take an active part in conversation, expressing clearly and naturally a point of view, idea or feeling with effective turn-taking.
- Evaluate advantages and disadvantages and participate in reaching a decision in formal and informal discussions.
- Sustain opinions in discussions by providing relevant explanations, arguments and comments.
Written
- Write at length about topical issues, even though complex concepts may be oversimplified and can self-correct many mistakes in the process.
- Present a topical issue in a critical manner and weigh up advantages and disadvantages of various options .
- Develop a clear argument, linking ideas logically and expanding and supporting points of views with appropriate examples .
- Summarise information and arguments from a number of sources, such as articles or reports, discussions, interviews, presentations etc.