Summary
Highlights
The speaker, an online English teacher, explains that many of her students, particularly those from social media, know their goals but are unsure of their current English proficiency. She emphasizes the importance of accurately assessing a student's level before creating a study plan or preparing them for an exam, especially for those aiming for Cambridge exams or studies abroad.
The speaker introduces the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), created 20 years ago by the Council of Europe. It provides a transparent basis for language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, teaching materials design, and proficiency assessment. The CEFR defines six main levels: A1/A2 (basic), B1/B2 (intermediate/upper-intermediate), and C1/C2 (advanced).
The speaker notes that in private lessons, it's not crucial to know the exact level in the first class, as continuous assessment is possible. However, it's beneficial for trial lessons to understand appropriate vocabulary, speech pace, and potential pronunciation issues. She highlights that determining a student's level can be challenging; for instance, Spanish speakers might excel in speaking but struggle with writing due to lack of practice. Private lessons allow for individualized assessment, unlike group settings where finding a balance is key.
The teacher outlines her assessment process. The first contact is via WhatsApp or Messenger, where she communicates in English, encouraging even low-level students to use translation tools. The first lesson is designed to be fun and relaxing, avoiding the impression of a strict test. The goal is to allow students to demonstrate their existing knowledge freely, assessing their speaking skills (fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, intonation).
After the initial speaking assessment, if the student appears to be, for example, a high B1, the teacher sends an email with specific grammar tests (e.g., B1 and B2). She also sends YouTube videos featuring natural conversations (not teacher-led or songs) and asks students to produce a text based on what they heard. Additionally, she provides a link to international news articles, asking students to comment briefly on an interesting piece. This email assessment covers grammar, listening, and writing skills.
For new students, the teacher uses photo descriptions to assess A1/A2 levels. This seemingly simple activity can reveal vocabulary range and fluency. Examples include asking students to describe photos like 'dogs and owners look alike' or 'funny photos,' being mindful of sensitive content. Optical illusions are also used to engage students and observe their descriptive abilities. An A1 student is expected to communicate simply with limited vocabulary, while an A2 can handle straightforward information and express themselves in familiar contexts with more vocabulary.
Key grammar points for A1/A2 include articles, nouns, pronouns, simple present/past/future tenses, basic 'ing' forms, infinitives, adjectives, adverbs, basic modal verbs (can/could), and prepositions of place and time. For vocabulary, A1/A2 students should know colors, body parts, clothes, food, parts of a city, and common phobias.
For B1/B2 students, the teacher uses conditionals to assess knowledge of past tenses, 'would' usage, and creativity. She provides hypothetical situations (e.g., choosing neighbors) to encourage broader vocabulary use. If students perform well with second conditionals, she moves to matching exercises with common phrasal verbs, and even third conditional exercises for advanced B2 students.
A B1 student can express themselves in familiar situations and deal with non-routine information, while a B2 can achieve most goals and express themselves on various topics. Grammar expectations for B1/B2 include all prior basic structures, plus question tags, present and past perfect tenses, common collocations, phrasal verbs, and reported speech. Vocabulary should cover a wider range, including weather, sports, feelings, environment, entertainment, and travel.
For C1/C2, the teacher uses complex and ambiguous sentences to test understanding and analytical skills (e.g., 'The complex houses marriage and single soldiers and their families' or sentences with repeated 'had'). She then challenges students with photos related to societal problems (e.g., social media addiction), asking them to express their opinions using a wide variety of tenses and vocabulary. She plays 'devil's advocate' to provoke further discussion and demonstrate advanced fluency.
A C1 student can deal with academic and unfamiliar topics, understand demanding structures, recognize implicit meaning (like irony), and perform complex tasks. C1/C2 students demonstrate high fluency and natural use of appropriate expressions and phrasal verbs. The teacher concludes by emphasizing that the framework is not rigid, and mistakes in initial assessment can occur. Students might initially appear lower level due to shyness but later reveal higher proficiency, or vice versa. The flexibility of private lessons allows for continuous adjustment of the study plan as the student's true level emerges.