SPEAKING

Baseline: ES Level 4

ES: GLOBAL DESCRIPTION CLB: GLOBAL DESCRIPTION ES: ORAL COMMUNICATION TASKS CLB: SPEAKING TASKS

LEVEL 4 FUNCTIONS

  • Extensive oral communication demands in a very complex work-related social interaction.
  • Leads or guides large groups.
  • Facilitates complex group problem solving and decision making.
  • Persuades, instils understanding of complex subject matter.
  • Motivates, conducts negotiations and mediates.
  • Provides clinical counsel; assesses or evaluates.
  • Entertains with preparation.

INFORMATION

  • Wide range and depth of subject matter, interdisciplinary information; professional, organizational, theoretical, social issues.
  • Language can be highly abstract, conceptual and technical.
  • Information content is very complex and detailed; deals with facts, opinions, values, emotions and controversy.
  • Requires a high level of inference and ability to organize, present and interpret ideas coherently for analysis, synthesis, decision making and evaluation.

CONTEXT

  • A variety of contexts; complex and shifting from unpredictable to highly ritualized.

BENCHMARKS 11-12 FUNCTIONS

  • Obtains, exchanges and presents information, ideas and opinions for complex tasks in routine and non-routine situations in demanding contexts of language use. (11)
  • Contributes to extended authentic exchanges (over 60 minutes) about complex, abstract, conceptual and detailed topics in public, in large formal and unfamiliar groups. (11)
  • Skilfully communicates to persuade, provide basic counselling, assess needs or evaluate detailed or complex information in a one-on-one routine situation. (11)
  • Leads formal group discussions, meetings or workshops. (12)
  • Communicates, in a variety of situations, to explain complex ideas to diverse groups, debate arguments on complex matters, teach, train, motivate, counsel or guide, mediate, negotiate, and resolve conflict. (12)

INFORMATION

  • In a style and format appropriate to audience and purpose, gives a presentation of complex information and ideas that includes an evaluation or critique, recommendations, demands and appeals. (12)

CONTEXT

  • Demonstrates complex, accurate language in presentations with good flexibility in the structure of information, organization and delivery style in view of purpose and audience. (11)

LEVEL 4

  • Describes a problem, some possible courses of action, and the advantages of each to a customer, making sure the customer has enough information to make a reasonable decision.
  • Talks with a customer by telephone, listening as the customer describes a problem, interpreting, questioning, advising, describing (talking through) a procedure to repair/replace a part.
  • Makes presentations to management (e.g., vice-president) concerning a major rate change or a proposed bonus system to increase productivity.
  • Questions patients, using language which is appropriate to the patient’s age, gender and culture, using non-technical terminology; listens with intent to bystanders, family members and patients’ accounts of an occurrence; interprets these accounts, which may be abstract or incomplete.
  • Facilitates formal meetings with sales associates and assistant managers to deal with long range issues and to discuss sales trends.
  • Discusses difficult construction adaptations with factory technical support and engineers. This communication may be complex because of the abstract nature of the discussion and because the discussion is usually over the telephone. Troubleshooting and diagnosing, takes several telephone calls, picking up where a conversation left off, or beginning again with another person.

BENCHMARK 11

  • Leads or chairs a discussion or a teleconference call; keeps the discussion on topic and moving; helps the group reach an agreement.
  • Gives instructions on complex unfamiliar work procedures and technical and non-technical unfamiliar processes (such as a research assignment or experimental procedure) in a demanding and stressful situation.
  • Negotiates a concession from a supervisor, boss or professor through logical argumentation.
  • As a supervisor, diplomatically expresses criticism during a detailed performance evaluation.
  • Develops an argument for a set of reforms to restructure the role of politicians in policy making.

BENCHMARK 12

  • Explores, explains and hypothesizes about the relationships between the development of positions and biases of the speakers/writers, their assumptions, values and motives, and the contemporary socio-cultural context.
  • Communicates with a number of individuals to design/create a complex project.
  • Facilitates a working group discussion: establishes goals and objectives and facilitates the process.
  • Gives a presentation that ends with an inspirational or emotional appeal, quotation, question or challenge for the audience. Counsels or supports an individual in a personal or academic/ work-related crisis, when requested and appropriate.