The document discusses using can-do statements and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) to build a skills-based syllabus. It explains that can-do statements describe what learners can do with the language clearly and concisely. The document also discusses how the English Profile project identified criterial features of language skills at each CEFR level to help teachers understand grammar and vocabulary expectations. Finally, it provides examples of using can-do statements and criterial features to assess student ability and plan lessons.

1. Putting skills together with grammar in
a CEFR-based can-do syllabus
Michael Carroll, Momoyama Gakuin University, Osaka
carroll@andrew.ac.jp
slides at

2. What is CEFR?
• Common European Framework of Reference
• can-do statements

3. What I’ll be talking about
• What are can-do
statements?
• How can we understand and
use them?
• How can we teach grammar
in a can-do syllabus?

4. How well can he
speak English?

5. his TOEFL score is
250

6. he can introduce himself
he can …..

7. Proficient
User
C2
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read.
Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments
and accounts in a coherent presentation.
Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of
meaning even in more complex situations.
C1
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning.
Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for
expressions.
Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of
organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
Intermediate
User
B2
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered
in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an
area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics, which are
familiar, or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes &
ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
B1
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters (school, work etc).
Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling
Can produce simple connected text on topics, which are familiar, or of personal interest.
Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and
explanations for opinions and plans.
Basic User
A2
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate
relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, work).
Can communicate in simple an routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of
information.
Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters
in areas of immediate need.
A1
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases
Can introduce him/herself and others
Can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she
knows and things he/she has
(provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help)

8. • 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.
For example:
A1 (Basic user, beginner, Breakthrough)

9. An example of a short conversation about a
familiar topic
(Graham-Marr, Alastair. (2013). Communication Spotlight, High Beginner
Tokyo: ABAX)

10. A2 (basic user, elementary, Waystage)
• Can understand sentences and frequently used
expressions related to areas of most immediate
relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family
information, shopping, local geography, employment).
• Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring
a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar
and routine matters.
• Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her
background, immediate environment and matters in
areas of immediate need

11. Can-do statements are
learning objectives that
are:
clear
easily understandable
achievable

12. The problem with can-do
statements
• in the classroom they need to be specific to each
classroom
• to suit all classrooms they need to be consistent

13. In other words …
• Tasks may be different in every class
• Language criteria should be
consistent

14. Grammar!
(and vocabulary)

15. The English Profile
Programme
• What grammar and vocabulary can learners use
at each level of the CEFR?
• Based on Cambridge Learner Corpus (CLC)
Hawkins, J.A, Filopovic, L (2012) Criterial Features in L2 English: Specifying the Reference Levels of the
Common European Framework. English Profile Studies Volume 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

16. englishprofile.org

20. Hawkins, J.A, Filopovic, L (2012) Criterial Features in L2 English: Sp

21. CRITERIAL
FEATURES?
• properties of learner English that appear at
each level, and that distinguish higher
levels from lower levels

22. I can write texts of some length (e.g.
diary entries, explanations of photos and
events) in simple English, using basic,
concrete vocabulary and simple
phrases and sentences, linking
sentences with simple connectives like
and , but , and because . (A2.1 Writing)
• How long is ‘some length’?
• How simple are ‘simple phrases and sentences’?
• Where is the border between ‘basic, concrete vocabulary’ a

23. Criterial features for A2
• mean length of utterance 7.9
• Intransitive clauses (NP - V) I went home ; We
drove by car to my grandmother’s house in Gifu
• Transitive and ditransitive clauses (NP - V - NP (
+NP) ) My brother plays baseball very well ; He
gave me his old baseball bat ;
• Direct WH- questions What do you think about.. ;
How do you know that? ;

24. What my students can do
• Hello, how are you? I’m fine
• There are 4 people in my family
• brother, sister, mother, father,
• I like (to) play(ing) soccer
• I live (in) Osaka

25. What common errors do my
students make
• I could enjoy my trip.
• I go Tokyo / I going Tokyo.
• I late. Because sleeping.

26. DynEd
• CALL software comprising several interactive
courses - listening, speaking, reading - at levels
from complete beginner to advanced.
• Each course is is comprehensively documented,
so it is easy to analyse the grammar and lexis
the input students are getting (and a little of their
output).

29. Task: Describe a a person from a photograph. Describe
what they look like, their height, hair, what they are
wearing; and say something about what they like doing,
what they are good at.
• can write texts of some length
(e.g. diary entries,
explanations of photos and
events) in simple English,
using basic, concrete
vocabulary and simple
phrases and sentences,
linking sentences with simple
connectives like and , but , and
because . (A2.1 Writing)
• can give a brief talk about
familiar topics (e.g. my school
and my neighborhood)
supported by visual aids such
as photos, pictures, and maps,
using a series of simple
phrases and sentences. (A2.1
Spoken production)

30. • She is wearing a short white T-shirt and short
white pants. She is heighter than me. She has
long black hair and she has black eyes. She is
wearing a sunglasses. She has fair skin and she
speaks Japanese. She looks like elder than me
but same age. She is very interesting, so I like
her. Thank you.
Brown - criterial features for A2
Green - problems

31. WH~ questions
• What is she wearing?
• What colour hair does she have?
or
• What colour is her hair?

32. • I am going to describe my brother. He is 9 years
old. He is a fourth grader. He has been playing
soccer for three years. And I have been
practicing hard. He is short. He is the black short
hair.He has big eyes in black.he have a tan
because he has a soccer. His character is bright.
And he talk a lot. He wear a short-sleeved shirt in
the summer, he wear long-sleeved shirts in the
winter. Because he funny, can you make me
laugh all the time
Blue - Criterial features for B1

33. So, what can these students
do?
• She is wearing a short white T-shirt and short
white pants. She has long black hair and she has
black eyes. She is wearing sunglasses. She has
fair skin and she speaks Japanese. She is very
interesting, so I like her.
• I am going to describe my brother. He is 9 years
old.He is a fourth grader. He has big eyes His
character is bright. And he talks a lot.

34. Common and easily self-corrected errors:
• She is heighter than me. She is wearing a sunglasses. She
looks like elder than me but same age.
• He talk a lot. he have a tan
• He wear a short-sleeved shirt in the summer.
More problematic errors
• He is the black short hair. He has big eyes in black. he has a
soccer. Because he funny, can you make me laugh all the time