The document outlines specific competencies and rubrics for a competence-based syllabus designed for ESL students, emphasizing various language skills such as speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural understanding. It details specific competencies required in these areas, along with examples and assessment criteria for each skill. Additionally, it provides templates for measuring competencies and outlines expected outcomes for students in an ESL context.

1. Implementing Specific
Competencies & Rubrics in a
Competence-based Syllabus for
ESL Students
November 17th, 2011
rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

2. Outline
Dealing with Competencies.
Levels of Linguistic Competencies in ELT.
Understanding Competency Concepts.
Examples for some kinds of competencies
Basic Template for Specific Competencies
November 17th, 2011
rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

3. Levels of Competence- Description
Classifying= Outlining=
Describing= Narrating= Explaining= Defining= Formulating
Naming Hypothesis=
your E.g.,
word= Events in statistics, Grouping
Category- Synthesis /
Image
Perceptions sequence details, etc. item
into
categories
If… framework
____ relationship
concept
rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni
November 17th, 2011

4. Specific Competencies in a Competence-
based Syllabus for ESL students.
1. Speaking Competencies
2. Listening Competencies
3. Lexical Competencies
4. Reading Competencies
5. Grammatical Competencies
6. Writing Competencies
7. Composition Competencies
8. Metacognitive Linguistic Competencies
9. Gnoseological Competencies
10. Socicultural Competencies
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

5. 1 Speaking Competencies
 talking about how often you do things (go out for dinner / attend
the theatre/ get take out
 to apologize making excuses (being absent to school / from a
birthday party /not handing in an assignment)
 to narrate past events and achievements (best day in your life /last
argument you had / last time you got into trouble/most important
achievement so far)
 to narrate your life experiences using a time line (year you entered
primary-secondary-college / draw a timeline / memorable events)
 to describe immediate plans (for vacation / Christmas / Holy week/
family trip)
 to give advice to someone (suggest what to carry for a trip / suggest
what to do when visiting Nicaragua / suggest what to do when visiting
a foreign country –list 3 do’s and 3 don’ts)
Source: World View Book 2.
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

6. Speaking Competencies
 to describe physical appearance (your favourite actor or actress / the president of
US / a classmate)
 to report a movie you saw ( Kind of / main characters, the plot, and ending)
 to describe a job position ( parent’s job, name, place of work, salary, working
conditions, benefits, schedule, duties (4)
 to describe feeling and behavior (in a funeral / in job interview / speaking in
public / when you witness an accident…)
 to talk about a keepsake you have ( name, why you keep it, date of acquisition,
story behind the keepsake)
 to explain in your own words “cultural shock” (a personal experience
/differences between your home culture and USA or JAPAN)
 asking others about... (frequency, duration, achievements, immediate plans,
physical description, life experiences, solutions for big issues in Managua—make
3 questions
Source: World View Book 2.
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

7. 2 Listening Competencies
 Listen and underline the correct information p.3
 Listen and match the photos with the speaker. P. 3, p.31, p.60
 Listen and put in the correct order p 7.
 Listen and match the apology with the response. P.7
 Listen and complete the grid p. 73 WkBk
 Listen and complete the words of a song (p 20)
 Listen and choose from a list (p 27)
 Listen and circle the letter of the correct answer (p31)
 Listen and associate with the description p38
 Listen and correct the mistake in each sentence. Test A p104
 Listen and do following the instruction given in a recorded message in English. (steps to
follow 3)
 Listen and outline relevant information in a piece of news in English. Topic + main ideas +
supporting details.
 Listen and write important data, statistics or examples after listening to a story, or a piece of
spoken English. p.56
 Listen and Speak about the topic, main ideas and supporting information.
Source: World View Book 1.
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

8. 3 Lexical Competencies
3.1 Using proper verb collocations.
3.2 Explaining English Idioms
3.3 Paraphrasing Phrasal verbs
3.4 Grouping Nouns and adjectives into categories
3.5 Building up ideas for Physical description
3.6 Outlining Restaurant Terms and Food Items
3.7 Naming Global issues
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

9. 3 Lexical Competencies
3.1 Proper Verb collocations.
VERB + OBJECT (¿ ?)
Rent a video
Afford a car
Spend time / money
Shake hands
Hire a taxi
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

10. 3 Lexical Competencies
3.3 Using Phrasal verbs
Go for a walk
out for dinner
ahead
To work in an office / a hospital
for “Seguros America”
as an account
Put in, on, out, away, off
3.4 Associating Nouns and categories
CATEGORY ITEM
Body parts eyes, foot, throat
Symptom fever, rash, headache
Ailments a cold, a backache, a sore throat
November 17th, 2011
rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

11. 4 Reading Competencies
4.1 Read and outline the topic and main ideas of a text
(Paragraph, article, story, ads, etc.) written in English
4.2 Read and write the topic and main ideas of a piece of written
English information. Copy at least 3
4.3 Read and summarize the main ideas of a story in a paragraph
of 50‐100 words.
4.4 Identify the characters, setting, and plot, and ending of a
short narrative written in English
4.5 Read and Answer Wh-questions
4.6 Read and choose if True or False
4.7 Read and rule out the topics that are not in the text
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

12. 5 Grammatical Competencies
5.1 use regular and irregular verbs properly
5.2 fix a grammar mistake
5.3 rewrite a sentence adding or removing information
5.4 demonstrate what’s wrong in the sentence
5.5 build up compound and complex sentences
5.6 rule out inappropriate structures/syntactical units
she likes me / I like her/ I like she/ she likes I
I hurt my leg / my eyes hurt / my eyes ache
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

13. 6 Writing Competencies
6.1 Write simple and compound sentences with proper word
order and verb tense. (use provided hints)
6.2 Write descriptive or expository paragraphs of about
50‐100 words ( select one out of 3 topics)
6.3 Write a brief account in order to summarize the main
ideas in a text in English. (100 words) Teacher provides text.
Etc.
November 17th, 2011
rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

14. 7 Composition Competencies
7.1 identify sentence components (parts of speech)
7.2 differentiate types of sentences
7.3 separate ideas with conjunctions and punctuation
marks (coherence)
7.4 name and use punctuation marks
7.5 understanding paragraph structure
7.6 creating coherence and unity (transition words)
7.7 applying spelling rules
7.8 classifying kinds of paragraphs, Etc.
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

15. 8 Metacognitve Linguistic Competencies
8.1 Describing a pie graph, a chart, or a table (statistics)
8.2 Understanding and using formal definitions
8.3 Understanding signs, symbols and icons in English
8.4 Understanding and using Initials and Acronyms in
English
8.5 Understanding and using numbers, dates, formulae
8.6 Communicating through Non-verbal language
8.7 Understanding Grammar Terminology (metalanguage)
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

16. 9 Gnoseological Competencies
9.1 To be Vs. not to be (Hamlet complex)
9.2 Regular Vs. irregular verbs
9.3 Word derivation Vs. Word compounding
9.4 Formation of concept Vs. memorizing rules
9.5 Spanish syntax Vs. English syntax
9.6 Rising Intonation Vs. Falling intonation
9.7 Stressed sounds Vs. Unstressed sounds
9.8 Simple tenses Vs. Perfect tenses
9.9 Syntagmatic units Vs. paradigmatic units
e.g, para /parado /parador/paradero
since 2005 / as far as the traffic light / until next month
a watch pocket / a pocket watch
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

17. 10 Sociocultural Competencies
good evening Vs. good night
go to bed Vs. go to sleep
home Vs. house
win the Oscar Vs. to be awarded
I have 20 years Vs. I am 20 years old
To walk the dog Vs. take the dog out
To eat soup Vs. to drink soup
To go sightseeing Vs. to go walking / on foot / to go window shopping
One word concept Vs. multiword concept: a light switch / interruptor
Sintagma Vs. single words
Carne de—vaca, venado, cerdo Vs. beef, venison, pork
I’m going home / I’m going to my house
I was in my house / I was at home
Body language
November 17th, 2011
rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

18. Basic Format for Specific Competencies
Specific competence = Verb +
sub-competences = what to do +
Indicators = to what extent
Specific competence sub-competences Indicators
Verb what to do to what extent
Asking others about... Questions with Ask no less than
Achievements in life Did you…? 3 questions about
Have your ever…? past events
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

19. Basic Template for Specific Competencies
CENTRO de IDIOMAS
Basic Format for Specific Competencies
Specific Competence Sub-competencies Indicators
Verb. What to do? To what extent ?
Asking others about... Questions with :
…achievements in life. Did you…? Ask no less than 3 questions about past events
Have you ever…?
Communicative English _______ UNIT _____________ R. Chaviano. November 28th, 2011
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

20. Rubrics for Final Oral Exam
Criteria / symbol G= Good 1 F = Fair 0.5 N=Needs Improvement
G F N G F N G F N G F N G F N G F N
1 Student speaks at appropriate pace
(fluent enough)
2 Student response is appropriate for the questions
3 Student uses appropriate sentence structure and
syntax
4 Student speaks with standard pronunciation
5 Student speaks with expected level of vocabulary
6 Student shows creativity and improvisation
7 Student masters the relevant contents of the
course units
8 Student is able to formulate appropriate
questions
9 Student needs no further questions for
clarification
10 Student demonstrates competence for this level
Student performance 1= 2= 3= 4= 5= 6=
FINAL SCORE
STUDENT NAME
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

21. ANEXO 1
Centro de Idiomas - UAM Communicative English I Course 2007-2008
(Speaking)Expected Outcomes (competencies) Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor
Spelling his/her name with proper pronunciation and intonation
Introducing oneself to other people in a colloquial way
Introducing friends to a third person in formal/ informal conversations
Naming parents occupations and & some others among the most common ones
Naming the 5 continents, countries, and cities
Naming possession of your own, and family belongings. (my-your-his-her-his-its )
Naming clothing items for male, females and children
Naming and describing foods and drinks your regularly have.
Telling people about your favorite things (movie, food, TV show)
Telling Numbers 0-19 in isolation or to quantify items
Telling Numbers 20-90 in isolation or to quantify items
Telling Numbers 100-1000 in isolation or to quantify items
Telling others what you do / don’t do at home /school / etc.
Telling others what your mother / father does / doesn’t do at home / at work
Telling others how you communicate with your friends and people at home / on the street.
Telling others what items you need, use, take, buy, carry, and do on vacations
Telling /Asking others about travel plans for vacations
Telling counts and non-counts nouns apart. (much sugar, many bananas )
Expressing location of items in the room (on, next to, in front of, above, etc .).
Expressing quantities (much, many, a lot of, etc .)
Talking about what you do on local holidays and festivities (eat, drink, and play what? )
Asking / Telling nationalities from Latin American and European countries
Asking for / giving information about common office items and equipment.
Asking What- people do, When-people do, and How-people do i n their jobs(They)
Asking What- X does, When- X does, and How- X does at home ( He /She)
Asking /Telling people types of transportation is used to travel to Atlantic Coast / Corn Island, etc.
Asking for / Giving information at the shopping center. (location & prices)
Asking for / Expressing skills (read a map, type fast, design a website, speak French,
play an instrument ) you have or required to get a job position.
Describing some places in the city according to personal point of view
(interesting-friendly-crowded, etc )
Describing public places in the neighborhood
(there is a market, a small hotel, a nice restaurant )
Describing a room at home with or without a picture /photo
Describing garment / shoes color and sizes, and prices.
Describing job skills required for some job positions(type, repair, drive, read, design, manage )
Centro de Idiomas -UAM R. Chaviano 27/08/07
Communicative English I Course 2007-2008 November 17th, 2011
rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

22. Thank you very much
Enjoy your day!
November 17th, 2011
rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni

23. Bibligraphic reference
 http://www.eduteka.org/MatrizValoracion.php3, 2002 Ejemplos.
 http://www.rubrics4teachers.com/esl.php, 2011
 Competency-Based Syllabus WORKSHOP, R. Chaviano Feb. 2010
 http://www.utc.arizona.edu/resources/thinkingseries/vol1_6.ht
ml
 Implementing Specific Competencies in a Competence-based
Syllabus for ESL students. R. Chaviano Sep. 27, 2010
 Rubric for Oral Final Exam- Centro de Idiomas UAM, May, 2010
 http://www.adprima.com/measurement.htm, 2007
 Achieving linguistic competence, R. Chaviano Feb. 2003
 Are Competent or are you Not? R. Chaviano August, 2006
 Try Out you competencies. R. Chaviano Sept. 2008
November 17th, 2011 rodolfo.chaviano@uam.edu.ni