UK ESOL Qualifications
Building confidence with learner-centred exams Opportunities for people around the world can be enhanced by learning English. For anyone living in the UK, proficient communication communic ation in English language not only benefits his or her personal aspirations, study or employment, but also helps to bring about social cohesion in a multicultural Britain. Trinity College London has designed specific learner-centred exams that focus on building confidence in English language communication communication for learners living in the UK. Trinity has been setting standards and testing English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) for more than 70 years. Trinity’s Trinity’s UK ESOL exams cover a wide range of topics and tasks, which are inclusive and relevant to every learner — regardless of nationality, culture or gender.
Trinity Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life Trinity Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life are available from Entry 1 to Level 2 in the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
The assessment leads to an all-mode qualification and/or single-mode qualification in Speaking & Listening. Trinity also offers ESOL
Step 1 and Step 2 Certificates in Speaking & Listening to learners who are not yet ready for Entry 1. These qualifications a re popular among beginners looking to boost their confidence in English.
Trinity Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life Who are the qualifications for?
Designed for a wide range of learners, these qualifications are available to those aged 16 and above whose native language l anguage is not English and who live or plan to live in the UK. These learners include refugees, asylum seekers, those from settled communities and partners or spouses of people settled in the UK. Assessment
There are three elements to the all-mode Trinity ESOL Skills for Life qualification — Speaking & Listening, Reading, and Writing. The single-mode Speaking & Listening qualification is identical to the Speaking & Listening units that form part of the all-mode qualificatio qualification. n. Trinity Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life are external assessments designed to reflect the use of English language in real-life situations, appropriate to the needs of learners living in the UK. Trinity Certificates in ESOL Skills for Life: Key features •
•
•
•
•
•
•
Flexible: Speaking & Listening assessments are offered on Flexible: Speaking demand — any time, any place, anywhere, including evening and weekend sessions Competitive: fees are fully inclusive with no hidden costs or centre Competitive: fees registration fees and are comparable with other exam boards Convenient: more opportunities a year for candidates to sit the Convenient: more Reading and Writing exams than any other ESOL Skills for Life externally assessed exam Culturally sensitive: Culturally sensitive: centres centres have the option of requesting only female or only male examiners Motivational: a learner-centred Speaking & Listening exam that Motivational: a tests what candidates can do, not what they can’t. ESOL Step 1 and Step 2 Certificates are also excellent at motivating beginners Time-efficient: an exam that removes the pressure on teachers Time-efficient: an to prepare and deliver the assessment, allowing them to focus on what they do best Supportive: teacher seminars held annually and a professional Supportive: teacher support team offering centre visits and academic advice
Speaking & Listening: The Listening: The aim of the Speaking & Listening exam is to replicate real-life exchanges in which participants pass on information, share ideas and opinions and debate topical issues. The Speaking & Listening exam is comprised of two components and is offer offered ed on demand on the centre’ centre’ss date of choice. •
•
Component 1 (Interview): (Interview): a one-to-one, face-to-face face-to-face interview between the candidate and an examiner. For Step 1, Step 2 and Entry 1 candidates there is no Component 2. Component 2 (Group Discussio Discussion): n): after four four candidates have met individually with the examiner for Component 1, a group discussion will immediately follow, with the candidates’ teacher usually acting as facilitat facilitator or to the discussion.
Reading: For Entry 1, 2 and 3, candidates read a range of short Reading: For texts on topics from everyday sources and use the information obtained to answer a variety of questions. At Level 1 and Level 2, the multiple-choice National Adult Literacy Test is taken. Writing: The Writing tasks concentrate on three main areas — Writing: The text, sentence and word. Markers assess written composition as a whole, including grammar and punctuation as well as spelling and handwriting. The Reading and Writing papers can be taken in the same exam session and are regularly available throughout the year. Please see the Trinity website for the latest Reading and Writing exam dates — www.trinitycollege.co.uk/examdates
Assessmentt summary Assessmen summar y
Level
Qualifications awarded as all-mode or single-mode
Speaking & Listening
Step 1
ESOL Step 1 Certificate in Speaking & Listening
Interview — 5 mins (1 task)
—
—
Step 2
ESOL Step 2 Certificate in Speaking & Listening
Interview — 6 mins (1 task)
—
—
Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life Qualification number: 100/ 100/4266/ 4266/0 0 Entry 1
Interview — 7 mins (2 tasks) Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) Qualification number: 100/ 100/4513/ 4513/2 2 Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life Qualification number: 100/4267/2
Entry 2 Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) Qualification number: 100/4514/4
Entry 3
Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life Qualification number: 100/4268/4 Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) Qualification number: 100/ 100/4515/ 4515/6 6 Level 1 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life Qualification number: 100/4269/6
Level 1 Level 1 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) Qualification number: 100/ 100/4516/ 4516/8 8 Level 2 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life Qualification number: 100/4270/2 Level 2 Level 2 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) Qualification number: 100/4517/X
Reading
15 items 30 mins (2 tasks) —
Component 1 Interview — 8 mins (3 tasks) Component 2 Group discussion — 10 mins (1 task)
Component 1 Interview — 8 mins (3 tasks) Component 2 Group discussion — 10 mins (1 task)
Component 1 Interview — 10 mins (3 tasks) Component 2 Group discussion — 15 mins (1 task)
Component 1 Interview — 15 mins (3 tasks) Component 2 Group discussion — 20 mins (1 task)
20 items 45 mins (3 tasks) — 20 items 60 mins (3 tasks) — National Literacy Test 60 mins — National Literacy Test 60 mins —
Writing
20 mins (2 tasks)
— 40 mins (2 tasks)
— 60 mins (2 tasks)
— 100 mins (3 tasks)
—
100 mins (3 tasks) —
Support Support — for teachers
How to become a registered centre
Trinity offers a wide range of valuable resources for teachers to help prepare learners for the assessments.
If you are a teacher or institution looking to offer Trinity’s ESOL qualifications you will need to become a Registered Exam Centre.
In print: Trinity print: Trinity syllabuses for ESOL Skills for Life are available free of charge. The syllabus is an essential tool for teachers, guiding them through each exam level level and outlining the format, procedures and criteria for assessment.
Registration is easy and free — all you need to do is complete and return the centre registration forms. These forms are available to download from the Trinity website at www.trinitycollege.co.uk/sflregistration or
Online: The Trinity website contains a wide range of valuable Online: The resources including past papers, practice tasks, practical tips, syllabus downloads and videos of real Speaking & Listening exams at each of the levels. Face-to-face: Trinity offers individual visits to help new exam centres get started with the exams. We also provide teacher support seminars at various UK locations throughout the year. Support — for centres
Convenient exam sessions: Trinity’s sessions: Trinity’s Speaking & Listening exams are available on demand and can be held at the centre’s choice of venue including schools, colleges and places of employment. Centres must contact Trinity at least one month in advance to arrange their Speaking & Listening exam date of choice. Trinity’s Reading and Writing exams are available regularly throughout the year. Please see the Trinity website for the latest Reading and Writing dates at www.trinitycollege.co.uk/examdates Trinity Online: Onlin e: This This website gives administrators direct access to their own candidate information held on Trinity’s central database. Features include results tracking, candidate statistics, examiner information and access to timetables and materials. Direct contact: Registered contact: Registered centres have direct communication with an appointed Trinity co-ordinator.
by contacting Trinity’s London office directly. Once your application has been approved, you will receive a Trinity Registered Centre pack, which includes syllabuses and exam posters, and you will also have access to your own Trinity Registered Exam Centre logo for use on your centre materials. Funding for qualifications
Full or partial funding is available to those who qualify. The Skills Funding Agency will have the most up-to-date information regarding funding and eligibility. Please see www.skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk for further information.
Trinity College London — the international exam board
Recognition
Trinity is regarded as one of the world’s leaders in examining English. Available in over 60 countries, Trinity exams are contemporary and learner-centred, focusing on practical and communicative communic ative English skills.
Membership of professional organisations
Trinity is a full member of profes professional sional language organisations worldwide including the Association of Language Testers Testers in Europe (ALTE). Trinity’s Skills for Life exams have been awarded the Q-mark, meeting all of ALTE’s quality standards.
The Trinity ESOL qualification suite NQF
CEFR
GESE
ISE
Level
A full member of
SEW Trinity ESOL Skills for Life*
Grade 1 Entry 1
A1
Grade 2
Entry 1
Entry 2
A2
Grade 3 Grade 4
ISE 0
Entry 3
B1
Grade 5 Grade 6
ISE I
Level 1
B2
Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9
ISE II
Entry 2 SEW 1
Entry 3
SEW 2 Level 1 SEW 3
Level 2
C1
Grade 10 Grade 11
ISE III
Level 3
C2
Grade 12
ISE IV
SEW 4
Level 2
Qualifications and Ofqual
In the UK, Trinity College London has corporate recognition from Ofqual and its respective partners in Wales and Northern Ireland. With the exceptions of ESOL Step 1 and Step 2 Certificates in Speaking & Listening, all of Trinity’s UK ESOL qualifications are accredited by Ofqual and sit on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Trinity and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
Trinity’s Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) and Integrated Skills in English (ISE) exams are robustly aligned within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This is evidenced by a research report submitted to the Council of Europe in 2006. The full report can be downloaded from www.trinitycollege.co.uk/ www.trinitycollege.co.uk/cefr cefr UK university recognition
*Trinity also provides ESOL Step 1 and Step 2 qualifications for those who are not yet ready to take Entry 1 ESOL Skills for Life. NQF: National Qualifications Framework CEFR: Common European Framework Framework of Reference GESE: Graded Examinations in Spoken English ISE: Integrated Skills in English exams SEW: Spoken English for Work Work exams
Trinity College London providing assessments and qualifications worldwide since 1877 Trinity qualifications are available in: English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) Music Drama Dance Arts
In the UK, Trinity’s ISE and GESE qualifications are recognised by universities and colleges as suitable evidence of English language proficiency for entry to degree programmes. programmes. The list of institutions recognising these exams can be found at www.trinitycollege.co.uk/universitylist
Trinity College London 89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP UK T +44 (0)20 7820 7820 6100 F +44 (0)20 7820 6161 E
[email protected] www.trinitycollege.co.uk/esol
