A Background to the ESL Pathways Curriculum

1. ESL Pathways Curriculum
• Mandate
• Vision
• Theoretical Frameworks
• Key Characteristics
• Curriculum Guidelines

2. Mandate
• Implement CLB and Essential Skills
• Focus on three domains
• Use authentic materials sourced online
• Use Portfolio Based Language
Assessment (PBLA)

4. Theoretical Framework:
Communities of Practice
“Communities of practice refer to natural or
intentional affiliations and organizations of people
who share a common profession, skill, or practice”
– Explains how foundational learning can contribute to student
success or failure entering target communities
– Implies certain characteristics in curriculum
– Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (1991)

5. Theoretical Framework:
Activity Theory
• Connection with culture
• Characteristics
• Relation to the Task
• Implications to curriculum
Vygotsky and Leon’tev (2009)

6. Theoretical Framework:
Student-Centred Approach
• Enables responsiveness to students’ shifting needs,
goals and conditions
• Supports more transactions between students and
the process of learning
• Incorporates needs assessment in curriculum
development and during implementation
• Includes specific qualities

8. Key Characteristics
Embedded Competencies
• Determined by research
• Provide additional opportunities for skills, language and
learning strategies
• Not explicitly assessed, but support Task completion
• Integrated into the curriculum pages, lesson plans, and
materials

9. Key Characteristics:
Assessment
• Integrated Assessment in the form of Portfolio-Based
Language Assessment (PBLA)
• Learner self-evaluations in each Activity
• Instructor self-evaluations

10. Curriculum Guidelines:
Key Components
• Activity
• Task
• Learning Outcomes
• Embedded Competencies
• Competency Statements
• Indicators of Ability
• Suggested Approach
• Instructor Self Evaluation

11. Curriculum Guidelines:
Key Components – page 1

12. Embedded Competencies

13. Icons
•  = Speaking
• = Listening
•  = Reading
•  = writing
•  = PBLA Tool or Exercise

14. Page 2

15. Instructor Self-Evaluation

16. Curriculum Guidelines:
Student Pages
Key Components:
• Getting Started: What do I know?
• Student Activity Pages
• Student Self-Evaluation

17. Student Curriculum Guidelines:
Getting Started: What do I know?Target Activity 1: Empathizing Getting Started: What do I know?
Use the following scale to rate the statements below: 2 - Yes 1 - Somewhat 0 - No
Activity
____ I can empathize.
Task
____ I can participate in and maintain common social conversations for many everyday purposes.
____ I can identify purpose, details, and implied meanings to interpret (explain) communication intended to influence or persuade.
____ I can identify mood, purpose, and register (formality) in social interactions and identify and interpret (explain) information in the interaction.
Language
____ I can use intonation correctly when questioning and confirming information. ____ I can use reported speech correctly.
____ I can use transitions to show cause and effect (such as consequently).
Skills
____ I can use strategies for active listening.
____ I can use strategies for empathizing.
____ I can work jointly with a partner on an assignment or project to get it finished.
Questions I have about this activity: _________________________________________________________________________________

18. Student Self-Study Pages
Autonomous Learning
Target Activity 1: Empathizing Student Self-Study
Orienting to Activity
To help you prepare for this activity, think about and/or discuss the questions below.
1. What is the difference between “sympathy” and ‘”empathy”?
2. In your home country, is it common to seek professional counselling to deal with difficult situations?
3. Counselling can happen in a formal situation between a counsellor and a client as well as informally between friends, family members, colleagues,
and others. Who do you speak to when you are experiencing stress?
Analyzing Content
To help you with the content in this activity, complete the exercise(s) below.
1. Type “Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab” into Google (or go to www.esl-lab.com). Scroll down
to “General Listening Quizzes.” In the difficult (left) column click “Personal Problems.” Listen to
the quiz. Complete the questions and exercises.
Practicing Skills
To help you with skills in this activity, complete the exercise(s) below.
1. Type “How to Actively Listen wikiHow” into Google. Click on the link. Read the steps. (Or go to www.wikihow.com/Actively-Listen.)
2. Answer the questions below.
a. What are 3 ways you can prepare yourself to listen actively?
_______________________________________________________________________
b. Active listening involves focusing on 2 things, according to the website. What are they?
_______________________________________________________________________
c. What is empathy?
_______________________________________________________________________
d. What are verbal cues? Give some examples.
_______________________________________________________________________
Experiential Learning
Complete the exercise(s) below.
1. Practice the active listening strategies from the website above (www.wikihow.com/Actively-Listen) with a classmate, family member, or friend. Did
they work? Report back to class.

19. Student Self-Study Pages
Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning
Complete the exercise(s) below.
1. Practice the active listening strategies from the website above (www.wikihow.com/Actively-Listen) with a classmate, family member, or friend. Did
they work? Report back to class.

20. Student Self-Evaluation
Target Activity 1: Empathizing Student Self-Evaluation
How did you do when performing the tasks for this activity? Check the appropriate box. I can do this.
I would still
like to
practice this.
I can’t do
this.
I can empathize.
I can participate in and maintain common social conversations for many everyday purposes.
I can identify mood, purpose, and register (formality) in social interactions, and identify and
interpret (explain) information in the interaction.
I can identify purpose.
I can use intonation correctly when questioning and confirming information.
I can use transitions to show cause and effect (such as consequently).
I can use reported speech correctly.
I can use strategies for active listening.
I can use strategies for empathizing.
I can work jointly with a partner on an assignment or project to get it finished.
I can practice active listening strategies with a classmate, family member, or friend and report
back to class.
My strengths in this activity,
Empathizing, are:
Challenges completing this activity,
Empathizing, are:

21. Conclusion
“Knowing the curriculum guidelines and how
it’s put together gives you ownership of what
you’re doing in the classroom. It gives you
voice and authority to do what you do. And
it’s the same for students… they are also
invited into the learning journey.”