FAMILY VISA – A1

• Instructor: omigaeducation
• Lectures: 11
• Quizzes: 3
• Students: 1
• Duration: 24 weeks

The syllabi show the standards which a learner must achieve to achieve the four levels of the test. For each level, the standards are shown for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The standards must be read in conjunction with the sections showing the grammar tested at each level and the functions and topics used and tested at each level. These follow the set of standards for each level.

The standards set out in the following pages are cumulative. That is, an A2 candidate, for example, will be able to carry out the standards set out for A1 and A2. Similarly, a C1 candidate will be able to meet the standards of all lower levels (A1–B2) in addition to the C1 standards.

Suitable topics, language functions and language skills for a test of General English are selected from the lists below; that said, not all of the ‘syllabus’ below will be covered in the test versions

Preliminary level – A1

Listening

The candidate will be able to:

• follow carefully and slowly articulated speech which contains long pauses and repetition to allow the listener to process the information

• follow short conversations in everyday situations on topics concerning self, family and immediate surroundings, and understand gist, context and the relationship between speakers

• understand very simple questions, statements, accounts, narratives and single-step instructions spoken carefully and slowly

• follow short, simple directions and explanations

• identify the function of short utterances (see Grammar and Functions sections which follow)

• extract key information from conversations to complete a simple task.

Phonological features

The candidate will be able to:

• listen for phonological detail to distinguish between similar words.

Range

The candidate will be able to:

• understand key grammatical forms used in very common everyday familiar contexts
• recognise familiar words and very basic phrases concerning self, family and immediate concrete surroundings.

Understanding gist

The candidate will be able to:

• understand the main ideas of short explanations and conversations

• identify speakers, context and topic of short conversations.

Understanding detail

The candidate will be able to:

extract key words, numbers and spellings from short statements and explanations.

Reading

The candidate will be able to:

• understand very short simple narratives and descriptions, single-step instructions, simple directions, and simple explanations a single phrase at a time with time to re-read for confirmation and/or clarification

• recognise the purposes of short texts where the purpose and intended audience is clear

• locate specific information in short texts
• understand viewpoints if made clearly and simply.

Range

The candidate will be able to:

understand very familiar names, words and phrases in simple common texts found in everyday life context

• isolated words, short simple phrases and grammatical structures that link clauses and help identify time reference
• understand the meanings conveyed by capital letters and full stops in very simple sentences.

Register

The candidate will be able to:

• understand simple social courtesies.

Text structure

The candidate will be able to:

• understand the organisational, lexical and grammatical features of short simple texts
• recognise different purposes of simple texts through layout conventions, common signs and symbols.

Speaking

The candidate will be able to:

• interact in a simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat or rephrase things at a slower rate of speech

• initiate and respond to simple statements about personal details, in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics

• communicate in a very limited range of social situations using a basic range of functional language

• exchange information to perform a task

• describe and explain familiar topics and simple routines

• give single-step instructions and directions in familiar contexts

• ask and answer simple questions

• produce simple phrases to express likes, dislikes and preferences in relation to familiar topics
• contribute points to a discussion, provided the other speakers are co-operative.

Pronunciation

The candidate will be able to:

• pronounce with sufficient clarity a limited repertoire of words and phrases so they can be understood by a sympathetic listener.

Accuracy

The candidate will be able to:

• display a limited control of very basic grammatical structures.

Range

The candidate will be able to:

• produce simple phrases and sentences to give basic information about and descriptions of familiar people and places, feelings and opinions.

Register

The candidate will be able to:

• cope appropriately, with support from the other person, in a limited range of familiar social situations.

Fluency

The candidate will be able to:

• manage the conventions of turn taking in very simple interactions
• use a very limited range of connectors to link utterances.

Writing

The candidate will be able to:

• write to communicate simple information to a sympathetic reader

• compose simple sentences to communicate ideas or basic information about a topic connected to personal information or knowledge

• write a short letter, card, postcard and message using simple phrases and sentences to communicate ideas and basic information about themselves, where they live and what they do

• write very simple descriptions, accounts and routines, single-step instructions and directions in familiar contexts

• express likes, dislikes and preferences in relation to familiar topics

• use punctuation and capital letters correctly to show beginnings and ends of sentences, proper nouns, personal pronoun ‘I’

• spell correctly personal key words and familiar words

• construct simple phrases and sentences using only basic grammatical structures

• use a basic range of vocabulary to deal with simple and familiar topics and tasks

• write simple sentences on familiar topics

• write a short sequence of simple sentences to form a basic message.