English Language

The English language assessment measures general English language proficiency of students who are
native speakers of Arabic. This assessment is used to determine students' levels in order to place them
into classes and courses to make instruction more effective.
Components and Weights
The assessment has three components with different weights:
Structure:
The test takers complete sentences with one or more words removed to check how well they know
important grammatical rules in English.
Reading Comprehension:
The test takers read short texts about everyday topics and answer one or more questions based on the
given text. Questions test understanding of main ideas, details, and the meaning of unknown words
from context. etc.
compositional Analysis:

The basic writing skills of test takers are examined through questions that test spelling, punctuation,
word order in sentences, and ability to identify errors in sentences, etc.

The assessment is linked to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and covers levels
A1. A2, and B1 of the framework. The levels are briefly described in the following way:

B1:

- Can deal with most situations where the language is spoken.

- Can produce a simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.

A2:

- Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate
relevance.

- 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 basic phrases.

- Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions.
E1. Communication

E1.1. Discuss with peers the shared opinions on a given issue, write a short report, and analyze in pairs
a commercial advertisement.

Here's how a student can engage in these activities:

1. Discussing Shared Opinions on a Given Issue

The student can initiate a discussion with peers on a given issue by first understanding the
issue, forming an opinion, and then inviting others to share their thoughts. For example, if the
issue is "Should schools implement a dress code?", the student can start by saying:
"I've been thinking about the idea of schools implementing a dress code, and I'm not sure how I
feel about it. On one hand, it can create a sense of unity and prevent distractions. On the other
hand, it might limit our individuality and expression. What do you guys think about this?"

The student can then actively listen to their peers' opinions, ask clarifying questions, and share
their thoughts in a respectful and engaging manner.

2. Writing a Short Report

After the discussion, the student can then write a short report summarizing the shared
opinions. This report should include an introduction, a body (explaining the varied opinions),
and a conclusion (which can include the student's own opinion or a general summary of the
discussion).
### Report: School Dress Code Discussion

**Introduction**
The topic of implementing a school dress code has been a subject of debate among students.
This report presents a summary of a discussion held among a group of students on this issue.

**Body**
Several students expressed support for the dress code, citing reasons such as fostering a sense
of unity and minimizing distractions. However, others raised concerns about the potential
limitation on individuality and self-expression. Some suggested a compromise, such as a flexible
dress code that allows for individual expression while still maintaining a professional school
environment.

**Conclusion**
The discussion revealed a divide in opinions, with valid points raised on both sides. Further
discussions and considerations are necessary to reach a conclusion that respects both the need
for a conducive learning environment and the importance of individual expression.
3. Analyzing a Commercial Advertisement in Pairs
When analyzing a commercial advertisement, students can break down the advertisement into
its basic elements: the message, target audience, persuasive techniques, and effectiveness.

For instance, if they are analyzing a fast-food advertisement, they could start by discussing
these points:
- **Message**: The ad promotes the restaurant's new burger, emphasizing its quality and
taste.
- **Target Audience**: The ad seems to target young adults and teenagers who enjoy fast
food.
- **Persuasive Techniques**: The ad uses vibrant images of the burger, appealing music, and
endorsements from celebrities to attract customers.
- **Effectiveness**: The use of celebrities can effectively influence the target audience as they
may aspire to be like them. However, the ad could be more effective if it also highlighted
unique selling points, like sustainability or health benefits.
The students can then compile these points into a comprehensive analysis, discussing the
strengths and weaknesses of the advertisement and suggesting areas of improvement.

___________________
E1.2. Compare and contrast different opinions on a contemporary topic. write an informational
paragraph to support position on a current event, and classify various feelings heard in a conversation.

E1.3. Follow complex directions in classroom activities, read about a selected product and illustrate to
the class how it is used safely.
E1.4. Infer the meaning of unfamiliar terms, identify the differences between two places, people, or
things, and find the definition of a concept using an online dictionary.

E1.5. Highlight the central ideas and key details in a reading passage, read short stories and compare
them in terms of structure, and analyze words into smaller elements to infer their meaning.

E1.6•Create and deliver a PowerPoint presentation on a simple everyday preselected topic, using main
points and supporting evidence.

E1.7•Outline and present the consequences of an issue, reflect on a past experience, and evaluate and
present the advantages and disadvantages of something, using proper grammar and vocabulary.

E1.8•Write a short argumentative paragraph and a restaurant review, and create an invitation card, use
basic organization, style, and grammar.

E2. Cultures
E2.1. Discuss different family customs, describe the working practices, and explain the concept of time
management in the target culture, using short sentences or a short paragraph.

E2.2• Collect, categorize, and compare information related to famous individuals (e.g. leaders
and literary figures) in the target culture using online sources.
E3. Connections

E3.1. Highlight a recent significant social change using appropriate vocabulary, and track and explore the
evolution of a scientific area using a time frame.

E3.2. Search for information about a product using a commercial website and discuss in pairs or
in small groups the future long-term plans to protect the environment in home country and a
target language country, based on information from the Internet.

E4. Comparisons

E4.1•Summarize the differences in writing mechanies and discuss the similarities and differences
in stress placement. between the target language and the native language.

E5. Communities

E5.1. Post an online review of a painting using a social media platform and send an E-mail to a charity
organization offering to volunteer in its upcoming event.

E5.2. Overcome mental blocks by recording spontaneous thoughts and feelings via journal writing and
organize and visualize ideas and build connections between them using mind maps.
 Section 1: Expressing Opinions and Analyzing Information

Learning Outcome E1.1:

Activity 1: Group Discussion - Provide students with a controversial topic and ask them to discuss it in
pairs or small groups. Encourage them to write a short report summarizing their opinions and analysis.

Activity 2: Advertisement Analysis - Present a commercial advertisement to the class and have students
analyze it in pairs, identifying persuasive techniques and discussing its effectiveness.

Learning Outcome E1.2:

Activity 1: Opinion Comparison - Assign students to research different opinions on a contemporary topic
and write an informational paragraph supporting their position. Then, have them compare and contrast
their opinions with a partner.

Activity 2: Current Event Classification - Provide students with a conversation transcript and ask them to
identify and classify various feelings expressed by the speakers.

Section 2: Following Directions and Building Vocabulary

Learning Outcome E1.3:

Activity 1: Complex Directions - Provide students with a set of complex directions for a classroom activity
and ask them to follow them step-by-step. Then, have them reflect on their experience and discuss their
understanding of the directions with a partner.

Activity 2: Product Safety Illustration - Assign students to read about a selected product and have them
illustrate how it is used safely, presenting their illustrations to the class.

Learning Outcome E1.4:

Activity 1: Unfamiliar Term Inference - Present students with a passage containing unfamiliar terms and
ask them to infer their meaning from the context. Discuss their inferences as a class.

Activity 2: Comparison Identification - Provide students with descriptions of two places, people, or
things, and have them identify the differences between them.

Activity 3: Online Dictionary Use - Assign students to find the definition of a concept using an online
dictionary and share their findings with the class.
Section 3: Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Analysis

Learning Outcome E1.5:

Activity 1: Central Ideas and Key Details - Provide students with a reading passage and ask them to
highlight the central ideas and key details. Discuss their findings as a class.

Activity 2: Short Story Comparison - Assign students to read two short stories and have them compare
the stories in terms of structure, identifying similarities and differences.

Activity 3: Word Analysis - Provide students with a list of words and ask them to analyze the words into
smaller elements to infer their meaning. Discuss their analyses as a class.

Section 4: Oral Presentation and Writing Skills

Learning Outcome E1.6:

Activity 1: PowerPoint Presentation - Assign students to create and deliver a PowerPoint presentation
on a simple everyday preselected topic. Emphasize the use of main points and supporting evidence.

Learning Outcome E1.7:

Activity 1: Issue Consequences - Ask students to outline and present the consequences of an issue,
reflecting on the potential impacts it may have. Encourage the use of proper grammar and vocabulary.

Activity 2: Advantages and Disadvantages Evaluation - Assign students to evaluate and present the
advantages and disadvantages of something, such as a technology or social media platform. Focus on
proper grammar and vocabulary.

Section 5: Writing Tasks and Creative Expression

Learning Outcome E1.8:

Activity 1: Argumentative Paragraph - Assign students to write a short argumentative paragraph on a

given topic. Provide them with guidelines on basic organization, style, and grammar.

Activity 2: Restaurant Review - Ask students to write a restaurant review, describing their dining
experience and providing their opinions. Emphasize basic organization, style, and grammar.
Activity 3: Invitation Card - Assign students to create an invitation card for a specific event or occasion.
Provide guidelines on basic organization, style, and grammar.

Section 6: Cultural Awareness and Research Skills

Learning Outcome E2.1:

Activity 1: Family Customs Discussion - Encourage students to discuss different family customs in the
target culture, describing their own and comparing them. Use short sentences or a short paragraph.

Activity 2: Time Management Explanation - Ask students to explain the concept of time management in
the target culture, providing examples and using appropriate vocabulary.

Learning Outcome E2.2:

Activity 1: Famous Individuals Research - Assign students to collect, categorize, and compare
information about famous individuals (e.g., leaders and literary figures) in the target culture. Encourage
the use of online sources.

Section 7: Making Connections and Investigating Change

Learning Outcome E3.1:

Activity 1: Significant Social Change - Ask students to highlight a recent significant social change and
discuss it using appropriate vocabulary. Encourage them to explain the impact and implications of the
change.

Activity 2: Scientific Evolution Exploration - Assign students to track and explorethe evolution of a
scientific area using a specific time frame. Provide them with resources and encourage them to analyze
the advancements and changes.

Learning Outcome E3.2:

Activity 1: Product Research and Discussion - Assign students to search for information about a product
using a commercial website. Then, have them discuss in pairs or small groups the future long-term plans
to protect the environment in their home country and a target language country based on the
information they gathered from the internet.

Section 8: Language Comparisons and Mechanics

Learning Outcome E4.1:

Activity 1: Writing Mechanics Differences - Ask students to summarize the differences in writing
mechanics between the target language and their native language. Focus on spelling, punctuation, and
grammar rules.

Activity 2: Stress Placement Discussion - Assign students to discuss the similarities and differences in
stress placement between the target language and their native language. Encourage them to provide
examples and explanations.

Section 9: Engaging in Communities and Reflective Writing

Learning Outcome E5.1:

Activity 1: Online Painting Review - Ask students to post an online review of a painting using a social
media platform. Encourage them to express their opinions and provide thoughtful critique.

Activity 2: Charity Volunteer Email - Assign students to write an email to a charity organization offering
to volunteer in its upcoming event. Provide guidelines on format, content, and language use.

Learning Outcome E5.2:

Activity 1: Journal Writing - Encourage students to overcome mental blocks by recording spontaneous
thoughts and feelings through journal writing. Emphasize the importance of self-expression and
reflection.

Activity 2: Mind Mapping - Ask students to organize and visualize ideas and build connections between
them using mind maps. Provide them with a topic or theme to explore and encourage creativity and
critical thinking.
 Other Sample questions
E1.1: Define the meaning of unknown words or phrases and categorize them using synonymy,
antonymy, and context.

Provide a synonym for the word "happy" and use it in a sentence.

Find an antonym for the word "brave" and use it in a sentence.

In what context would you use the word "diligent"? Give an example sentence.

E1.2: Distinguish words that are similar in pronunciation and different in meaning and use them in useful
sentences and different reading contexts.

What is the difference in meaning between "weather" and "whether"? Use each word in a sentence.

Provide two sentences using "their" and "there" correctly.

Explain the meaning of "raise" and "rise" and use each word in a sentence.

E2.1: Determine the general content of the text and employ its content in solving school, life, individual,
or societal problems.

Summarize the main idea of the article you just read in three sentences.

How can the information in the text be applied to solve a problem you or your community is facing?

Identify the key points in the passage and explain how they relate to real-life situations.

E2.2: Identify main ideas and arrange them according to their importance.

Identify the main idea of each paragraph in the given passage and rank them in order of importance.

Explain the main concept discussed in the text and provide supporting details that highlight its
significance.

Create a hierarchical outline of the main ideas in the passage, starting with the most important.

E3.1: Compare between different types of verbs, derive the relationship between two similar words, and
understand the use of a few different linguistic styles.
Compare and contrast action verbs and linking verbs, giving examples of each.

Explain the difference between regular and irregular verbs and provide examples of each.

Identify the verb form used in formal writing and informal speech, and explain why the distinction is
important.

E3.2: Focus on and retrieve explicitly stated information.

Identify three specific details mentioned in the text and explain their significance.

List the names of the main characters mentioned in the story and describe their roles.

Locate the explicit instructions provided in the passage and explain how they should be followed.

E4.1: Make straightforward inferences.

Based on the information provided, what can you infer about the character's feelings?

Infer the possible outcome of the situation described in the text and explain your reasoning.

Make an inference about the author's purpose for writing the passage and provide evidence to support
your inference.

E5.1: Interpret and integrate ideas and information.

Explain the main argument presented in the text and support it with evidence.

Analyze how the different ideas in the passage connect to form a coherent argument.

Interpret the symbolism used in the story and discuss its impact on the overall meaning.

E5.2: Evaluate and critique content and the use of different textual elements.

Assess the effectiveness of the author's use of descriptive language in creating a vivid image for the
reader.

Critique the argument presented in the text, pointing out any logical fallacies or weaknesses in
reasoning.

Evaluate the use of dialogue in the story and discuss its contribution to character development.