Glossary

26 entries

A

Abstract

Ideas, qualities, concepts, or states that you cannot directly perceive with the senses. They require more advanced thinking and language skills because they don’t have a physical form (e.g., freedom, justice, happiness, culture, knowledge, democracy).

Active and effective collaboration

Students’ ability to work with others in a way that helps the group reach its goals, including:

  • contributing relevant ideas,
  • listening to and respecting peers,
  • sharing responsibilities, and
  • adapting to different roles.

Students show active and effective collaboration when they:

  • stay engaged,
  • support one another, and
  • use various strategies that keep the interaction productive, inclusive, and focused on the task.

Appropriate choice of ideas

Picking content that fits the purpose, audience, and situation (e.g., deciding which details or examples to include in a conversation, essay, or presentation).

Authentic communication opportunities

Real-world situations where students use English for genuine purposes with real audiences (e.g., online language exchanges, interviews, collaborative projects, creating digital content for an authentic audience, community involvement, or study-abroad programs).

Autonomy

Students’ ability to manage their own language learning through reflective, self-regulated processes. This includes:

  • setting personal goals,
  • selecting strategies suited to specific tasks,
  • monitoring progress, and
  • making adjustments based on feedback.

C

Collaborative tasks

Collaborative tasks are activities in which students work together to achieve a shared goal. They require learners to interact in authentic and purposeful contexts, exchange ideas, and cooperate in English to complete a meaningful outcome (e.g., creating a presentation, solving a problem, or producing a joint media text).

Communication context

The situation in which communication takes place, including the purpose, audience, topic, and social or cultural setting. It includes how students:

  • choose their words,
  • organize their ideas, and
  • adjust their level of formality when speaking or writing.

Components

Components of a text include the following:

  • Structure: overall organization, paragraphs, flow of ideas
  • Linguistic aspects: vocabulary, grammar, syntax, connectors
  • Style and tone: level of formality, register, stylistic choices
  • Format and conventions: layout, text type (letter, article, narrative, etc.)
  • Pragmatic aspects: communicative purpose, intended audience, context of use

Concrete

Words for things you can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell — physical, observable, or tangible. They are easier to learn and picture because they connect directly to the senses (e.g., chair, dog, apple, snow, laughter, perfume).

Creative ideas / creativity

Creative ideas and creativity in speaking and writing are original, imaginative contributions that go beyond simple reproduction of information. They may include:

  • Inventiveness: proposing unusual, unexpected, or fresh perspectives
  • Personal voice: showing individuality, personality, or unique ways of expressing thoughts
  • Connections: combining ideas, experiences, or knowledge in innovative ways
  • Exploration: asking questions, experimenting with style, or taking risks with content or structure
  • Engagement: capturing the reader’s attention through vivid details, humor, emotion, or insight

Cultural experiences

Opportunities for students to explore the values, arts, and perspectives of English-speaking communities (e.g., attending a play, visiting an exhibit, analyzing films or media, meeting guest speakers, or taking part in local cultural events).

D

Discourse

To adapt your discourse appropriately means adjusting your language, tone, style, and structure depending on:

  • Who you are speaking/writing to (audience: friend, boss, student, stranger, etc.)
  • Why you are communicating (purpose: to inform, persuade, entertain, request, etc.)
  • Where and how you are communicating (context: classroom, workplace, online, casual chat)

Key aspects of appropriate adaptation:

  • Register (formality): choosing between casual, neutral, or formal expressions
  • Vocabulary: using technical terms with experts vs. simple words with non-specialists
  • Tone: being polite and respectful in professional settings vs. humorous with friends
  • Structure: organizing your message differently in an email, a presentation, or a chat
  • Cultural conventions: recognizing what is considered polite, direct, or indirect in different communities

I

Initiative

The willingness and ability to take action in a conversation or task without waiting to be prompted.

Interactions

Students’ deliberate, sustained, and collaborative engagement during oral exchanges and collaborative tasks.

J

Judicious choice of ideas

Choosing ideas that not only fit the purpose, audience, and situation, but also show discernment.

M

Media text

A text that combines different modes of communication, such as words, images, sound, or video.

O

Overall objective

A short statement that expresses what the learner should be able to do by the end of the course/program. It describes the overall competency.

P

Processing

Processing may involve identifying, selecting, extracting, analyzing, interpreting, reformulating, summarizing, comparing, connecting, explaining, evaluating, synthesizing, or presenting information in a way that demonstrates comprehension and the ability to make meaningful use of the material.

S

Specific objectives

The components or dimensions of the overall objective. The elements break down the overall objective into more specific aspects of what the student must do. Each element can be assessed separately, but they work together to demonstrate full achievement of the overall competency.

Strategies (reading or listening)

Techniques that students use to understand written, audio, or audiovisual texts more effectively. These strategies help them focus on meaning, overcome obstacles, and achieve their listening or reading goals.

Strategies (self-regulated learning)

Strategies that students consciously use to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning.

Strategies (speaking and interacting)

Strategies to ensure understanding and maintain interaction include:

  • asking for clarification
  • rephrasing
  • checking comprehension
  • using gestures or examples
  • asking follow-up questions
  • showing active listening

Strategies (writing, revising, and correcting)

Intentional techniques that students use to notice, understand, and fix mistakes in their own writing.

Success indicators (to be applied to the corresponding specific objective)

The observable indicators used to evaluate whether a student has successfully demonstrated a specific élément de la compétence.

Success indicators (to be applied to the overall objective)

General standards of quality that apply to the whole competency.

T

Text

Any unit of communication (oral, written, visual, or multimodal) that conveys meaning.