Is “I can” enough to show proficiency?

Tips to make sure that “I can”

statements are communicative

Tips, Tools and Resources to help your students rise in proficiency

and communicate with confidence.

We have made major strides toward

language proficiency in recent years. 

Classroom instruction, activities and tasks are much more communicative.

Assessment has moved more

toward what students can do with

the language rather than simply

what they know about the

language. 

Useful tool in the shift toward

proficiency: NCSSFL-ACTFL

Can Do Statements. 

Using the phrase “I Can” has put the focus on what students are able to do with the foreign language.

More than listing vocabulary and manipulating grammar structures.

Don’t assume, however, that simply putting “I Can” in front of a prompt

will make it communicative.

Are these “I Can”

Statements communicative

and based on proficiency?

I can count to 100I can say the days of the weekI can say “I like” and “I don’t like”I can say sentences in the present tenseI can say sentences in the past tenseI can say sentences in the future tense

These are a good starting point, but

they can be more communicative by

providing context. 

Students should do something with the

language that they produce. 

Here are the previous “I

Can” Statements with

context added.

I can tell you my phone number I can tell you what days I have a lesson I can tell you what activities I like or don’t like I can tell you what I do on the weekend I can tell you what I did yesterday. I can tell you what I am going to do tomorrow

“I can say” is good starting point

when working toward proficiency.

Add in context that gives students

an opportunity to use the language

in a communicative context.

Click HERE or on the image to read my blog post with more examples.

www.wlclassroom.com

Tips, Tools and Resources to help your students rise in proficiency and

communicate with confidence.

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