Using the New Zealand Certificates in English

Language in a secondary school context

Breda Matthews

Why do this qualification?We have a perfectly good qualification at secondary

school level, that is well understood by teachers. So why change?

NCEA is not the appropriate pathway for all of our students.

Who are the students in your school for whom these

certificates might be appropriate?

Reasons NCEA is not suitable for all.

Students are working well below NCEA level.

Students won’t get enough credits to achieve NCEA.

Students who are not here long enough

Students arrive mid-year to mid-year

Students don’t hook onto NCEA for a variety of reasons• they are returning to home countries before• or the don’t need NCEA for courses they intend to study

later

How can the new qualifications be managed in your school?

The first thing to remember is that the qualification does not have to be NCEA credit based.

The 60 credits of the qualification does not mean 60 NCEA credits

What do you do with your students in your ESOL programme?

Many of us will answer this question with a unit standard number or title.

But we are teaching and students are learning things that are not assessed summatively.

I want to suggest that this work involves real learning for the students and that the NZCELs

are a way to recognize and reward that learning.

Start with your course and a copy of the qualification.

Look at the qualification, in particular look at•the qualification outcome•the sufficiency indicators

Compare the qualification with what you currently offer your students.

Use highlighters to identify what are you already doing.

Highlight what your students are already doing in one colour and anything additional they need to do in another colour and proceed

from there. Look at this example.

Qualification outcome Reading (NZCEL Level 2)Read and understand simple texts on familiar topics and locate specific predictable information in short texts.15 credits Sufficiency of evidence indicatorsAt least three texts on different topics, and of different text types. Each should be assessed on a separate occasion.Text length: approximately 600 words over three texts (with visual support) Vocabulary level: 90% of the text within the first 1000 words (General Service List).Responses can be verbal, written, or non-verbal.

Think strategically

Ask

•Would this qualification benefit any of my students?

•Who are the students who would benefit?

•What are my students already doing in my class and other classes that meets the requirements of the qualification?

•How can this qualification can be embedded into what I already do?