Appendix 6

Summary of language requirements for each grade

Below is a summary of the language requirements for each grade. For Grades 4 to 11, the subject areas
for the Conversation phase are also given. For full details of the requirements of each grade, including
the communicative skills, please refer to the individual grade pages.

Grade Language functions Grammar Lexis Phonology

w Exchanging greetings Understand w Personal information w The correct
w Giving personal w Imperatives for common w Immediate pronunciation of
information, actions, eg go, come, show, surroundings including common words
eg name, age point, give, touch, stand up classroom objects relevant to the
w Identifying and naming w Question words what? how w Basic parts of the face lexical areas listed
items given in the many? how old? and body
lexical list w Demonstratives this, that, w Common animals
w Leave-taking these, those (domestic, farm
Understand and use and wild)
w The present simple tense w Cardinal numbers up

1 of the verb to be
w Common nouns in singular
to 20
w Colours
and plural (regular and w Everyday items of
irregular), eg shoe/shoes, clothing
foot/feet w Words relating to the
w Simple adjectives, eg small, list of language
tall, green functions
w Determiners a, the, my, your,
his, her
w Pronouns I, you, he, she,
it, they

w Indicating the position Understand w Rooms in the home w The correct

of people and objects w Present simple tense w Household objects pronunciation of
w Describing people, questions w Family and friends words relevant to the
animals, objects and w Question words who? when? lexical areas listed
w Pets
places very simply w Present continuous tense w Basic intonation
w Possessions
w Stating simple facts questions patterns for simple
w Days of the week and questions
w Informing about w Determiners some, any months of the year
possessions w Contractions, eg Ive,
Understand and use w Cardinal numbers up Im, hes
w Asking very simple to 50
w Present simple tense
questions about
2 w There is/are and has/have w Words and phrases
personal details
got/have you got? Do you relating to the list of
have? language functions
w Question words where? how?
w Prepositions of place in, on,
under, between, next to
w Determiners their, its
w Possessive pronouns mine,
yours, his, hers
w Yes/no answers to present
continuous tense questions

w Describing daily w Present continuous tense w Jobs w The correct

routines and times w Can and cant w Places in the local area pronunciation of
w Giving dates w Prepositions of movement w Place of study words relevant to the
w Expressing ability from, to, up, down, along, lexical areas listed
w Home life
and inability across w Weather w The use of contractions
w Giving very simple w Prepositions of time on, where appropriate
w Free time
directions and locations in, at w Basic stress and
w Times and dates
w Describing current w Prepositions of place near, intonation patterns
3
w Ordinal numbers up to
activities of real in front of, behind, opposite for words, short
31st for dates
people or those in w Past tense of the verb to be sentences and simple
pictures w Words and phrases questions
w Link words and, and then relating to the list of
w Describing states in
language functions
the past
w Asking simple
questions about
everyday life

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Appendix 6

Language Subject areas for the

Grade Grammar Lexis Phonology
functions Conversation phase
w Talking about past w Past simple tense of w Vocabulary specific w The correct w Holidays
events regular and common to the topic area pronunciation of w Shopping
w Talking about future irregular verbs w Vocabulary specific vocabulary specific w School and work
plans and intentions w Going to future to the subject areas to the topic and
w Hobbies and sports
w Expressing simple w Like + gerund/ w Adverbs of frequency, subject areas
w Food
comparisons infinitive, eg I like eg sometimes, often, w Appropriate weak
forms and intonation w Weekend and
w Expressing likes and shopping, I like to never
in connected speech seasonal activities
dislikes read books w Adverbial phrases
w Describing manner w Adverbs of manner of frequency, w Three different ways
4 and frequency and frequency
w Comparatives and
eg every day,
once a week
of pronouncing ed
past tense endings,
superlatives of w Expressions of past eg played, walked,
adjectives time, eg yesterday, wanted
w Link word but last night w Avoidance of speech
w Phrases and patterns of recitation
expressions relating
to the list of
language functions

w Talking about the w Present perfect tense w Vocabulary specific w The correct w Festivals
future informing including use with for, to the topic area pronunciation of w Means of transport
and predicting since, ever, never, just w Vocabulary specific vocabulary specific w Special occasions,
w Expressing w Connecting clauses to the subject areas to the topic and eg birthday
preferences using because w Expressions relating subject areas celebrations
w Talking about events w Will referring to the to past and future w The combination of w Entertainment,
in the indefinite and future for informing time, eg two days weak forms and eg cinema,
recent past and predicting ago, in the future contractions, television, clubs
5 w Giving reasons
w Stating the duration
w Adjectives and
adverbials of quantity,
w Phrases and
expressions relating
eg Ive been to
w Avoidance of
w Music
w Recent personal
of events eg a lot (of), not very to the list of language speech patterns experiences
w Quantifying much, many functions of recitation
w Expressions of
preference, eg
I prefer, Id rather

w Expressing and w Zero and first w Vocabulary specific w The correct w Travel
requesting opinions conditionals, using to the topic area pronunciation of w Money
and impressions if and when w Vocabulary specific vocabulary specific w Fashion
w Expressing intention w Present continuous to the subject areas to the topic and
w Rules and regulations
and purpose tense for future use w Further expressions subject areas
w Health and fitness
w Expressing obligation w Past continuous relating to future w Sentence stress
to clarify meaning w Learning a foreign
and necessity tense time, eg the day
language
w Expressing certainty w Modals connected to after tomorrow, in w Basic intonation
and uncertainty the functions listed, a years time, in and features of
w Describing past eg must, need to, years time connected speech
at sentence level
6 actions over a might, dont have to w Common phrasal
period of time w Infinitive of purpose verbs w Intonation patterns
w Phrases and of more complex
expressions relating question forms
to the list of language w Avoidance of
functions speech patterns
of recitation

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 Appendix 6

Language Subject areas for the

Grade Grammar Lexis Phonology
functions Conversation phase
w Giving advice and w Second conditional w Vocabulary specific w The correct w Education
highlighting w Simple passive to the topic area pronunciation of w National customs
advantages and w Used to w Vocabulary specific vocabulary specific w Village and city life
disadvantages to the subject areas to the topic and
w Relative clauses w National and local
w Making suggestions w Appropriate words subject areas
w Modals and phrases produce and products
w Describing past habits and expressions to w Rising intonation
used to give advice w Early memories
w Expressing possibility indicate interest to indicate interest
and make suggestions, w Pollution and recycling
and uncertainty and show awareness and surprise as
eg should/ought to,
of the speaker, eg appropriate
w Eliciting further could, youd better
7 information and
expansion of ideas
w Modals and phrases
used to express
Really? Oh dear!
Did you?
w Falling intonation to
indicate the end of
and opinions w Simple fillers to a turn
possibility and
w Expressing agreement uncertainty, eg may, give time for thought, w Intonation and
and disagreement might, Im not sure eg well, um... features of
w Phrases and connected speech
w Discourse connectors
expressions relating beyond sentence
eg because of,
to the list of language level
due to
functions

w Expressing feelings w Third conditional w Vocabulary specific w The correct w Society and living
and emotions w Present perfect to the topic area pronunciation of standards
w Expressing continuous tense w Vocabulary specific vocabulary specific w Personal values and
impossibility w Past perfect tense to the subject areas to the topic and ideals
w Reporting the w Cohesive devices, subject areas w The world of work
w Reported speech
conversation of eg so to continue, w Rising and falling w Unexplained phenomena
w Linking expressions,
others in other words, intonation to and events
eg even though,
w Speculating for example indicate giving up
in spite of, although w National environmental
w Reporting verbs, eg and offering turns
w Persuading and concerns
w Stress, intonation
8 discouraging say, tell, ask, report, w Public figures past and
advise, promise and pitch relevant
present
w Appropriate words to the language
and expressions to functions
encourage further w Stress and intonation
participation to indicate emotion
w Phrases and
expressions relating
to the list of language
functions

w Expressing abstract w Mixed conditionals w Vocabulary specific w The correct w Dreams and nightmares
ideas w Verbs followed by to the topic area pronunciation of w Crime and punishment
w Expressing regrets, gerund and/or w Vocabulary specific vocabulary specific w Technology
wishes and hopes infinitive, eg forget, to the subject areas to the topic and
w Habits and obsessions
w Expressing stop, go on, remember w Cohesive devices subject areas
w Global environmental
assumptions w More complex forms to recap and recover, w Rising and falling
issues
w Paraphrasing of the passive with eg as I was saying, intonation for
keeping, giving up w Design
w Evaluating options modals anyway
and offering turns
9 w Hypothesising w Should/must/might/ w Hesitation fillers,
could + perfect eg I mean, you know w Stress and rhythm
w Evaluating past to highlight and
infinitive w Stock phrases to
actions or course emphasise main
of events w Correct verb patterns gain time for thought
after wish and hope and keep the turn, eg points and ideas
well, let me think w Intonation and pitch
w Phrases and to convey attitude
expressions relating
to the list of language
functions

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Appendix 6

Language Subject areas for the

Grade Grammar Lexis Phonology
functions Conversation phase
w Developing an w A broad range of w Vocabulary specific to w The correct List A
argument complex structures the topic and subject pronunciation of w Roles in the family
w Defending a point to express thoughts areas topic and subject- w Communication
of view clearly w A range of idiomatic area specific
w The school curriculum
w Expressing beliefs w A high degree of expressions and vocabulary
w Youth behaviour
w Expressing grammatical accuracy, colloquialisms w Sounds with minimal
interference from w Use of the internet
opinions although minor errors w Modifying words, eg
may occur when basically, quite, certainly the first language w Designer goods
tentatively
attempting to use w Intensifiers, w A range of stress and OR
w Summarising
a combination of eg absolutely, intonation patterns,
10 information, ideas
and arguments
structures across
sentence boundaries
completely, totally
w Tentative expressions,
pitch and volume to:
engage and
List B
w International events
w Deducing
eg I may be wrong maintain the w Equal opportunities
but, Dont you think it examiners interest w Social issues
might be signal the provision w The future of the planet
w Signposting words, of new information w Scientific developments
eg firstly, finally indicate discourse w Stress management
w Phrases and expressions structure
relating to the list of
language functions

w Justifying an w A broad range of w Vocabulary specific to w The correct List A

argument complex structures, the topic and subject pronunciation w Independence
w Inferring used flexibly and areas of topic and w Ambitions
w Expressing effectively in w A good range of subject-area
w Stereotypes
caution combination and idiomatic expressions specific vocabulary
w Role models
contrast and colloquialisms w Various features of
w Expressing w Competitiveness
empathy and w A high degree of w Signposting expressions, pronunciation which
grammatical accuracy, eg Id like to begin only occasionally w Young peoples rights
sympathy
errors are rare and with, Conversely, deviate from an OR
11 w Challenging
arguments and
opinions
difficult to identify To conclude
w Vague and imprecise
internationally
intelligible model List B
language, eg a bit more, w A range of stress and w The media
w Evaluating
a hundred people or so intonation patterns, w Advertising
different
w Phrases and expressions pitch and volume to w Lifestyles
standpoints
relating to the list of convey subtle shifts w The arts
w Expressing in meaning and
reservations language functions w The rights of the
attitude
individual
w Economic issues

w Asserting w A comprehensive and w A good command of w Produce individual There are no specific
w Denying reliable mastery of a a very broad lexical sounds so as to be subject areas for
w Softening and very wide range of repertoire fully understood by Grade 12.
downplaying language to formulate w A wide range of the examiner, with
propositions thoughts precisely, idiomatic expressions only a rare sound
give emphasis and and colloquialisms that deviates from
w Contradicting
eliminate ambiguity w Phrases and expressions an internationally
w Implying intelligible model
w Differing linguistic relating to the list of
w Affirming forms to reformulate w Stress and intonation
12 ideas and convey finer
shades of meaning
language functions
patterns which are
recognisably specific
w Complete and to English without
consistent any lapses in
grammatical control intelligibility
of highly complex
language at all times

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