CORRESPONDENCE

• notes, messages and forms

OVERALL WRITTEN INTERACTION

C2 As C1

C1 Can express him/herself with clarity and precision, relating to the addressee flexibly and effectively.

B2 Can express news and views effectively in writing, and relate to those of others.

Can convey information and ideas on abstract as well as concrete topics, check information and ask about or explain problems with reasonable precision.

B1

Can write personal letters and notes asking for or conveying simple information of immediate relevance, getting across the point he/she feels to be important.

A2 Can write short, simple formulaic notes relating to matters in areas of immediate need.

A1 Can ask for or pass on personal details in written form.

CORRESPONDENCE

C2 As C1

C1 Can express him/herself with clarity and precision in personal correspondence, using language flexibly and effectively, including emotional, allusive and joking usage.

B2 Can write letters conveying degrees of emotion and highlighting the personal significance of events and experiences and commenting on the correspondent’s news and views.

Can write personal letters giving news and expressing thoughts about abstract or cultural topics such as music, films.

B1

Can write personal letters describing experiences, feelings and events in some detail. A2 Can write very simple personal letters expressing thanks and apology.

A1 Can write a short simple postcard.

NOTES, MESSAGES & FORMS

C2 As B1

C1 As B1

B2 As B1

Can take messages communicating enquiries, explaining problems.

B1 Can write notes conveying simple information of immediate relevance to friends, service people, teachers and others who feature in his/her everyday life, getting across comprehensibly the points he/she feels are important.

Can take a short, simple message provided he/she can ask for repetition and reformulation. A2

Can write short, simple notes and messages relating to matters in areas of immediate need. A1 Can write numbers and dates, own name, nationality, address, age, date of birth or arrival in the

country, etc. such as on a hotel registration form.

4.4.3.5 Interaction strategies

Interaction encompasses both receptive and productive activity as well as activity unique to the construction of joint discourse and therefore all reception strategies and all pro- duction strategies mentioned above are also involved in interaction. However, the fact that spoken interaction entails the collective creation of meaning by the establishment of some degree of common mental context, defining what can be taken as given, working out where people are coming from, converging towards each other or defining and main- taining a comfortable distance, usually in real time, means that in addition to receptive and productive strategies there is a class of strategies exclusive to interaction concerned with the management of this process. In addition, the fact that interaction is primarily face to face tends to provide far greater redundancy both in textual, linguistic terms and with regard to paralinguistic features, contextual cues, all of which can be made more or less elaborate, more or less explicit to the extent that the constant monitoring of the process by the participants indicates that this is appropriate.

Planning for spoken interaction involves the activation of schemata or a ‘praxeogram’ (i.e. a diagram representing the structure of a communicative interaction) of the exchanges possible and probable in the forthcoming activity (Framing) and consideration of the communicative distance from other interlocutors (Identifying information/opinion gap; Judging what can be taken as given) in order to decide on options and prepare possible moves in those exchanges (Planning moves). During the activity itself, language users adopt turntaking strategies in order to obtain the discourse initiative (Taking the floor), to cement the collaboration in the task and keep the discussion on course (Co-operating:

Users of the Framework may wish to consider and where appropriate state:

• in which kinds of communicative interaction the learner will need/be equipped/be required to engage;

interpersonal), to help mutual understanding and maintain a focused approach to the task at hand (Co-operating: ideational), and so that they themselves can ask for assistance in for- mulating something (Asking for Help). As with Planning, Evaluation takes place at a com- municative level: judging the ‘fit’ between the schemata thought to apply, and what is actually happening (Monitoring: schemata, praxeogram) and the extent to which things are going the way one wants them to go (Monitoring: effect, success); miscomprehension or intolerable ambiguity leads to requests for clarification which may be on a communica- tive or linguistic level (Asking for, giving clarification), and to active intervention to re-estab- lish communication and clear up misunderstandings when necessary (Communication Repair).

Planning

• framing (selecting praxeogram)

• identifying information/opinion gap (felicity conditions) • judging what can be presupposed

• planning moves Execution

• taking the floor

• co-operating (interpersonal) • co-operating (ideational) • dealing with the unexpected • asking for help

Evaluation

• monitoring (schema, praxeogram) • monitoring (effect, success) Repair

• asking for clarification • giving clarification • communication repair

Illustrative scales are provided for: • taking the floor;

• co-operating;

• asking for clarification.