Spanish-American Institute
ESL and ESP Proficiency Descriptors Aligned with CEFR Scale

Table of Contents
CEFR Standards Chart According to StartUp Series	1
Proficiency Descriptors for ESL courses:	1
NorthStar Textbook Series CEFR Alignment Chart	2
Proficiency Descriptors for ESP courses:	5

CEFR Standards Chart According to StartUp Series

Proficiency Descriptors for ESL courses:
Textbook Title: “StartUp Beginner” 
Proficiency Descriptors (SLOs):

- Can recognize simple informal greetings. 
- Can understand simple, everyday conversations if conducted slowly and clearly. 
- Can recognize familiar names, words and very basic phrases on simple notices. 
- Can ask for repetition and clarification when they don’t understand, using basic fixed
expressions. 
- Can greet people, ask how they are and react to news. 
- Can make an introduction and use basic greeting and leave-taking expressions. 
- Can use brief, everyday expressions to describe wants and needs, and request information. 
- Can talk about everyday things (e.g. people, places, job, study) in a basic way. 
- Can ask and answer simple questions about things they have in a limited way. 
- Can introduce themselves, their hobbies and interests in a basic way. 
- Can complete simple forms with basic personal details. 

NorthStar Textbook Series CEFR Alignment Chart

Proficiency Descriptors (SLOs):

NorthStar-1
- Can follow the main points in a simple audio recording, if provided with written supporting material.
- Can understand simple factual titles and headlines relating to common events. 
- Can give simple opinions using basic fixed expressions. 
- Can use brief, everyday expressions to ask for and give personal details. 
- Can ask and answer questions about what they do at work and in their free time. 
- Can communicate in routine tasks requiring simple, direct exchanges of information. 
- Can initiate, maintain and close simple, restricted face-to-face conversations. 
- Can give an extended description of everyday topics (e.g. people, places, experiences).

NorthStar-2
- Can predict the content of a simple academic text, using headings, images, and captions. 
- Can make basic inferences or predictions about text content from headings, titles or headlines.
- Can generally understand straightforward factual texts on familiar topics. 
- Can extract relevant details in everyday letters, brochures and short official documents. 
- Can derive the probable meaning of simple unknown words from short, familiar contexts. 
- Can generally understand details of events, feelings and wishes in letters, emails and online postings. 
- Can predict the content of a simple academic text, using headings, images, and captions. 
- Can express belief, opinion, agreement and disagreement politely. 
- Can carry out a prepared structured interview with some spontaneous follow-up questions. 
- Can write simple informal emails/letters and online postings giving news or opinions.
- Can write short, basic descriptions of places, people or things. 
- Can write a basic paragraph containing a topic sentence and related details, if provided with a model. 
- Can write a basic letter of application with limited supporting details. 

NorthStar-3
- Can predict the content of a simple academic text, using headings, images, and captions. 
- Can guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word from context. 
- Can predict the content of a simple academic text, using headings, images, and captions. 
- Can identify the main topic and related ideas in a structured text. 
- Can distinguish between the main idea and related ideas in a simple academic text in order to answer specific questions. 
- Can make simple inferences based on information given in a short article. 
- Can derive the probable meaning of simple unknown words from short, familiar contexts. 
- Can identify the main topic and related ideas in a structured text. 
- Can synthesise information from two or more basic texts, if guided by questions. 
- Can synthesise information from two or more basic texts, if guided by questions. 
- Can effectively participate in a classroom discussion about an academic topic. 
- Can write about experiences, feelings and reactions in a simple connected text. 
- Can write descriptions of past events, activities, or personal experiences. 
- Can use appropriate outlines to organise ideas. 
- Can write a strong topic sentence within a clear paragraph. 
- Can support a main idea with examples and reasons. 
- Can edit and improve a simple text. 
- Can summarise factual information within their field of interest. 
- Can write a brief standard report conveying factual information, stating reasons for actions.

NorthStar-4
- Can recognise inferred meaning in a structured text, if guided by questions. 
- Can make inferences or predictions about the content of newspaper and magazine articles from headings, titles or headlines. 
- Can distinguish between the main idea and related ideas in a simple academic text in order to answer specific questions. 
- Can scan a long text or a set of related texts in order to find specific information. 
- Can recognise inferred meaning in a structured text, if guided by questions. 
- Can guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word from context. 
- Can identify the main conclusions in a text that presents and contrasts arguments in a clearly signalled way. 
- Can understand the use of quotes in an academic text. 
- Can synthesise information from two or more basic texts, if guided by questions. 
- Can summarise and give opinions on issues and stories and answer questions in detail. 
- Can respond to ideas and suggestions in informal discussions. 
- Can use appropriate outlines to organise ideas. 
- Can take notes of key points during a talk on a familiar topic, if delivered clearly. 
- Can write a strong topic sentence within a clear paragraph. 
- Can write a strong topic sentence within a clear paragraph. 
- Can write an essay in response to a specific question, if provided with a model.

Northstar-5
- Can understand the main points of complex academic/professional presentations. 
- Can distinguish between main ideas and supporting details in a linguistically complex presentation or lecture. 
- Can recognise emphasis through intonation and stress. 
- Can distinguish between fact and opinion in a linguistically complex presentation or lecture. 
- Can understand main points and check comprehension by using contextual clues. 
- Can recognise emphasis through intonation and stress. 
- Reading Can take effective notes on a linguistically complex and unfamiliar text. 
- Can research a topic by reading linguistically complex academic texts. 
- Can justify and sustain views clearly by providing relevant explanations and arguments. 
- Can speculate about causes, consequences, hypothetical situations. 
- Can develop an argument giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view.
- Can justify and sustain views clearly by providing relevant explanations and arguments. 
- Can explain information in detail in graphs and charts. 
- Can effectively and appropriately challenge ideas in an academic discussion. 
- Can compare the advantages and disadvantages of possible approaches and solutions to an issue or problem. 
- Can discuss findings from a research study. 
- Can give a clear, detailed spoken description of how to carry out a procedure. 
- Can develop a clear argument with supporting subsidiary points and relevant examples. 

Proficiency Descriptors for ESP courses:

Level (According to CEFR)	Interpretation of Achievement Scale
Students who complete this level can:	
B-1
 	-	Deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is spoken. 
-	Enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events).
-	Connect phrases in a simple way in order to describe experiences and events, your dreams, hopes and ambitions. 
-	Briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. 
-	Narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or film and describe your reactions. 
-	Understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. 
-	Write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest and personal letters describing experiences and impressions. 
-	Understand the main point of many radio or TV programmes on current affairs or topics of personal or professional interest when the delivery is relatively slow and clear. 
-	Understand texts that consist mainly of high frequency every day or job-related language.
-	Understand the description of events, feelings and wishes in personal letters.	

B-2
 	-	Participate in meetings in your area of expertise, if you have help understanding some points.
-	Discuss gender issues as they relate to perceptions of rudeness and cultural norms.
-	Talk about your personal finances and give advice to friends and colleagues about their finances.
-	Talk about your personal and professional lifestyle, including a description of your life at work.
-	Explain your education, experience, strengths and weaknesses, and discuss your career path.
-	Talk about mental processes and how you can use them to improve your effectiveness on the job.
-	Talk about what you like to read and make recommendations about good things to read.
-	Use appropriate language in social situations, including praising and expressing sympathy.
-	Discuss leadership qualities and talk about leaders whom you admire.
-	Deal with relatively complex awkward situations that arise in social and business contexts.
-	Discuss common political situations and the behavior of politicians.	
C-1
 	-	Discuss in detail issues related to success, including building a motivated, successful team.
-	Talk in some detail about your favorite paintings and the architecture of buildings that you like.
-	Discuss societal problems, possible solutions for problems and what role corporations can play.
-	Participate in discussions about conservation, sustainability and habitat protection.
-	Talk about events and issues in the news and how they affect people and companies.
-	Talk about risks in life, including changing jobs and doing dangerous sports.
-	Compare and contrast various forms of education and individual schools.
-	Discuss various types of humor, including subtle forms like sarcasm.
-	Understand various communication styles, including direct, indirect, formal and informal.
-	Discuss issues related to your quality of life, including work-life balance and home environment.
-	Understand and discuss issues related to ethics, like civil disobedience.
 	
C-2
 	-	- Discuss issues related to science and technology, including robots and new inventions.
-	Talk about celebrities, celebrity activism and gossip about celebrities.
-	Use a variety of techniques for promoting creativity in your speech and writing.
-	Discuss financial planning and give and understand advice about personal finance.
-	Talk about stress in your life and the lives of friends and colleagues.
-	Discuss techniques for doing research on a wide range of topics.