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Aligning the HCT Foundations Program with the CFR: Processes & Benefits
Dr. Christina Gitsaki
Higher Colleges of Technology
Overview
• HCT Foundations English Program:
– Structure of the Program
– Mapping the Curriculum to the CFR
– Benefits
HCT Foundations Program
• 17 Colleges
• Approx. 6,000 students – Pre-Foundations:
• Level I & II (CFR A1)
– Foundations: • Level 1 (CFR A2-)
• Level 2 (CFR A2+)
• Level 3 (CFR B1-)
• Level 4 (CFR B1+/B2-)
– Each Level: 16 weeks
HCT Foundations Program
• Before the CFR alignment:
– 17 Colleges: Different textbooks and resources
– Curriculum = Textbook Syllabus
– No FND Entry requirement
– Large range of proficiency levels
– Common Final Exam: less reliable
HCT Curriculum
• CFR Alignment Process: – HCT Foundations Core
Language Inventory based on the British Council EAQUALS Core Inventory for General English.
– HCT Foundations Learning Outcomes based on the CEFR Scales.
– Final draft curriculum was first used in AY 2012-2013.
– Team Leaders meet at the end of each Semester to review the curriculum documents.
Draft Curriculum Document
Meeting with Team
Leaders
Feedback from
teachers
Final document circulated to Colleges
HCT Vocabulary List
• Oxford 3,000 wordlist
• Mapping against the English Profile
• Words are assigned to each Level of Foundations based not only on their general frequency of occurrence but also on their suitability for each stage of language development.
Collated by Bjorn Candel, Fujairah Men's College
HCT Final Exam
• Vocabulary, Grammar, Reading (VGR) & Writing
• VGR: Item bank with questions appropriate for each level of Foundations based on CFR and Curriculum Documents.
• Mapping of students’ academic performance with their Level on the CFR and making well-informed decisions for progression.
Local Validation of CFR classifications
• Exam data confirms the validity of CFR vocab levels in our context.
• All B1 types were found more difficult than A2, all A2 types more difficult than A1.
CFR Alignment: Benefits
• Clear articulation of a Common Curriculum across 17 Colleges.
• Textbooks are chosen to align to each Level. • Teachers are fully aware of what needs to be covered
in each Level of Foundations. • Independence & autonomy in syllabi selection
without negatively impacting on the curriculum delivery and learning outcomes.
• Final exam that can measure students’ proficiency more accurately ensuring reliable progression and more homogenous classes in terms of language proficiency.
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