ENGLISH and the WORLD OF WORK

Transcription

1 ENGLISH and the WORLD OF WORK English Scored Activity 2 Date: Signature of the evaluator: Score: /100 IDENTIFICATION Name: Address: Telephone: Sent on (date):

2 Project Manager: Paul Fournier Writer: Heather Davis Content Editor: Susan Power Copy Editors : Keith Boeckner, Joan Polfuss Boeckner Graphic Design: Hélène Meunier SOFAD (Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires du Québec) All rights for translation and adaptation, in whole or in part, reserved for all countries. Any reproduction by mechanical or electronic means is forbidden without the express written consent of a duly authorized representative of the SOFAD. Notwithstanding the above, reproduction is authorized solely for use by owners of the English and the World of Work learning guide. This work is funded in part by the Ministère de l Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec and by the Canada-Quebec Agreement on Minority Language Education and Second Language Instruction.

3 Scored Activity 2 Complete this activity after you have finished Learning Situation 4 in your guide. It is recommended that you to obtain a mark of 60% or more in the Scored Activities before doing the final exam for this course. Instructions Fill out the section titled student identification. You may consult your course notes and an English-only dictionary. Give this evaluation activity to your teacher if you are following the course at an adult education centre or send it to your tutor if you are following a distance course. We recommend that you keep a photocopy or file of your work, just to be safe. When you receive your corrected copy, read your teacher s or tutor s comments carefully. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to write or telephone him or her. SOFAD 3

4 ENG World of Work Presentation of Scored Activity 2 Evaluation of competency: Produces texts for personal and social purposes (C3) Broad Areas of Learning Subject Area Family of Situations Course Program Goal Authorized materials Evaluation tool Time allotted Career Planning and Entrepreneurship Languages Seeking and imparting information Developing and supporting a stance English and the World of Work English Language Arts Write a letter of application for a specific job English-only dictionary Course notes 1-2 page résumé completed and handed in prior to the examination session a job ad or job description handed in prior to the examination session Evaluation: Criterion-referenced rubrics Excellent Very Good Good Weak Very Weak 2 hours Assessment: 60% overall = Pass Retakes: The adult learner must retake each part of the examination separately. This part satisfies the written requirement of this course and mimics a real-life process that is likely to be repeated through the adult s life. This part requires the adult to write a formal, clear and concise letter of application that describes why he or she is the best candidate for the job. Source: English Language Arts: Definition of the Evaluation Domain (DED) for Certification and Recognition. 4 SOFAD

5 Scored Activity 2 Evaluation Content 3.1 Effective organization of texts to communicate 3.2 Appropriate adaptation of language for audience and purpose 3.3 Appropriate use of structures, features, codes, and conventions of texts 3.4 Correct application of language conventions (usage and mechanics) Organization of relevant information in a logical, clear, and convincing manner Use of language suitable to the context and audience Use of standard textual features of business letters Use of the grammar and mechanics of standard English Task: To produce a letter of application Your task is to create a letter of application. You have already given your teacher your job résumé and your choice of job ad. Now use the information in both these documents to write a suitable letter of application. Text length: approximately 200 words, counting every word. Communication context: unfamiliar audience; formal tone and register suitable to the text type and target audience Instructions: Permitted materials: an English-only dictionary, course notes, and 1-2 page résumé completed and handed in prior to the examination session along with student s choice of job ad Allotted time: 2 hours Recommended use of time: read instructions and examine evaluation grid (10 min) review job ad (5 min) list relevant information in point form (30 min) write paragraphs (30 min) format letter (date, addresses, salutation ) (15 min) edit and proofread letter (30 min) Review the evaluation grid on p. 8 to see how you will be evaluated. Based on your previous work, which points will you need to pay extra attention to? SOFAD 5

6 ENG World of Work You can use this template to organize your thoughts and information before you start writing. It is not necessary to respond to every question; therefore, you should choose the most relevant information to include in your letter. You can refer to your job résumé. Paragraph 1 What job do you want to apply for? How did you hear about this job? What interests you about this job? Paragraph 2 Why are you the best person for the job? What experience do you have? What education or training do you have that is relevant to the job being applied for? Describe your work ethic. What skills do you have that are relevant to the job being applied for? What traits do you have that would make you a good employee? What are your strong points? What can you bring to the job? Paragraph 3 What kind of employee is the company looking for and why are you that kind of employee? If relevant, what is the company s goal or mission and how does it match what you believe in? Based on what you learned about the company, what do you admire or respect about the company? What interests you about the company? Paragraph 4 Thank the person for reading your letter. What do you hope will happen next? If you are hoping to get a job interview, state your availability for an interview. Conclude your letter. Definitions Work ethic: a belief in the moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character; may include being reliable, having initiative, or pursuing new skills Trait: a distinguishing feature of a person s personality; for example, courageous, disciplined, creative, good-natured, honest, reliable, spontaneous Mission: the purpose of a company or organization, its overall goal, the path it plans to follow 6 SOFAD

7 Scored Activity 2 Write your first draft Use your notes to write a first draft of your letter of application. Your goal is to write a letter that describes why you are the best candidate for the job. You should write in a formal, clear, and concise manner. Of course, this is only your rough draft and you can refine your sentences at the editing stage. Format your letter Now make sure your letter is properly formatted. Add the standard business parts including the necessary addresses and salutations. If you do not know the address, you can invent one for the sake of this scored activity. Make sure that you use a standard layout for your letter, such as block, modified block, or semi-block. Edit and proofread your letter Use the following checklist to edit your work. Checking for errors Correct agreement (of person, subject and verb, verb tenses, pronoun and antecedent) e.g. My experience include = My experience includes Formal tone and register Did you avoid using informal language? Punctuation Did you use commas and colons correctly? Does every sentence have punctuation at the end? Paragraphs Is information organized into logical paragraphs? Coherence, cohesion, and conciseness Does what you wrote make sense? Do the parts of your letter fit together to make a whole? Do you say things in as few words as possible? Relevant and irrelevant details Are the details you provided relevant? Simple and compound sentences (coordinators and subordinators) Did you use a variety of sentence types? Did you use coordinators and subordinators to make the connections between your ideas clear? No errors found Errors found and corrected SOFAD 7

8 ENG World of Work Evaluation Grid for Letter of Application In this scored activity, adult learners produce a letter of application. The adult learner produces a letter of application in which he or she: Content identifies the position applied for, how he or she learned about the job, and why he or she is interested in the job describes his or her suitability for the position including relevant education, training, skills, and experience (plus traits, aptitudes, strengths, and/or work ethic) refers to information in job ad when describing suitability for position describes what about the company interests him or her and what he or she admires or respects explains, if relevant, how the company s goal or mission is consistent with his or her beliefs thanks the person for reading his or her letter, says what he or she hopes will happen next, and indicates willingness and availability to come in for an interview provides contact information such as address and/or telephone number Format and Structure includes all standard business letter parts (date, sender s name and address, inside address, formal salutation, body, formal closing, typed signature and written signature and/or identification initials) presents these parts in the correct order (using standard size paper and a legible font as well as an appropriate layout such as block, modified block, or semi-block) organizes information in paragraphs organizes text so as to achieve clarity and economy of style respects length (approximately 200 words) Language conventions uses formal, concise language and formal punctuation uses formal tone and register suitable to the text type and target audience forms correct agreement (of person, subject and verb, verb tenses, pronoun and antecedent) uses the grammar and mechanics of standard English, including capitals and punctuation, sentence types, and coordination and subordination Other comments/observations: Very weak Weak Good Very good Excellent Total out of 100: = /50 8 SOFAD

9 STUDENT S QUESTIONS: SOFAD 9

10 STUDENT S QUESTIONS: 10 SOFAD

11 TEACHER S COMMENTS: SOFAD 11

12 TEACHER S COMMENTS: January 2015