Can-Do Statements for Improved Oral Communication: A Practical Approach

Abstract

In past decades, several can-do frameworks have been developed with the aim of establishing a degree of standardization and precision in the evaluation of language proficiency levels. The availability of these scales of measurement may assist teachers and educational administrators in designing courses and in improving the means of assessment for their students. Additionally, can-do frameworks may assist students in achieving their learning objectives by enabling them to more accurately identify materials and courses that align with their proficiency levels. Although these language proficiency frameworks have since established their importance within the language education realm, their full potential may yet to be fully realized. In the search for more practical communicative activities, some language teachers engage in experimentation and with some creativity to develop educationally relevant and appealing tasks for their students. As such, an oral communication activity was created by modifying portions of a can-do framework and realigning individual can-do statements into speaking tasks. This particular activity has since been utilized on a continual basis for the past several years and has been periodically updated for improvements. This article will attempt to detail aspects pertaining to the development, implementation, and potential practicality of the activity. An inquiry was also conducted between the differences of students in their perceived abilities to communicate before and then after participating in the activity. Insight gathered from class observations and student feedback will likewise be presented. Moreover, pertinent background information on can-do frameworks and suggestions for the implementation of the activity will also be provided.