Reading Text

Development
B1 Level Considerations

B1 Can Dos

Can understand the main points of clear standard input

on familiar matters (global scale)

Can locate and understand purpose, main ideas and

some detail in some authentic 2-3 paragraph texts in
moderately demanding contexts of language use.

Can find specific information in prose texts.

Often requires rereading and clarification

Can guess meaning of unknown word, phrase, idiom from

context

B1 - Kinds of Texts

Up to 5-10 paragraphs

Legible, easy to read

Clear, explicit instructions with some visual cues

Pictures accompany text

Clear organizational structure (news articles, stories,

reports, opinion essays)

Topics are often familiar

Help students to

Activate background knowledge (text type and topic)

Build vocabulary knowledge

Identify purpose of reading!

information + background knowledge = meaning

(information or feeling / story?)

Call attention to text structure!

main idea and supporting details - call attention to words like first, second,
third or in addition, also, moreover.

compare/contrast, problem/solution, cause/effect

cartoon, news article, folktale, narrative (story), business letter etc.

Develop templates - structure

helps students predict and facilitate meaning

Preparing !
Comprensible Texts

Provide B1 level input (comprehensible)

Control vocabulary (through B1 with some +)

Make reading about reading

What does teaching look like when we use

texts that are too high for students?

How to paraphrase for B1

Use

your professional judgement !

shorten

sentences!

simplify

grammar!
B1

choose

more familiar words !

limit

number of Proper Names

Steps in Paraphrasing

Read text, noting key points and main ideas

Summarize for yourself what the single main idea is

Paraphrase important points

dont go sentence by sentence/word by word)

Use essential vocabulary!

Decide what to quote directly

(accurately quote word for word and provide source including page number)

Reading Level of Text:

the more syllables per word and !

the more words per sentence, !

the higher the grade level of the

text!

!
(White, 2011, in Taylor and Weir, 2012, retrieved from http://www.beds.ac.uk/__data/
assets/pdf_file/0009/197640/EALTA-2012-Taylor-and-Weir-03June12.pdf)

more on reading level

the more main verbs in a sentence, the more

clauses = more complex!

the more clauses, the more ideas to hold in

memory and link together!

the more complex, the bigger the cognitive

load!

soto lower the reading level of a text

WHEN IN DOUBTCHECK
word lists!
outcomes chart !

B1

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see Dropbox Folder !

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https://www.dropbox.com/sh/blptzflef3s2nnf/AACuhl09QKGxc7dbbQciphANa?dl=0!

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see Terminal Textbook Team website!

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http://terminaltextbookteam.com/!

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HOW TO CHECK READING LEVEL:

read-able.com!
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B1 =

Flesch
Fleschwords per
reading ease Kincaid grade
sentence
score
level

15 (range
10-20)

65

7.9

FleschKincaid
range

5-10

(Taylor & Weir 2012 retrieved from http://www.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/197640/EALTA-2012-Taylor-andWeir-03June12.pdf)!

!
!

STEP 1: !
go to!
read-able.com

STEP 2: !
click !
Test by Direct Input

STEP 3: !
Copy & paste !
your text in box

STEP 4: !
click !
Calculate Readability

STEP 5:!
Read results

STEP 6:!
Compare Results !
to B1

words
Flesch
per
reading
sentence ease score
14
(range
10-12)

65

FleschKincaid
grade level

FleschKincaid
range

7.9

5-10

Paraphrase!

How to choose B1
vocabulary:

CHECK WORD LISTS!

USE BC WORD SEARCH!

USE VOCAB PROFILE!

CHOOSE CONTENT AND ACADEMIC WORDS

Both projections were higher than previous estimates,

which ranged between 1.5 million and four million.
Simon Adcock, of the BSIA, said:
This study represents the most comprehensive and
up to date study undertaken into the number of CCTV
cameras in use in the UK.

How close !
to B1 !
is my !
reading !
text?

!
"I told the villagers that they would get 100 days
!
employment in a year simply by planting trees and
!
protecting them. The old, handicapped and widows
!

would be given preference," he explained. Every village

council has now been given a target of planting 50,000

!
saplings - a group of four families has to plant 200
!
seedlings and they must protect them for three years till
!
the plants grow more sturdy.

CHECK WORD LISTS

PET!
Vocabulary
List!
(B1 Cambridge)
!

FROM:!
http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/84669vocabulary-list.pdf!

!
!
!
In
! Drop Box Folder: !

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/blptzflef3s2nnf/
AACuhl09QKGxc7dbbQciphANa?dl=0!

a/an (det)
ability (n)
able (adj)
be able to
about (adv & prep)
about 500 students (adv)
The film is about a small boy. (prep)
above (adj, adv & prep)
abroad (adv)
absent (adj)
absolutely (adv)
The movie was absolutely awful.
accent(n)
She has a beautiful French accent.
accept (v)
access (n)
disabled access
internet access
accident (n)
accommodation (n)
accompany (v)
according to (prep phr)
account (n)
accountant (n)
accurate (adj)
ache (n)
achieve (v)
across (adv & prep)
act (n & v)
in the second act (of the play) (n)
to act in a play (v)
to act strangely (v)
action (n)
active (adj)
activity (n)
actor (n)
actress (n)
actually (adv)
She seems a bit strict at first, but she's
actually very nice.
Are you actually going to take the job?
ad (advertisement) (n)
add (v)
addition (n)
in addition
address (n)
admire (v)
admission (n)
charges/cost/price
admit (v)
adult (adj & n)
advance (n)
book in advance

advanced(adj)
advantage (n)
adventure (n)
advert (n)
advertise (v)
advertisement (n)
advice (n)
advise (v)
aeroplane (n)
afford (v)
afraid (adj)
after (adv,conj & prep)
afternoon (n)
afterwards (adv)
again (adv)
against (prep)
age (n)
aged(adj)
agency (n)
ago (adv)
agree (v)
ahead (adv)
aim (n & v)
air (n)
air conditioning (n)
air force (n)
airline (n)
airport (n)
alarm (n)
alarm clock (n)
album (n)
alike (adv)
alive (adj)
all (adj, adv, det & pron)
all right/alright (adj,adv & exclam)
allow (v) almost
(adv) alone (adv
& adj)
along (adv & prep)
aloud (adv)
alphabet (n)
already (adv)
also (adv)
although (conj)
altogether (adv)
always (adv)
a.m. (adv)
amazed (adj)
amazing (adj)
ambition (n)
ambulance (n)
among (amongst) (prep)
amount (n)
amusing (adj)
an (det)
ancient (adj)
and (conj)

PET (B1) Word List:

comprehensive !
isnt !
on the !
PET B1!
list

BRITISH COUNCIL WORD LIST

headword(

A1(

A2(

B1(

B2(

C1(

C2(

X(

a/an !!one/one!of!
several/one!of!a!set/!
any!one!
2
a/an !!per!

a/an!det/indefinite!
article!

a/an!det!

abandon(

abandoned!adj!
abandonment!nU!

abbreviation(

abandon!vT!!leave!
abandon!vT!!stop!
doing!sth(
(

miles/kilometres(an(
hour(
(

abbreviation!nC!

able!adj!
ability!nCU!
(

unable!neg!adj!

inability!nU!

disability!nCU!

able!adj!
ability!nCU!
(

disabled!adj!
enable!vT!
(

inability!nU(

abnormal!neg!adj!

aboard!adv/prep(

abbreviate!vT!
abbreviated!adj!
unabbreviated!neg!
adj!
able;bodied!adj!!see!
also!@!body(
disable!vT!
enabled!adj!
to(the(best(of(ones(
ability/abilities(
abnormality!nC!
abnormally!neg!adv(
(

abolish!vT!

abolition!nU!

abortion(

abortion!nC!

abound/abundance(

abound!vI!formal!

about(prep!
(
how(about(?!/what(
about(?!!suggestion!

abundance!nU!
abundant!adj!
(

abort!vIT!
aborted!adj!
abortionist!nC!
abundantly!adv!
in(abundance(
(

Aa(
1

able /ability!!
capacity!

able !!skilled!
abnormal!!see!also!
@!normal(
aboard!!see!also!@!
2!
board
abolish(

about !!connected!
with,!related!to!
!

http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/wff/pdfs/wff.pdf!
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/blptzflef3s2nnf/AACuhl09QKGxc7dbbQciphANa?dl=0!

1!

handicapped !
is B2

DO A WORD
SEARCH

BC Word Family Framework - Search individual words

1.

r
o
w
e
ty p

e
r
e
dh

2. check all
3. Click here

projection

projection !
is!
C1

USE VOCAB
PROFILE

Vocab Profile!
Step 1: Read instructions
Step 2: Highlight & delete instructions

Compleat Lexical Tutor -http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/eng/

Step 3-5:
Paste text, Check caps box, Submit

Step 3

t
i
m

p
e
t
S

b
u
5:S

Step 4: click b

ox

Heres what you get:

academic words, most frequent list , !

2nd most frequent list, off-list words

How can you

use this!

to make your text

closer to B1?!

to choose content
and academic
vocabulary?!

to help you not

choose
inappropriate
vocabulary for B1?

Scroll down and youll see

Scroll Down for Content and Academic words

You can print or save an output list:

academic sub-lists and off-list words

How can
these tools
help you?

to hit the B1 target?!

!

to choose appropriate
vocabulary?!
!

any other ways?

B1

for
students

for you:

Check these out

Bonus resource for student reading & listening:

Recap:
B1

Check reading level read-able.com!

Use your professional judgement !

Paraphrase main ideas!

Choose what to quote directly, quote accurately, cite source (Author, date & page #)!

Use B1 words, content & academic words !

Check word lists !

PET B1 - http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/84669-vocabulary-list.pdf!

BC Word Family - http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/wff/pdfs/wff.pdf!

Use Word Search!

BC Word Family Framework - http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/wff/#!

Vocab Profile - http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/eng/