Skills for Life: International Language: Communicating Personal Information (Written)
International language (written): communicating personal information is a 10 hour Skills for Life unit, from Entry 1 to Level 2, offered in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish. It is one unit that learners combine with others into a Skills for Life, or Skills for Life and Work, Award, Certificate or Diploma. Literacy is the whole unit: learners read short texts for personal details and write about themselves, from single correctly spelt words at Entry 1 to written facts, opinions, answers and requests at Level 2, often translating into English or Cymraeg. Numeracy is light, limited to writing numbers, dates and times.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of literacy work
- High
- Amount of numeracy work
- Low
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Two learning outcomes (understand material relating to communicating personal information, write about personal information), with separate assessment criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3. Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 10 guided learning hours.
- Level 1 and Level 2: Two learning outcomes (understand key facts and information in texts relating to personal information, produce texts about personal information), with separate assessment criteria at Level 1 and Level 2. Evidence goes in a portfolio, internally assessed by the centre and externally quality assured by WJEC. 10 guided learning hours.
Skills that use Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
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Giving written opinions
At Level 1 learners give simple written opinions about personal information, and at Level 2 they express written opinions, for example what they think of their job, studies or hobbies and why. Entry Level learners are taught likes and dislikes and, from Entry 3, short reasons with an adjective. The written opinions are required by the Level 1 and Level 2 assessment criteria.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context, Connectives and syntax, Purpose
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils write I like or I do not like next to pictures of five hobbies in the language.
- Year 8
- Pupils write an opinion with a reason for three school subjects, using because and an adjective such as interesting or boring.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a short review of a film or hobby giving their opinion, a reason and one thing they would change, using very, quite or sometimes.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 2, assessment criteria 2.2, page 6; Amplification, pages 9 and 10
“Express written opinions about personal information”
Progression step 3
I can write about my thoughts, feelings and opinions, showing empathy and respect.
I can use an increasing range of connectives to organise my ideas in sentences, paragraphs and whole texts.
Progression step 4
I can share, talk and write about my thoughts, feelings and opinions showing empathy and respect.
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Answering questions and making written requests
At Level 1 learners use and adapt set phrases to answer predictable questions in writing and to make simple written requests for personal information. At Level 2 they use and adapt routine language for both, and the amplification adds letter writing conventions and expressing thanks for an email. Answers and requests are required by the Level 1 and Level 2 assessment criteria.
Literacy: Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils write short answers in the language to four questions on a form, such as what is your name and where do you live.
- Year 8
- Pupils write a note to a new classmate asking three questions about their family and hobbies and answering the same questions themselves.
- Year 9
- Pupils write a short formal letter to a host family asking for their address and the times of meals, using a greeting, a thank you and a sign-off.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 2, assessment criteria 2.3 and 2.4, page 6; Amplification, Level 2, page 10
“Use and adapt routine language to make written requests for personal information”
Progression step 3
I can adapt my writing style and structure to suit the audience, purpose and context, e.g. suitable balance between facts and viewpoints, a precise conclusion.
I can use and adapt different structures within my writing, e.g. reporting an event, investigation or experiment.
Progression step 4
I can adapt my writing style, choosing and using the best structures for different contexts and purposes, e.g. to successfully describe, explain, persuade, discuss.
Good to know
- There is one unit for each language. The title is "available in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish", and for unit codes the pack says "Please refer to the Skills for Life and Work qualifications specification." (Unit overview, page 3), where every code is still listed as TBC (section 3.1, page 13).
- Literacy is the integral skill named for the unit: "Learners will have opportunities to develop their literacy skills, with an emphasis on writing." (Unit overview, page 3). Appendix A of the specification has no row for this unit.
- Spelling is assessed only where a criterion says so, as at Entry Level: "Assessor judgements should focus on meeting the standard, not spelling or presentation unless specifically assessed." (Sources of evidence, page 14).
- Evidence can be short: sources include a "completed profile", "completed ID card", "CV" and "letter or email", and "extended written work is not required unless appropriate" (Sources of evidence, page 14).
- Suggested assessment tasks are optional: "These tasks are not mandatory." (Skills for Life and Work specification, section 4.1, page 18).
- AI use must be acknowledged. Properly referenced AI use "can be acceptable", but "Failing to acknowledge use of AI tools when they have been used as a source of information" is malpractice (Skills for Life and Work specification, section 4.6, page 21).
- The unit starts from scratch: the units "assume that learners have no previous experience of the language being learnt" (Planning courses, page 7), with Entry Level pitched at CEFR pre-A1 to A1 and Levels 1 and 2 at A2 to B1 (page 8). Staff should have "subject-specific expertise in language teaching" (page 14).
Links with other qualifications
The pack names VCSE Travel and Tourism and GCSE Business as qualifications the international language units can complement, and writing about nationality, where people live and work, and future plans fits both. Learners already taking GCSE French, GCSE German or GCSE Spanish are pointed towards a new language rather than the same one. Within the Skills Suite the unit pairs with International language (spoken): communicating personal information, the Social activities units and the Skills for Work Education and employment units, which share vocabulary for school, work and hobbies. Translating sentences into English or Cymraeg draws on GCSE English Language and Literature, GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature and GCSE Core Cymraeg, and writing a basic CV or covering letter echoes the job applications in the Applying for jobs unit.
Source: WJEC International language (written) - communicating personal information unit delivery and assessment pack, read with the WJEC Entry 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life and Skills for Work specification, approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from September 2027 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2026).