Skills for Life: International Language: Social Activities (Spoken)
International language (spoken): social activities 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 other 10 or 20 hour units into a Skills for Life, or Skills for Life and Work, Award, Certificate or Diploma. The whole unit is listening and speaking about leisure, places, transport, food and drink, from recognising and pronouncing familiar words at Entry Level to open questions and a short conversation at Level 2. Numeracy is light: numbers, times and prices heard and said in the language.
- 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 basic spoken information relating to social activities, give basic information orally about social activities), with separate assessment criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3, including clear pronunciation. 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 spoken information relating to social activities, engage in a conversation relating to social activities), 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 Collaborative talk
-
Making requests and asking questions
At Level 1 learners make simple spoken requests to express needs or wishes and use predictable questions to clarify basic information, and at Level 2 they use open questions to find out specific information. This is required by the assessment criteria, and the amplification contexts include ordering in a café, buying food by weight, travel times and car hire.
Literacy: Questioning, Collaborative talk, Clarity and vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils act out a café role-play asking "How much is it?" and "Do you have...?" with picture cards and prices.
- Year 8
- Pupils ask a partner predictable questions to check details, such as "At what time does it start?", and write down the answers.
- Year 9
- Pupils plan and ask open questions in a car hire or cinema role-play, such as how long, how much and what is included, to find out three specific facts.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 2, assessment criteria L1 2.1, L1 2.2 and L2 2.2, page 6; amplification, pages 9 and 10
“Use open questions to find out specific information relating to social activities.”
Progression step 3
I can respond to others’ points of view by seeking clarity, summarising and explaining what I have heard, read or seen.
I have experienced speaking with different people in a variety of authentic contexts.
Progression step 4
I have experienced speaking with different people in a variety of authentic contexts.
I can speak clearly, selecting and adapting my language appropriately for a range of audiences and purposes, conveying meaning effectively to the audience.
-
Taking part in a short conversation
At Level 2 learners take part in a short conversation about social activities, adding relevant details and giving appropriate responses. This is required by assessment criterion L2 2.1, and the Level 2 amplification adds past, present and future time frames and phrases for asking someone to repeat or speak more slowly.
Literacy: Listening as part of collaborative talk, Questioning, Collaborative talk, Purpose, Clarity and vocabulary
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils hold a three line conversation in which they greet a partner, ask what they do in their free time and answer the same question.
- Year 8
- Pupils hold a conversation about a film, each giving an opinion with a reason and asking a follow up question.
- Year 9
- Pupils hold a conversation about last weekend and next weekend, adding details such as who they went with and asking their partner to speak more slowly when they need to.
Show the specification wording and the LNF statements
Where it is in the specification: Level 1 and Level 2, learning outcome 2, assessment criterion L2 2.1, page 6; amplification, page 10
“Participate in a short conversation relating to social activities, including additional relevant details and appropriate responses.”
Progression step 3
I can listen to and respond to others with questions and comments which focus on reasons, implications and next steps.
I can ask and answer questions, building on and developing the ideas of others in group discussions.
I have experienced speaking with different people in a variety of authentic contexts.
Progression step 4
I can organise talk effectively to respond to how listeners are reacting by adapting what I say and how I say it.
I have experienced speaking with different people in a variety of authentic contexts.
I can make informed choices about vocabulary, idiomatic language and syntax in order to express myself with fluency, accuracy and clarity.
Good to know
- There is no test. The unit "is centre assessed and externally quality assured by WJEC", and evidence "may be verbal, written, practical, or visual", with "extended written work" not required unless appropriate (Sources of evidence, page 14).
- Speaking evidence is usually recorded or observed: sources include "audio recording of candidate", "video recording of role-play" and "teacher observation notes" (Sources of evidence, page 14).
- The levels follow the CEFR: Entry Level criteria reflect "pre-A1 to A1" and Level 1 and 2 criteria reflect "A2 to B1" (Relationship to the CEFR, page 8). The criteria "assume that learners have no previous experience of the language being learnt" (Planning courses, page 7).
- Plural wording sets a minimum: "a plural reference within assessment criterion refers to a minimum of two" (pages 5 and 6), and Level 1 learning outcome 1 asks for "three details" (page 6).
- Support depends on level: "Entry 1 Learners will require a high level of support, including verbal, visual and practical assistance" (Specification, Section 4.2, page 19).
- Suggested activities and tasks are optional: "These tasks are not mandatory." (Specification, Section 4.1, page 18).
- AI tools: misuse includes "Using AI to complete parts of the assessment so that the work does not reflect the learner's own work" and "Failing to acknowledge use of AI tools when they have been used as a source of information" (Specification, Section 4.6, page 21).
- The unit is offered in six languages: "This unit is available in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish." (Unit overview, page 3). The unit page gives no code and refers to the specification, which lists the codes as "TBC" (Section 3.1, page 13).
- The unit overview places the literacy in talk: learners develop literacy "with an emphasis on speaking and listening" (Unit overview, page 3).
Links with other qualifications
The listening and speaking skills match those in GCSE French, GCSE German and GCSE Spanish, though the pack says learners already taking one of those GCSEs "may not benefit" from this unit in the same language and may prefer a new one, such as Italian, Japanese or Mandarin. The pack names VCSE Travel and Tourism and GCSE Business as qualifications it could complement, and ordering food, menus, restaurant bookings and car hire also suit VCSE Hospitality and Catering. Noting what is heard in English or Cymraeg draws on the English and Welsh that learners also study in GCSE English Language and Literature, GCSE Core Cymraeg or GCSE Cymraeg Language and Literature. Within the Skills Suite it pairs with International language (written): social activities and the communicating personal information and education and employment language units. The numeracy is limited to times and Euro prices.
Source: WJEC International language (spoken) - social activities 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).