11. Accreditation 11.1 As with mainstream basic skills, the plethora of existing qualifications for ESOL is confusing for learners, teachers, employers and 'gatekeepers' in FE and HE. This problem was highlighted in the recent FEFC Inspectorate report Numeracy, Literacy and ESOL: Evaluation of Entry and Level 1 Awards. 11.2 The aims of qualifications were summed up in A Fresh Start as providing a goal for learners, feedback to teachers and evidence for employers and funders on standards and effectiveness of provision. Qualifications should have credibility, marketability, ease of access and provide an incentive to learners. In response to this the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is developing new National Literacy and Numeracy Tests at Levels 1 and 2. The clear intention is that these tests will have currency with employers and others. 11.3 ESOL students should have the same opportunities as fluent English speakers to gain a qualification which is easily accessible and will open doors to employment and other opportunities. It is crucial that the national test framework being developed by the QCA recognises the specific learning and contextual issues for ESOL students and does not create new barriers for them. 11.4. In developing the test framework and the national bank of test items for the National Literacy and Numeracy Tests, QCA should have regard to: the need to test oracy as in addition to literacy skills; how second language speakers acquire the same level of language competence as those with English as their first language; how to ensure that those who do not share the majority culture are not put at a disadvantage; how to ensure that stages of achievement below and between test levels can be recognised. Without this there is a very real danger of the tests proving too difficult and very demotivating for some learners. 11.6 Although the national literacy tests should be appropriate for many ESOL learners, they are unlikely to meet the needs of all. The new LSC funding methodology needs to be sufficiently flexible to cover a variety of learning goals. There will need to be a range of awards and qualifications suitable for ESOL learners that recognise achievement below Level 1 and that match goals and aspirations beyond level 2. For some learners, particularly those at an early stage in the learning process, external accreditation may not be appropriate. Opportunities for non-external accreditation, based on the achievement of learning goals drawn from the new national standards, should be retained. 11.7 Specific ESOL awards and qualifications must test the four skills (speaking/listening, reading/writing) separately. It is important that each skill can be tested at different levels to allow for differential progress across the four skills. Progression between these awards and qualifications at different levels will need to be defined in terms of language development, such as grammar, examples of language use, fluency and accuracy, not just by can-do statements. 11.8 As with literacy and numeracy awards, all ESOL and EFL awards should be mapped to the national standards in order to provide a transparent national qualifications framework. All qualifications should be transferable across institutions to enable students to progress to further training, such as GCSE English, vocational training, academic study or employment. Recommendation 8: Qualifications ESOL (and EFL) qualifications should be mapped against the national standards. These qualifications should allow flexibility in delivery, assessment and outcomes and should assess each of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) separately.

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