Australian Cores Skills Framework (ACSF)
Precis by Ross Woods, rev. 2018
The ACSF uses the following categories for LLN skills: Learning, Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, and Numeracy. For each category, the ACSF has a set of levels, ranging from basic to advanced. The levels have statements that describe the kinds of thinking used at each level (called descriptors). These statements are carefully written and quite exact, and they can sometimes be quite difficult to interpret in practical situations. Consequently, you might need some practice to become familiar with their use.
The ACSF levels of skills relate to the particular kind of skills needed in a particular occupation. Consequently, they don’t correlate to the qualification level.
Consider, for example, three occupations at the same level. A report writer needs a very high level of writing skills, a community services worker generally needs highly advanced oral skills, and a finance manager needs a high level of numeracy. But the report writer and the finance manager don’t need advanced oral skills, the community services worker doesn’t need advanced numeracy skills.
This sumary will tell you all you really need to know, although the full text is much longer.
Learning Indicators by Level
Level Indicator 1 1.01 Demonstrates some awareness of self as a learner 1.02 Takes first steps towards developing explicit learning strategies 2 2.01 Demonstrates some awareness of learning strengths and areas of need, and begins to plan and manage the learning process 2.02 Applies a limited range of learning strategies in structured and familiar contexts 3 3.01 Plans, implements and adjusts processes as required to achieve learning outcomes and begins to seek new challenges 3.02 Experiments with new learning strategies in familiar contexts and applies some strategies in less familiar contexts 4 4.01 Accepts new learning challenges, explicitly designing, reflecting on and redesigning approaches to learning as an integral part of the process 4.02 Adapts a range of familiar strategies to new contexts and experiments with new approaches 5 5.01 Self directs learning, actively designing and managing learning processes appropriate to the context 5.02 Draws on a broad and expanding repertoire of strategies to facilitate personal and professional learning Reading Indicators by Level
Level Indicator 1 1.03 Identifies personally relevant information and ideas from texts on highly familiar topics 1.04 Uses a limited range of strategies to locate specific information and construct meaning from explicit and highly familiar texts 2 2.03 Identifies and interprets relevant information and ideas from texts on familiar topics 2.04 Uses a number of reading strategies to identify and interpret relevant information within familiar text types 3 3.03 Evaluates and integrates information and ideas to construct meaning from a range of familiar, and some unfamiliar, texts and text types 3.04 Selects and applies a range of reading strategies as appropriate to purpose and text type 4 4.03 Interprets and critically analyses complex texts 4.04 Applies appropriate strategies to construct meaning from complex texts 5 5.03 Organises, evaluates and critiques ideas and information from a range of complex texts 5.04 Draws on a broad range of strategies to build and maintain understanding throughout complex texts Writing Indicators by Level
Level Indicator 1 1.05 Conveys a simple idea, opinion, factual information or message in writing 1.06 Displays limited vocabulary, grammatical accuracy and understanding of conventions of written text 2 2.05 Conveys intended meaning on familiar topics for a limited range of purposes and audiences 2.06 Produces familiar text types using simple vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions 3 3.05 Communicates relationships between ideas and information in a style appropriate to audience and purpose 3.06 Selects vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions appropriate to the text 4 4.05 Communicates complex relationships between ideas and information, matching style of writing to purpose and audience 4.06 Displays knowledge of structure and layout employing broad vocabulary, grammatical structure and conventions appropriate to text 5 5.05 Generates complex written texts, demonstrating control over a broad range of writing styles and purposes 5.06 Demonstrates sophisticated writing skills by selecting appropriate conventions and stylistic devices to express precise meaning Oral Communication Indicators by Level
Level Indicator 1 1.07 Gives or elicits basic information in a short, simple spoken context 1.08 Listens for basic information in short, simple oral texts 2 2.07 Uses everyday language to provide information or maintain a conversation in familiar spoken contexts 2.08 Listens for relevant information in oral texts across familiar contexts 3 3.07 Selects and uses appropriate strategies to establish and maintain spoken communication in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts 3.08 Derives meaning from a range of oral texts in familiar and some unfamiliar contexts 4 4.07 Demonstrates flexibility in spoken texts by choosing appropriate structures and strategies in a range of contexts 4.08 Applies appropriate strategies to extract main ideas from oral texts across a range of contexts 5 5.07 Establishes and maintains complex and effective spoken communication in a broad range of contexts 5.08 Displays depth of understanding of complex oral texts which include multiple and unstated meanings Numeracy Indicators by Level
Level Indicator 1 1.09 Locates and recognises key mathematical information in simple activities or texts 1.10 Uses simple mathematical and personal problem solving strategies in highly familiar contexts 1.11 Uses everyday informal oral language or highly familiar written representation to communicate simple mathematical information 2 2.09 Identifies and comprehends relevant mathematical information in familiar activities or texts 2.10 Selects and uses appropriate familiar mathematical problem solving strategies to solve problems in familiar contexts 2.11 Uses informal and some formal oral and written mathematical language and representation to communicate mathematically 3
3.09 Selects and interprets mathematical information that may be partly embedded in a range of familiar, and some less familiar, tasks and texts 3.10 Selects from and uses a variety of developing mathematical and problem solving strategies in a range of familiar and some less familiar contexts 3.11 Uses a combination of both informal and formal oral and written mathematical language and representation to communicate mathematically 4 4.09 Extracts and evaluates the mathematical information embedded in a range of tasks and texts 4.10 Selects from, and applies, an expanding range of mathematical and problem solving strategies in a range of contexts 4.11 Uses a range of informal and formal oral and written mathematical language and symbols to communicate mathematically 5 5.09 Analyses and synthesises highly embedded mathematical information in a broad range of tasks and texts 5.10 Selects from, and flexibly applies, a wide range of highly developed mathematical and problem solving strategies and techniques in a broad range of contexts 5.11 Uses a wide range of mainly formal, and some informal, oral and written mathematical language and representation to communicate mathematically