EAL/ESL Report Comments: Speaking, Primary
Speaking is producing spoken English to communicate needs and ideas, from gestures, single words and set phrases to full sentences and extended talk, in partner, group and class discussion: describing, explaining, retelling, giving reasons and asking questions.
Below are 13 sample sentences for Primary (ages 5-11): two strengths and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Competent / fluent / Developing competence / Early acquisition / New to English), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 188 speaking sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.
Jump to: Competent / fluent · Developing competence · Early acquisition · New to English · Writing tips
Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Competent / fluent D
Strengths
- At show and tell, [Name] speaks to the whole class, describes an object in detail and answers questions about it with ease.
- In group work, [Name] asks precise follow-up questions that help the group explore an idea further and invite quieter members to speak.
Next step
- During talk partner time, [Name] could summarise a partner's point before adding a response that agrees, challenges or develops the idea.
Developing competence C
Strengths
- [Name] explains the rules of a game to friends in clear sentences, though some verb forms are not yet correct.
- When asked to explain an answer, [Name] gives a reason in English, sometimes pausing to search for a subject word before finding it.
Next step
- Retelling a story to a friend with a story map or puppets will help [Name] practise linking events with words such as "next" and "finally".
Early acquisition B
Strengths
- [Name] uses the class word mat to find a word and then says it in a short sentence to a talk partner.
- With a model to copy, [Name] is starting to say simple sentences in the right word order, such as "I like reading" or "This is my bag".
Next step
- Describing the pictures in a picture book with an adult, using "I can see" and "There is", will help [Name] build spoken sentences.
New to English A
Strengths
- [Name] points to pictures on the visual timetable to show what is happening next and names some of them, such as "lunch" and "home".
- [Name] says "hello", "goodbye" and "thank you" in English at the right moments and smiles in reply when greeted.
Next step
- [Name] would benefit from short daily games with a talk partner, naming pictures of food, animals and classroom objects.
Support at home
- Learning a few school words together in both your home language and English, then using them in conversation, helps your child talk about lessons more easily.
How to write speaking comments for Primary (ages 5-11)
- Quote the child's actual words where you can, such as 'Can I have the scissors?' or 'I like the red one', so families hear what the stage sounds like instead of reading a label.
- Name the setting where the child talks most: role play, show and tell, talk partners or games with friends. Many young children speak first in play, and that setting is a natural place for the next step.
- Make the next step a sentence frame the child can practise, such as 'I think... because...', and suggest rehearsing it with a talk partner before answering on the carpet.
Watch out: Avoid commenting on accent. Report whether the student is understood and how clearly they explain ideas; mention pronunciation only where it affects meaning, and then name the specific word or sound to practise.
Rate each skill separately, since many students understand more than they can say. At stage D, write about precision and range; at C, growing independence with errors still showing; at B, short phrases and visual support; at A, what the student does now and the support that helps. Show the stage through evidence rather than naming it.
What Speaking covers
In these comments, speaking covers these behaviours:
- communicates needs and ideas, from gestures and single words to extended talk
- takes part in partner, group and class discussion
- uses spoken English to describe, explain, give reasons and retell
- speaks clearly enough to be understood and self-corrects
More EAL/ESL comments
- Listening, Primary (ages 5-11)
- Speaking, Secondary (ages 11-18)
- Reading, Primary (ages 5-11)
- Writing, Primary (ages 5-11)
- Vocabulary and Grammar, Primary (ages 5-11)
- Language-Learning Behaviours, Primary (ages 5-11)
- Opening and closing sentences
- All EAL/ESL skills and grade bands
- For the same report: Subject Report Comments for Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary, Stages 1-9
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How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.