Presented by

Abdelouahid TABICH
Khalid MOUJTAHID Supervised by Dr. Mohammed AKKOUCH
Abderrahmane BABNI Centre for Training Educational Supervisors, Rabat
1. Concept defining
2. Basic concepts
3. Goals of Competency-Based Education
4. Curriculum development in CBE: Principles and
stages
5. Assessment in CBE
6. ELT in Morocco: A historical overview
7. Standards vs competencies
8. Reflections
9. Workshop
Competency-Based Education is an approach to teaching that
focuses on teaching the skills and behaviours needed to
perform competencies. Competencies refer to the student’s
ability to apply different kinds of basic skills in situations that
are commonly encountered in everyday life.
(Richards & schmidt, 2002)
Match the concepts to their definitions:
1. Competence a.prescribed ability to use language for real-life purposes
2. Competency b.statement describing the knowledge and skills to be
attained by learners
3. Standard c.degree of attainment of language competencies
4. Proficiency d.broad language capacities disassociated from testing or
assessment
5. Ability e.command of language achieved through practice
6. Skill f.inborn ability to use language effectively
7. Mastery g.acquired physical or mental power needed to learn
a language
8. Benchmark h.principle by which language mastery may be gauged
and judged
9. Criterion i.excellence in language performance
10.Capacity j.complete control of language use
 Proficiency
-based Mastery-
based

Performance
-based
Context
-based

Competency-
based
education
Criterion
-based
Outcome-
based

Skills-
based Standards-
based
 Competency based education aims at enabling learners to...
 acquire the knowledge , skills, work habits and character traits
essential to success in school, higher education, careers and
adult life;
 develop skills of critical thinking, logical reasoning, problem-
solving, oral and written communication, perseverance and
work ethics, digital, media and multicultural literacy;
 overcome their learning, achievement and opportunity gaps;
 progress through learning processes without time constraints;
 explore diverse learning opportunities;
 collaborate in learning activities with communities of peers

and mentors;
 create learning artifacts that represent competencies;

 reflect on their own learning experiences;

 see what they have mastered, what they still need to

accomplish and where to improve.

 ‘’Curriculum is set out in frameworks that
specify the knowledge and skills that learners at
specific levels are expected to acquire. This means
that each individual lesson, as well as the curriculum
for an entire year, is developed on the basis of the
goal of instruction-what it will enable the learner to
understand, know and be able to do’’ (Teaching
World Languages: A Practical Guide, p: 2).
CBLT courses are developed around competencies
and the skills necessary for mastery. Syllabi must
include performance activities that allow the student
to practise the requisite skills
Competency-based education programs are built
around the following principles:
a) Specific, measurable competency
statements.
b) Content based on learner’s goals (outcomes
and competencies).
c)Learner continues in program until
demonstating mastery.
d) A variety of instructional techniques and
group activities are used.
 e) Focus on what the learner needs to learn, which is
the application of basic skills in real-life situations.
f) Use of text, media and real life materials are
geared towards competencies.
g) Providing learner with immediate feedback when
assessing performance.
h) Pacing instruction to the learner’s needs.
i) Having learner demonstate mastery of specific
competency statements.
The process of curriculum development from a CBE
pesrpective involves moving through the following
seven stages:
 3) Establishing
criteria for
performance
(for each
comptency) 4) Outlining
2) Defining
acceptable
specific
learning
competencies
methods
It assumes that
ultimate activities
1) Identifying are already known
general by stakeholders 5) Practicing
competency learning
areas methods (with
live learners)

7) Evaluating, 6) Assessing
refining and performance
repeating (for each
competency)
 ‘’Assessment looks at what each student
understands, knows and is able to do in relation to
the standards for that student’s level. This means
that each student is assessed in relation to
established criteria (criterion-referenced testing),
rather than in relation to other students (norm-
referenced testing)’’ (Teaching World Languages: A
Practical Guide, p: 2).
The table below, based on the work of O’Connor
(2002), summarises the main differences between
assessments and grades in traditional classes and
those in competency-based classes (Griffith and Lim,
2014: 6).
 Traditional Classrooms Competency-Based Classrooms
One grade is given per assignment. An One grade is given for each specific
competency. Students may be assessed
assignment may be a quiz, a test,
homework, throughout the process but these
project, or anything the student must formative
complete. assessments will not typically be
considered in
the final evaluation.
Assessments are based on a Standards are criterion or proficiency-
percentage based.
system. Criteria for success may be Specific criteria and standards are
unclear. made
available to students ahead of time.
Traditional grades may rely on a mix of Grades measure only achievement.
Information about effort and behavior
assessment, achievement, effort and may be
behavior reported but it is not part of the
to determine the final grade and may competency
include assessment. There are no penalties or
late penalties and extra credit. extra
credit given.
Everything goes in the grade book Students advance only upon mastery of
regardless the
of purpose. Every assessment score is competency.
included in determining the final grade
no matter when it was collected during
the module. The final grade
determines whether the student
 18 th century
My Ismail’s reign: Diplomatic relations and trade exchange
 19th century:
The London Jewish Society in Essaouira set up the first English language school
in Essaouira.
 (1912/1956):
French Protectorate: introduction of ELT in the educational system.
 60s till early 70s: English started in the third year of college through the three
years of bac.(all supervisors and teachers were French.)The methodology was
a mixture of Audiolingual and situational teaching with some remnants of GTM.
Examples of textbooks: L’Anglais par l’illustration, L’Anglais par les par l’image.
 A purely Audio-lingual textbook entitled Passport to English.
However the general policy was to give teachers a syllabus and
freedom to design materials .
In early seventies as well American peace corps introduced
aseries of textbooks « Let’s Learn English » and British volunteers
used «First Things First».
 70s and 80s:
1971: first official guidlines with what Mr Abu talib calls the
Anglosaxonization The Audio-lingual method gained momentum
and new textbooks gained the scene: Boughton’s success with
English/ Practice and Progress/ Alexandre’s New Concept English.
1975: The Ministry of National Education organised the first
meeting on ELT. Moroccanization of staff and
 …………………course emphasises
oral skills through a content-based
approach. Language learning is
centered around the learner who
should be able to use language for
effective communication

In accordance with the Pedagogical

guidelines, ………………..aims to help the
students use English more accurately at
this stage of their language learning
….. …………………. Follows a basically
structural progression, like its
predecessor……………….But it includes in
parallel a sequence of functions.
 The production of the first Moroccan textbook in 1982 Steps
to English with an audio-lingual orientation and a mixture of
anglosaxon and Moroccan culture.
 1979/1980:
MATE Association was set up.
 80s and 90s:
The communicative approach took the reign. With
emphasis on integration of skills and group work.In 1986
further steps and English In Life series in 1988 along with
Bridges for scientific sections.
 The new millenuim:
2003: Content –based approch. The Quick Way series.
2005: Competency-based Approach/Standards-based
Education. The multiple textbook.
 At the level of Skills:

 The question related to the speaking skill in the official

guidelines, it is worth noting that there is a big gap
between what the guidelines recommend and the
textbooks.
 The textbooks usually limit themselves to some social

functions as if the latter can alone equip learners with

the necessary tools to develop speaking proficiency.
 The study findings point out explicitly to a limited
uptake in the EFL curriculum being implemented.
Thus, what is enacted is inconsistent with what is
mandated.
 By and large, second year baccalaureate classes are

mostly teacher-centered and textbook-driven.

 At the level of classroom assessment, tests and
quizzes are the most frequently used techniques
employed to assess students’ learning achievement.
 Teachers are overwhelmed by the national bac exam

which makes their classroom practices exam-oriented

and conducted for summative purposes.
Griffith, W. I, and Lim, H. Y. (2014). Introduction to
competency-based language teaching. In MEXTESOL
Journal, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 1-9.
Teaching World Language: A Practical Guide. A project of
the National Capital Language Resource Center, The George
Washington University, Center for applied Linguistics and
Georgetown University, 2014.