Skills for Life: International Language: Social Activities (Written)
International language (written): 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. Learners read and write about leisure activities, places, transport, food and drink, from single words at Entry 1 to opinions, bookings and requests at Level 2. 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. Digital demand is low. No assessment criterion asks for digital work. Digital skills sit in emails, a partner school and suggested activities.
- Awarding body
- WJEC
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): Two learning outcomes (understand information relating to everyday social activities, be able to write about everyday social activities), with separate assessment criteria at Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3, including correct spelling. 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 key facts and information in texts relating to everyday social activities, produce texts about social activities), with one reading criterion and four writing criteria at each of 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 Online behaviour and online bullying
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Communicating with a partner school online
If a centre has a partner school, learners can communicate with it over the internet about social activities and email each other regularly, and can research and present differences between the social activities of pupils in the two schools. This is a suggested experience and activity only, and is not required by the assessment criteria.
DCF: Communication, Online behaviour and online bullying, Collaboration
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils help write a short class email in the target language to a partner school, asking two questions about hobbies, sent through the school email system.
- Year 8
- Pupils each send a supervised email to a named pupil at a partner school describing one hobby and asking about theirs, then read the reply.
- Year 9
- Pupils work in a shared online document with partner school pupils to compare the most popular weekend activities in each school, then present the differences to the class.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Experiences, page 15; delivery guidance, suggested activities, development activities, page 13
“Pupils could be encouraged to email each other on a regular basis”
Progression step 3
I can exchange online communications, making use of a growing range of available features, e.g. add attachments or hyperlinks, change formatting.
I can show an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of communication and when it is appropriate to use each, e.g. explain when video conferencing may be more appropriate than e-mail, and vice versa; explain the pros and cons of using instant messaging in social contexts; talk about purpose and audience.
I can demonstrate appropriate online behaviour and apply a range of strategies to protect myself and others from possible online dangers, bullying and inappropriate behaviour, e.g. turn off comments on digital media, reporting, block users.
Progression step 4
I can select and use different online communication tools for specific purposes with higher levels of competence, e.g. set up and manage an address book, organise contacts, use advanced features of e-mail provider (signature, auto reply, read receipt, widgets).
I can independently select and use a range of online collaboration tools to create a project with others in one or more languages, e.g. making use of online technology to share and present ideas to others.
I can act appropriately online, keeping myself safe and behaving in a responsible manner.
Good to know
- The unit page gives no code: "Please refer to the Skills for Life and Work qualifications specification." (Unit overview, page 3), and the specification lists each language version of the unit with the code "TBC" (Section 3.1, page 13).
- The unit is offered in six languages: "This unit is available in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish." and "The unit title awarded to the learner will indicate the language that has been achieved." (Unit overview, page 3).
- No digital equipment is required. The unit is "designed to be delivered using standard classroom environments", though "it would be beneficial to have access to computers, tablets, or mobile devices for digital activities and research" (Resources for delivery, page 15).
- Written evidence can be photographed: possible sources include "photographic evidence/photocopy of mini white board" and "letter or email" (Possible sources of evidence, page 15), and the portfolio "is not limited to paper-based materials" (Specification, Section 4.1, page 18).
- Suggested activities and tasks are optional: "These tasks are not mandatory." Teachers "may choose to use these suggestions, adapt them, or develop their own alternatives" (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 pack opens with a warning that "The UK Government has announced plans to restrict social media use by children under 16, which may impact some of our qualifications." (page 2), which matters for any online contact with a partner school.
- Staffing: "it is preferential that teachers have subject-specific expertise in language teaching" (page 15) and assessors "should have subject-specific expertise in language teaching and assessment" (page 17).
- Learners can take the unit at several levels, but "only the highest level of the unit achieved will count towards the GLH required for a qualification" (Specification, Section 2.2, page 10).
Links with other qualifications
The pack names VCSE Travel and Tourism and GCSE Business as qualifications this unit could complement, and the menus, restaurant bookings and dietary requests such as a nut allergy also fit VCSE Hospitality and Catering. It sits alongside GCSE French, GCSE German and GCSE Spanish, but 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. Within the Skills Suite it pairs with International language (spoken): social activities and with the communicating personal information and education and employment units, spoken and written. The digital work, such as emails, online quizzes and a Canva menu, is light and links only loosely with GCSE Digital Technology.
Source: WJEC International language (written) - 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).