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E8 M - A first English CV

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E8 M - A first English CV

Mini-description: Understand the basic structure and selected English words of a very simple CV. Then create a completely fictional practice profile. This course is for English as a first foreign language, Year 8, M level, Baden-Württemberg.

Learning route: English first → use the context → try → ask → use a hint → German help only if you still need it. You do not need a full translation.

Media start: What can you see?

Look at the CV image for 20 seconds. Do not read every word. Find three things:

CV heading: Where is the name or title?
Education: Where could school information go?
Skills: Where could abilities go?

Quick talk: Tell a partner: “I think this part is … because …”

I-can goals

By the end, I can …	My check
identify the main parts of a simple English CV	☐
understand key words such as education, experience, skills and interests	☐
find useful information in a short CV and in a video	☐
speak about a fictional applicant and give reasons	☐
write a short, clear and fully fictional practice CV	☐
protect private data and check AI feedback critically	☐

Before you start

You already know how to talk about school, hobbies, abilities and simple past activities. Use that knowledge. Try these sentences without a dictionary:

I am good at … / I helped with … / I can … / I am interested in …

Context first: If you do not know a word, look at the heading, nearby words and the icon. Then guess. Ask for help only after your first try.

Privacy first

For this course, use only fictional data. Do not use your real address, phone number, date of birth, school name, private e-mail address, photo or social-media account. Do not upload a CV, voice recording or photo unless your teacher has clearly asked for it and you agree. Recordings are optional and should stay private or local.

If AI is allowed by your teacher, use it only to check level, facts and language. Do not send private data to an external AI tool. Do not let AI replace your own text. Check every suggestion before you use it.

Input: A very simple CV

A fictional practice profile

Everything below is invented for learning.

Section	Example
Name	Sam Riverstone
Profile	Reliable Year 8 student. Interested in a weekend job with books and customers.
Contact	sam.riverstone@example.org
Education	Northbridge Learning School, Exampletown — 2022 to present
Experience	School library helper — March 2026; helped visitors and sorted books
Skills	teamwork; basic spreadsheets; clear speaking
Languages	German — first language; English — school level
Interests	basketball; reading; simple graphic design

Notice: The profile is short. The headings help you scan the text. The details are relevant to the task.

Reading: Find, do not translate

Read the fictional CV again. Answer in short English phrases.

Profile: What kind of student is Sam?
Education: Where does Sam study?
Experience: What did Sam do in the library?
Skills: Name two skills.
Interests: Which interest fits a book-related job?

Direct check: reliable; Northbridge Learning School; helped visitors and sorted books; possible skills are teamwork, basic spreadsheets and clear speaking; reading fits the job context.

Help ladder

Step 1 – Context: Look at the heading and the example.

Step 2 – Hint: Ask: Is this about school, work-like tasks, abilities or free time?

Step 3 – German help if needed: education = schulischer Bildungsweg; experience = Erfahrungen; skills = Fähigkeiten; interests = Interessen. Use these key meanings only. Do not translate the whole CV.

Context vocabulary

Word	Simple English clue	Your own example
education	school and courses	…
experience	tasks you have done	…
skill	something you can do	…
reliable	people can depend on you	…
teamwork	working well with others	…
interest	something you like doing or learning about	…
reference	a person who may confirm information about your work	…

Mini-task: Cover the German help above. Explain three words in simple English.

Pronunciation: clarity first

Say these words slowly, then in a short phrase: education, experience, reliable, skills, interests. Focus on clear word stress and understandable sounds. You do not need a perfect British or American accent.

Try: “My experience is …” / “My skills are …” / “I am reliable because …”

Peer feedback: Can your partner understand the key word? If yes, the pronunciation works. If not, slow down, stress the main syllable and try again.

Listening and viewing: What makes a good CV?

Watch the BBC Learning English video once without stopping. You do not need every word. Listen for CV, strengths, concise, accurate.

First viewing: Write down two words you hear.

Second viewing: Use English captions if needed. Choose one idea that could improve a simple CV.

Talk: “One useful idea is … because …”

German help if needed: concise = kurz und auf das Wesentliche konzentriert; accurate = korrekt/genau.

Viewing and speaking: Job interview context

Look at the photo. What could the two people be discussing? Give two possible ideas before you watch the video.

Now watch the first BBC Learning English job-interview episode. Focus on useful phrases and reasons, not every detail.

Try: Finish one sentence: “A good example that comes to mind is …” Use a fictional school or club situation.

For a longer dialogue, watch the next short episode and note one useful way to answer a question.

Speaking: A fictional mini interview

Work in pairs. One person is the interviewer, one is Sam Riverstone. Speak for about 8 turns.

Use questions such as:

Question 1: What are your strengths?
Question 2: What experience do you have?
Question 3: Why are you interested in this job?
Question 4: Can you give an example of teamwork?

Give at least one reason with because. Then change roles with a new fictional profile.

Writing: Build a clear CV

Use this order for your practice CV:

Part	Keep it simple
Name	fictional name
Profile	1–2 short sentences
Education	fictional school and dates
Experience	one or two useful tasks
Skills	three believable skills
Languages	simple level information
Interests	two relevant interests

Writing rule for this course: Short phrases are fine. Use consistent dates. Make the layout easy to scan. Do not invent impressive achievements that do not fit the fictional profile.

Functional grammar for M level

Passive – use it productively when it helps.

Active: “Sam sorted the books.” Passive: “The books were sorted by Sam.”

For this CV task, a direct action phrase is often shorter: “Sorted books and helped visitors.”

Reported speech – backshift.

Direct: The mentor says, “Sam is reliable.” Reported: The mentor said that Sam was reliable.

Reported question.

Direct: “Can you use a spreadsheet?” Reported: The mentor asked whether Sam could use a spreadsheet.

Reported command.

Direct: “Check the dates.” Reported: The mentor told Sam to check the dates.

Past perfect – understand it in context.

“By June, Sam had helped at three school events.” The helping happened before the later past point. You do not need to force this tense into your short CV.

M-level focus: Do not work with the past perfect progressive here. That form belongs to E-level receptive work in this sequence.

Grammar mini-practice with direct feedback

Change the sentences.

Passive: “The team completed the task.” → “The task …”
Statement: Mia said, “I am ready.” → “Mia said that …”
Question: The coach asked, “Can you help?” → “The coach asked whether …”
Command: The teacher said, “Check your spelling.” → “The teacher told us …”

Check: “The task was completed by the team.” / “Mia said that she was ready.” / “The coach asked whether I could help.” / “The teacher told us to check our spelling.”

Mediation: Select, do not translate everything

Read this short German situation:

“Für einen fiktiven Ferienjob in einer Bücherei werden Zuverlässigkeit, freundlicher Umgang mit Besucherinnen und Besuchern und einfache Computerkenntnisse gesucht.”

Your task: Tell an English-speaking partner which three CV details Sam should highlight. Do not translate the whole sentence.

Possible answer: reliable; helped visitors; basic computer or spreadsheet skills.

Error analysis

Find the problem, explain it and improve the line.

Line	What is wrong?	Better version
I can to use spreadsheets.	verb form	I can use spreadsheets.
Books was sorted by me.	passive form	Books were sorted by me.
My real phone number is 0711 …	privacy problem in this exercise	Remove it and use no real contact data.
I am very very very good at everything.	too vague and not believable	Choose one specific skill and one example.

Feedback rule: First name the type of problem: grammar, clarity, relevance or privacy. Then revise only what needs changing.

Transfer: Create a new fictional applicant

Create a second fictional profile for one of these contexts: school library, sports shop, community event or pet-care project. Use a new fictional name and no real personal data.

Your CV should include education, one experience, three skills and two interests. Then explain one choice: “I included … because …”

Can-do check

I can …	Yes	Not yet
find the main CV sections quickly	☐	☐
understand key CV words from context	☐	☐
listen for key ideas in a natural video	☐	☐
speak about a fictional applicant and give reasons	☐	☐
write a short fictional CV with clear sections	☐	☐
use passive and reported speech in short M-level examples	☐	☐
protect private data and check AI suggestions	☐	☐

If “not yet”: Return to the matching section, use the help ladder and try one smaller example first.

Follow-up course

Continue with E8 M - A first English cover email. There you can use your fictional CV to write short professional correspondence without sharing personal data.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which section tells a reader about school and courses? (Education) (!Interests) (!Contact) (!References)

Which detail is safe for this practice CV? (A fictional name) (!Your real phone number) (!Your private social-media account) (!Your full home address)

Which word means something you can do well? (Skill) (!Date) (!Address) (!Reference)

Which line is the clearest CV phrase? (Sorted books and helped visitors) (!I did many many things) (!Everything was super great) (!You know what I mean)

Which sentence uses the passive correctly? (The task was completed by the team) (!The task were completed by the team) (!The task completed by the team) (!The task was complete by the team)

Which reported statement is correct? (Mia said that she was ready) (!Mia said that she is ready yesterday) (!Mia said that was she ready) (!Mia said she ready)

Which reported question is correct? (The coach asked whether I could help) (!The coach asked could I help) (!The coach asked whether can I help) (!The coach asked I could help question)

Which reported command is correct? (The teacher told us to check the dates) (!The teacher told us check the dates) (!The teacher said us to check the dates) (!The teacher told to us checked the dates)

What should you do first with an unknown CV word? (Use the context and try to guess) (!Translate the complete text immediately) (!Skip the whole task) (!Enter private data into an online tool)

What is a good way to use AI in this course? (Check suggestions and keep your own work) (!Let AI write everything for you) (!Upload private data for better answers) (!Accept every correction without checking)

Memory

Education	school and courses
Experience	tasks you have done
Skills	abilities you can use
Reliable	people can depend on you
Interests	things you like doing
Reference	person who may confirm work information

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Education	school history
Experience	useful tasks completed
Skills	abilities
Languages	language knowledge
Interests	free-time activities

Kreuzworträtsel

Education	Which CV section shows school and courses?
Skills	Which word means abilities you can use?
Experience	Which section shows useful tasks you have done?
Profile	Which short section introduces the applicant?
Reliable	Which adjective means people can depend on you?
Reference	Which word can mean a person who confirms work information?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

CV headings: Mark the headings in the fictional sample CV and explain the purpose of each heading in one short English phrase.
Vocabulary card: Make six small paper cards for education, experience, skills, reliable, interests and reference. Add a simple English clue to each.
Private data check: Create a fictional CV with three deliberately unsafe details, then remove or replace them before anyone else sees it.
Pronunciation practice: Read five CV key words aloud. A recording is optional and must stay private or local. Check intelligibility, not accent perfection.

Standard

Fictional CV: Write a one-page practice CV for a fully fictional Year 8 student with clear headings, short phrases and consistent dates.
Mini interview: Perform an eight-turn interview with a partner. Give at least two reasons with because and use only fictional information.
CV comparison: Compare two fictional CVs. Decide which details are more relevant for a library job and support each choice with evidence.
Mediation task: Read a short German fictional job notice and explain in English which CV details should be highlighted without translating the full notice.

Schwer

Grammar revision: Rewrite four CV-related sentences so that two use the passive and two report statements, questions or commands correctly.
Feedback editor: Exchange fictional CVs in class. Give feedback in four categories: clarity, relevance, language and privacy. Revise your own text afterwards.
Video response: Use one BBC video above. Give a one-minute spoken summary with three key ideas and one personal learning point. Keep any recording private unless you choose to share it in class.
AI check protocol: If your teacher allows AI, ask it to check only a fictional paragraph. Verify every suggestion, reject at least one weak or unnecessary change if you find one, and explain why your own final text is better.

Lernkontrolle

CV transfer: You receive a new fictional weekend-job context. Select four relevant details for the applicant and explain why each one belongs in the CV.
Reading strategy: Explain how headings, context and key words help you understand a CV without translating every sentence.
Privacy decision: A fictional learner wants to add a real phone number, school name and social-media profile to a practice CV. Explain what should be changed and why.
Language choice: Compare an active CV phrase with a passive sentence. Explain which version you would use in a short CV and when the passive can still be useful.
Reported speech transfer: Turn a short fictional mentor conversation into one reported statement, one reported question and one reported command.
Media reflection: Use one idea from the listening/viewing section to improve a fictional CV. Show the original line, your revision and your reason.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, you should show that you can:

CV structure: identify and use profile, education, experience, skills, languages and interests.
Reading and listening: find key information without needing every word.
Speaking: describe a fictional applicant, answer questions and give reasons understandably.
Writing: produce a short, clear and completely fictional CV.
Grammar: use simple passive forms and reported statements, questions and commands at M level.
Privacy: avoid real personal data and keep optional recordings private.
AI literacy: check AI output for level, facts and usefulness instead of copying it.

OERs zum Thema

The Wikimedia Commons images in this course link to their file pages, where author and licence information can be checked. The YouTube videos are embedded from the official BBC Learning English channel; no copies are stored in this course.