"Can-do" Statements and our Method

What is a can-do statement?

A can-do statement is a short, clear description of what a learner is able to do in a language.

It’s written in everyday language and focuses on real-world communication, not grammar or theory.

Example (CEFR A1 Reading)

“Can read and understand simple prices.”

This means the learner can understand things like price tags, menus, or tickets.

How it links to learning outcomes and objectives

• Can-do statements come from frameworks like CEFR or Pearson GSE,
• which describe language ability on a scale (e.g., A1 to C2 or 10–90 GSE points).

They serve as benchmarks to guide teaching and assessment.

Here’s how the pieces connect:

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Level	Can-do statement	Learning outcome	Lesson objective
CEFR A1 / GSE 10–21	Can read and understand simple prices.	Students will be able to identify prices in short written texts.	By the end of the lesson, students can recognize and say prices (e.g., $5.99, £2.50) on menus and labels.

Note: These CEFR levels and can-do statements form the foundation of our unique competency-based language teaching method, built on our Accelerator and Sprints delivery models to create tailored, outcome-driven programs for every learner.

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In short

• Can-do statement → broad ability (from CEFR/GSE).
• Learning outcome → what students will achieve after a unit/course.
• Lesson objective → what students practice or show in a single lesson.

The GSE Teacher Toolkit