Interagency Language Roundtable Language Skill Level Descriptions – Speaking

The following proficiency level descriptions characterize spoken language use. Each of the six “base levels” implies control of any previous “base level’s” functions and accuracy. The “plus level” designation will be assigned when proficiency substantially exceeds one base skill level and does not fully meet the criteria for the next “base level.” The “plus level” descriptions are therefore supplementary to the “base level” descriptions.

A skill level is assigned to a person through an authorized language examination. Examiners assign a level on a variety of performance criteria exemplified in the descriptive statements. Therefore, the examples given here illustrate, but do not exhaustively describe, either the skills a person may possess or situations in which he/she may function effectively.

Statements describing accuracy refer to typical stages in the development of competence in the most commonly taught languages in formal training programs. In other languages, emerging competence parallels these characterizations, but often with different details.

Unless otherwise specified, the term “native speaker” refers to native speakers of a standard dialect. “Well-educated,” in the context of these proficiency descriptions, does not necessarily imply formal higher education; however, in cultures where formal higher education is common, the language-use abilities of persons who have had such education is considered the standard.

以下能力等级描述用于刻画口语语言的使用能力。六个“基础等级”均隐含已掌握所有较低基础等级所要求的功能与准确度。“加号等级”适用于能力明显高于某一基础等级，但尚未完全达到下一个基础等级标准的情况。因此，“加号等级”的描述是对“基础等级”的补充说明。

语言能力等级由经授权的语言测评考试评定。考官依据多种表现标准进行等级判定，这些标准体现在以下描述性陈述中。因此，所给示例仅用于说明个人可能具备的能力或可有效发挥作用的情境，并非穷尽性描述。

关于“准确度”的表述，反映的是在正式教学项目中、对最常教授语言而言，能力发展过程中常见的阶段。在其他语言中，能力发展的总体轨迹与这些描述相似，但具体细节可能不同。

除非另有说明，文中“母语说话者”指使用某一标准方言的母语使用者。“受过良好教育”在本等级描述中并不必然指接受过正式高等教育；然而，在高等教育较为普遍的文化中，受过此类教育者的语言使用能力通常被视为标准。

(No Proficiency) Unable to function in the spoken language. Oral production is limited to occasional isolated words. Has essentially no communicative ability. (Has been coded S-0 in some nonautomated applications.)

(无能力) 无法在目标语言中进行口语交流。口头产出仅限于偶尔的孤立词语，基本不具备交际能力。（在某些非自动化系统中编码为 S-0。）

(Memorized Proficiency) Able to satisfy immediate needs using rehearsed utterances. Shows little real autonomy of expression, flexibility or spontaneity. Can ask questions or make statements with reasonable accuracy only with memorized utterances or formulae.

Most utterances are telegraphic; functors are omitted or distorted. Pronunciation, stress and intonation are often faulty, and communication is severely limited even with sympathetic listeners. (Has been coded S-0+ in some nonautomated applications.)

(记忆性能力) 能够借助背诵过的表达满足直接需求，缺乏真正的表达自主性、灵活性与自发性。仅能依靠记忆性句式或固定表达较准确地提问或陈述。

多数话语呈电报式表达，语法功能词常被省略或扭曲。语音、重音与语调问题明显，即便对方熟悉与外国人交流，沟通仍极为受限。（在某些非自动化系统中编码为 S-0+。）

(Elementary Proficiency) Able to satisfy minimum courtesy requirements and maintain very simple face-to-face conversations on familiar topics. A native speaker must often use slowed speech, repetition, paraphrase, or a combination of these to be understood by this individual. Similarly, the native speaker must strain and employ real-world knowledge to understand even simple statements/questions from this individual. This speaker has a functional, but limited proficiency. Misunderstandings are frequent, but the individual is able to ask for help and to verify comprehension of native speech in face-to-face interaction. The individual is unable to produce continuous discourse except with rehearsed material.

Examples: Structural accuracy is likely to be random or severely limited. Time concepts are vague. Vocabulary is inaccurate, and its range is very narrow. The individual often speaks with great difficulty. By repeating, such speakers can make themselves understood to native speakers who are in regular contact with foreigners but there is little precision in the information conveyed. Needs, experience or training may vary greatly from individual to individual; for example, speakers at this level may have encountered quite different vocabulary areas.

However, the individual can typically satisfy predictable, simple, personal and accommodation needs; can generally meet courtesy, introduction, and identification requirements; exchange greetings; elicit and provide, for example, predictable and skeletal biographical information. He/she might give information about business hours, explain routine procedures in a limited way. and state in a simple manner what actions will be taken. He/she is able to formulate some questions even in languages with complicated question constructions. Almost every utterance may be characterized by structural errors and errors in basic grammatical relations. Vocabulary is extremely limited and characteristically does not include modifiers. Pronunciation, stress, and intonation are generally poor, often heavily influenced by another language. Use of structure and vocabulary is highly imprecise. (Has been coded S-1 in some nonautomated applications.)

(初级能力) 能满足最低限度的礼貌交际需求，并能就熟悉话题进行非常简单的面对面交流。为使此人被理解，母语者常需放慢语速、重复、改述，或结合使用这些方式。相应地，母语者即便面对该个体的简单陈述/提问，也往往需要费力并借助现实世界知识才能理解。该说话者具备可用但有限的口语能力。误解频繁，但在面对面互动中能够寻求帮助并核实对母语者话语的理解。除非使用排练/背诵材料，否则无法进行连续话语表达。

示例：结构准确性可能随机或严重受限。时间概念模糊。词汇不够准确，且范围非常狭窄。该个体常常说得十分吃力。通过反复表达，这类说话者可让经常与外国人接触的母语者勉强理解，但传递的信息精确度很低。不同个体的需求、经历或训练差异很大；例如，同一等级的说话者可能接触到的词汇领域差别显著。

然而，该个体通常能够满足可预测的、简单的个人与住宿/接待类需求；一般能够完成礼貌用语、介绍与身份确认等要求；能够互致问候；能够获取并提供例如可预测的、骨架式的个人简历信息。他/她可能会说明营业时间、以有限方式解释常规流程，并用简单方式说明将采取的行动。即便在疑问句构造复杂的语言中，他/她也能形成一些问题。几乎每个话语都可能体现结构性错误以及基本语法关系错误。词汇极其有限，且典型地不包含修饰语。发音、重音与语调总体较差，常受另一种语言强烈影响。结构与词汇的使用高度不精确。（在某些非自动化系统中编码为 S-1。）

(Elementary Proficiency, Plus) Can initiate and maintain predictable face-to-face conversations and satisfy limited social demands. He/she may, however, have little understanding of the social conventions of conversation. The interlocutor is generally required to strain and employ real-world knowledge to understand even some simple speech. The speaker at this level may hesitate and may have to change subjects due to lack of language resources. Range and control of the language are limited. Speech largely consists of a series of short, discrete utterances.

Examples: The individual is able to satisfy most travel and accommodation needs and a limited range of social demands beyond exchange of skeletal biographic information. Speaking ability may extend beyond immediate survival needs. Accuracy in basic grammatical relations is evident, although not consistent. May exhibit the more common forms of verb tenses, for example, but may make frequent errors in formation and selection. While some structures are established, errors occur in more complex patterns. The individual typically cannot sustain coherent structures in longer utterances or unfamiliar situations. Ability to describe and give precise information is limited. Person, space and time references are often used incorrectly. Pronunciation is understandable to natives used to dealing with foreigners. Can combine most significant sounds with reasonable comprehensibility, but has difficulty in producing certain sounds in certain positions or in certain combinations. Speech will usually be labored. Frequently has to repeat utterances to be understood by the general public. (Has been coded S-1+ in some nonautomated applications.)

(初级能力加) 能够发起并维持可预测的面对面交流，并满足有限的社交需求。然而，他/她可能对会话的社会规范了解不多。对话者通常需要费力并借助现实世界知识，才能理解其中一些甚至较简单的话语。由于语言资源不足，该等级说话者可能犹豫，并可能不得不转换话题。语言的范围与控制能力有限。话语多由一系列简短、离散的句子构成。

示例：该个体能够满足大多数旅行与住宿需求，并能应对超出“骨架式个人简历信息交换”之外的有限社交需求。口语能力可能延伸到超出直接生存需求的范围。基本语法关系的准确性已有体现，但并不稳定。例如，可能会使用较常见的动词时态形式，但在构形与选择上仍会频繁出错。部分结构已建立，但在更复杂的模式中仍会出错。该个体通常无法在较长话语或陌生情境中维持连贯结构。描述与提供精确信息的能力有限。人称、空间与时间指向常被误用。对经常与外国人交流的母语者而言，其发音基本可懂。能以相当可理解的程度组合大多数重要音位，但在某些音位在特定位置或组合中的发音上仍有困难。表达通常较费力。为让一般公众理解，常需重复话语。（在某些非自动化系统中编码为 S-1+。）

(Limited Working Proficiency) Able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements. Can handle routine work-related interactions that are limited in scope. In more complex and sophisticated work-related tasks, language usage generally disturbs the native speaker. Can handle with confidence, but not with facility, most normal, high-frequency social conversational situations including extensive, but casual conversations about current events, as well as work, family, and autobiographical information. The individual can get the gist of most everyday conversations but has some difficulty understanding native speakers in situations that require specialized or sophisticated knowledge. The individual's utterances are minimally cohesive. Linguistic structure is usually not very elaborate and not thoroughly controlled; errors are frequent. Vocabulary use is appropriate for high-frequency utterances but unusual or imprecise elsewhere.

Examples: While these interactions will vary widely from individual to individual, the individual can typically ask and answer predictable questions in the workplace and give straightforward instructions to subordinates. Additionally, the individual can participate in personal and accommodation-type interactions with elaboration and facility; that is, can give and understand complicated, detailed, and extensive directions and make non-routine changes in travel and accommodation arrangements.

Simple structures and basic grammatical relations are typically controlled; however, there are areas of weakness. In the commonly taught languages, these may be simple markings such as plurals, articles, linking words, and negatives or more complex structures such as tense/aspect usage, case morphology, passive constructions, word order, and embedding. (Has been coded S-2 in some nonautomated applications.)

(有限工作能力) 能满足日常社交需求及有限的工作要求。能够处理范围有限的常规工作相关互动。在更复杂、更高阶的工作任务中，其语言使用通常会让母语者感到别扭或受干扰。能够自信但不够熟练地应对大多数常见、高频的社交对话情境，包括关于时事的较长但随意的交谈，以及有关工作、家庭和个人经历的信息交流。该个体能够把握大多数日常对话的要点，但在需要专门或较高阶知识的情境下理解母语者会有一定困难。其话语衔接性较弱（仅有最低限度的连贯）。语言结构通常不够复杂且控制不充分；错误频繁。词汇在高频表达中使用得较为恰当，但在其他场合则显得不自然或不够精确。

示例：尽管具体互动因人而异，该个体通常能够在工作场所提出并回答可预测的问题，并向下属给出直接明了的指令。此外，他/她还能较为自如地参与个人与住宿/接待类互动并进行一定扩展；也就是说，能够给出并理解复杂、详细且较长的指路说明，并能对旅行与住宿安排作出非例行的变更。

简单结构与基本语法关系通常能够掌控；但仍存在薄弱环节。在常见教学语言中，这些薄弱点可能是复数、冠词、连接词、否定等简单标记，也可能是时/体用法、格形态、被动结构、语序以及嵌套等更复杂结构。（在某些非自动化系统中编码为 S-2。）

(Limited Working Proficiency, Plus) Able to satisfy most work requirements with language usage that is often, but not always, acceptable and effective. The individual shows considerable ability to communicate effectively on topics relating to particular interests and special fields of competence. Often shows a high degree of fluency and ease of speech, yet when under tension or pressure, the ability to use the language effectively may deteriorate. Comprehension of normal native speech is typically nearly complete. The individual may miss cultural and local references and may require a native speaker to adjust to his/her limitations in some ways. Native speakers often perceive the individual's speech to contain awkward or inaccurate phrasing of ideas, mistaken time, space and person references, or to be in some way inappropriate, if not strictly incorrect.

Examples: Typically the individual can participate in most social, formal, and informal interactions, but limitations either in range of contexts, types of tasks or level of accuracy hinder effectiveness. The individual may be ill at ease with the use of the language either in social interaction or in speaking at length in professional contexts. He/she is generally strong in either structural precision or vocabulary, but not in both. Weakness or unevenness in one of the foregoing, or in pronunciation, occasionally results in miscommunication. Normally controls, but cannot always easily produce general vocabulary. Discourse is often incohesive. (Has been coded S-2+ in some nonautomated applications.)

(有限工作能力加) 能满足大多数工作要求，其语言使用往往（但并非总是）可被接受且有效。该个体在与个人兴趣及专长领域相关的话题上，展现出较强的有效沟通能力。常表现出较高的流利度与表达轻松感；但在紧张或压力之下，有效运用语言的能力可能下降。对正常母语语速的理解通常接近完全。该个体可能会漏掉文化与地方性指涉，且可能需要母语者在某些方面为其局限作出调整。母语者常感觉其表达存在别扭或不够准确的措辞、时间/空间/人称指向错误，或在某些方面显得不够得体，即便不一定严格算错。

示例：通常该个体能参与大多数社交、正式与非正式互动，但在情境范围、任务类型或准确度层面存在的限制会削弱其有效性。该个体在社交互动或在专业语境中长时间发言时，可能会感到不自在。他/她通常在结构精确性或词汇掌握方面某一项更强，但难以两者兼具。上述任一方面的薄弱或不均衡（或发音问题）偶尔会导致沟通失误。一般词汇通常能掌控，但并不总能轻松产出。语篇往往缺乏连贯衔接。（在某些非自动化系统中编码为 S-2+。）

(General Professional Proficiency) Able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social and professional topics. Limitations generally restrict use to matters of shared knowledge and/or international convention. Discourse is cohesive; errors rarely interfere with understanding.

Examples: Can discuss special fields with reasonable ease; perform professional duties such as answering objections, clarifying points, justifying decisions, conducting meetings, delivering briefings, and other extended informative monologues. Errors occur mainly in low-frequency, highly complex structures. (Has been coded S-3.)

(一般专业能力) 具备足够的结构准确性与词汇量，能够在大多数正式与非正式的实践性、社交性和专业性话题中有效参与交流。其局限通常将语言使用限制在共有知识和/或国际惯例范围内。语篇连贯，错误很少影响理解。

示例：能够较为轻松地讨论专长领域；履行专业职责，如回应质疑、澄清要点、论证决策、主持会议、进行简报及其他较长的信息性独白。错误主要出现在低频且高度复杂的结构中。（在某些系统中编码为 S-3。）

(General Professional Proficiency, Plus) Often able to satisfy professional needs across a wide range of sophisticated and demanding tasks. Despite strengths, occasional hesitancy or errors may limit reliability in some contexts.

Examples: Shows particular strength in fluency and one or more of breadth of lexicon, structural precision, or discourse competence; occasional patterned errors occur in low-frequency, highly complex structures. (Has been coded S-3+.)

(一般专业能力加) 通常能够在广泛而复杂、要求较高的任务中满足专业交流需求。尽管优势明显，但偶尔的犹豫或错误可能在某些情境下限制其可靠性。

示例：在流利度以及词汇广度、结构精确性或语篇能力中的一项或多项方面表现突出；低频且高度复杂结构中偶尔出现模式化错误。（在某些系统中编码为 S-3+。）

(Advanced Professional Proficiency) Able to use the language fluently and accurately for all professional needs. Discourse is well organized with appropriate rhetorical devices and cultural references; the individual is seldom perceived as native.

Examples: Can discuss complex concepts, advocate positions at length, participate effectively in conferences, lectures, and debates, and understand major dialects in face-to-face interaction. (Has been coded S-4.)

(高级专业能力) 能够以流利而准确的方式满足所有专业交流需求。语篇组织良好，恰当运用修辞手段与文化指涉；通常不会被视为母语者。

示例：能够讨论复杂概念、长时间阐述立场、在会议、讲座与辩论中有效参与，并在面对面交流中理解主要方言。（在某些系统中编码为 S-4。）

(Advanced Professional Proficiency, Plus) Speaking proficiency is regularly superior, approaching that of a highly articulate, well-educated native speaker, though not necessarily perceived as culturally native.

Examples: Displays sophisticated control of structure and vocabulary; occasional nonnative slips may occur. (Has been coded S-4+.)

(高级专业能力加) 口语能力在各方面通常表现卓越，接近受过良好教育、表达能力极强的母语者，但不一定被视为文化意义上的母语者。

示例：对结构与词汇具有高度娴熟的掌控；偶尔仍可能出现非母语式失误。（在某些系统中编码为 S-4+。）

(Functionally Native Proficiency) Speaking proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of a highly articulate, well-educated native speaker, with complete flexibility, intuition, and cultural appropriateness. (Has been coded S-5.)

(功能性母语能力) 口语能力在功能上等同于表达能力极强、受过良好教育的母语者，具有完全的灵活性、直觉性与文化得体性。（在某些系统中编码为 S-5。）