Interagency Language Roundtable Language Skill Level Descriptions – Reading

The following proficiency level descriptions characterize comprehension of the written language. 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 reader" refers to native readers 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. That is, such a person meets contemporary expectations for the formal, careful style of the language, as well as a range of less formal varieties of the language.

In the following descriptions a standard set of text-types is associated with each level. The text-type is generally characterized in each descriptive statement. The word "read," in the context of these proficiency descriptions, means that the person at a given skill level can thoroughly understand the communicative intent in the text-types described. In the usual case the reader could be expected to make a full representation, thorough summary, or translation of the text into English. Other useful operations can be performed on written texts that do not require the ability to "read" as defined above. Examples of such tasks which people of a given skill level may reasonably be expected to perform are provided, when appropriate, in the descriptions.

以下能力等级描述用于刻画对书面语言的理解能力。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“母语阅读者”指使用某一标准方言的母语读者。“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，即能够符合当代社会对正式、审慎语言风格的期待，并能运用多种较不正式的语言变体。

在以下描述中，每个等级都关联了一套标准的文本类型。每种文本类型通常在描述性陈述中得到特征化说明。在这些能力描述的语境中，“阅读”一词意味着处于特定技能水平的人能够完全理解所描述文本类型的交流意图。通常情况下，读者应能对文本进行完整复述、详尽概括或翻译成英语。对于书面文本，还可执行其他实用操作，这些操作并不要求具备上述定义的“阅读”能力。在描述中，适当时会提供特定技能水平者可合理完成的此类任务示例。

(No Proficiency) No practical ability to read the language. Consistently misunderstands or cannot comprehend at all.

(无能力) 几乎不具备阅读该语言的实际能力。要么持续误解，要么完全无法理解。

(Memorized Proficiency) Can recognize all the letters in the printed version of an alphabetic system and high-frequency elements of a syllabary or a character system. Able to read some or all of the following: numbers, isolated words and phrases, personal and place names, street signs, office and shop designations. The above often interpreted inaccurately. Unable to read connected prose.

(记忆性能力) 能识别字母文字系统印刷体中的全部字母，或能识别音节文字/表意文字系统中的高频元素。能够阅读下列部分或全部内容：数字、孤立的词语与短语、人名地名、路牌、机关单位与商店名称标识等；但上述内容常被不准确地理解。尚不能阅读连贯篇章。

(Elementary Proficiency) Sufficient comprehension to read very simple connected written material in a form equivalent to usual printing or typescript. Can read either representations of familiar formulaic verbal exchanges or simple language containing only the highest frequency structural patterns and vocabulary, including shared international vocabulary items and cognates (when appropriate).

Able to read and understand known language elements that have been recombined in new ways to achieve different meanings at a similar level of simplicity. Texts may include descriptions of persons, places or things: and explanations of geography and government such as those simplified for tourists.

Some misunderstandings possible on simple texts. Can get some main ideas and locate prominent items of professional significance in more complex texts.

Can identify general subject matter in some authentic texts.

(初级能力) 具备足够理解能力，能够阅读与常见印刷体或打字体等价形式的非常简单连贯材料。能够阅读熟悉的程式化语言交流的文字呈现，或仅包含最高频结构模式与词汇的简单语言（在适当情况下包括共享的国际词汇与同源词）。

能够理解以新方式重新组合的已知语言要素，从而产生不同含义，但仍保持相同的简易程度。文本可包括对人物、地点或事物的描述，以及为游客简化的地理与政府说明等。

在简单文本中仍可能出现一些误解。对更复杂文本，能获取部分主旨，并定位与专业相关的显著信息。

对某些真实文本，能识别其大体主题。

(Elementary Proficiency, Plus) Sufficient comprehension to understand simple discourse in printed form for informative social purposes. Can read material such as announcements of public events, simple prose containing biographical information or narration of events, and straightforward newspaper headlines.

Can guess at unfamiliar vocabulary if highly contextualized, but with difficulty in unfamiliar contexts. Can get some main ideas and locate routine information of professional significance in more complex texts.

Can follow essential points of written discussion at an elementary level on topics in his/her special professional field. In commonly taught languages, the individual may not control the structure well.

For example, basic grammatical relations are often misinterpreted, and temporal reference may rely primarily on lexical items as time indicators. Has some difficulty with the cohesive factors in discourse, such as matching pronouns with referents.

May have to read materials several times for understanding.

(初级能力加) 具备足够理解能力，能够理解以印刷形式呈现、用于信息性社交目的的简单语篇。可阅读诸如公共活动公告、包含传记信息或事件叙述的简单散文、以及直白的报纸标题等材料。

对高度依赖语境的不熟悉词汇可尝试猜测，但在陌生语境中困难较大。对更复杂文本，能获取部分主旨，并定位与专业相关的常规信息。

能够在本人专业领域话题上，以初级水平把握书面讨论的关键点。在常见教学语言中，读者对语言结构的掌控可能并不稳固。

例如，基本语法关系常被误解，时间指向可能主要依赖词汇性时间提示。对语篇衔接因素（如代词与其所指的对应）存在一定困难。

为理解内容，可能需要多次阅读。

(Limited Working Proficiency) Sufficient comprehension to read simple, authentic written material in a form equivalent to usual printing or typescript on subjects within a familiar context. Able to read with some misunderstandings straightforward, familiar, factual material, but in general insufficiently experienced with the language to draw inferences directly from the linguistic aspects of the text.

Can locate and understand the main ideas and details in material written for the general reader. However, persons who have professional knowledge of a subject may be able to summarize or perform sorting and locating tasks with written texts that are well beyond their general proficiency level.

The individual can read uncomplicated, but authentic prose on familiar subjects that are normally presented in a predictable sequence which aids the reader in understanding. Texts may include descriptions and narrations in contexts such as news items describing frequently occurring events, simple biographical information, social notices, formulaic business letters, and simple technical material written for the general reader.

Generally the prose that can be read by the individual is predominantly in straightforward/high-frequency sentence patterns. The individual does not have a broad active vocabulary (that is, which he/she recognizes immediately on sight), but is able to use contextual and real-world cues to understand the text. Characteristically, however, the individual is quite slow in performing such a process and is typically able to answer factual questions about authentic texts of the types described above.

(有限工作能力) 具备足够理解能力，能够阅读与常见印刷体或打字体等价形式的简单真实材料，主题处在熟悉语境之内。能够阅读直白、熟悉、事实性的材料，虽可能有一些误解；但总体而言，其语言经验仍不足，难以仅凭文本中的语言形式直接作出推断。

能够在面向普通读者的材料中，定位并理解主旨与细节。然而，具备某一主题专业知识的人，可能能够对远超其总体语言水平的文本进行概括、分类、筛选或定位等任务。

能够阅读内容不复杂但真实的熟悉主题散文，这类材料通常按可预测顺序呈现，有助于理解。文本类型可包括：对常见事件的新闻简讯、简单传记信息、社交通知、程式化商务信函、以及面向普通读者的简单技术材料等。

通常可阅读的散文以直白/高频句型为主。读者的“即时识别”词汇量并不宽（即一眼就能认出的词汇），但能借助语境与现实世界线索理解文本；不过这一过程往往较慢。通常能够回答上述类型真实文本中的事实性问题。

(Limited Working Proficiency, Plus) Sufficient comprehension to understand most factual material in non-technical prose as well as some discussions on concrete topics related to special professional interests. Is markedly more proficient at reading materials on a familiar topic.

Is able to separate the main ideas and details from lesser ones and uses that distinction to advance understanding. The individual is able to use linguistic context and real-world knowledge to make sensible guesses about unfamiliar material.

Has a broad active reading vocabulary. The individual is able to get the gist of main and subsidiary ideas in texts which could only be read thoroughly by persons with much higher proficiencies.

Weaknesses include slowness, uncertainty, inability to discern nuance and/or intentionally disguised meaning.

(有限工作能力加) 具备足够理解能力，能够理解非技术性散文中的大多数事实性内容，并能理解与特定专业兴趣相关的部分具体话题讨论。对熟悉主题材料的阅读能力明显更强。

能够区分主旨与细节与次要信息，并利用这一差异推进理解。能够运用语言语境与现实世界知识，对不熟悉材料作出合理推测。

具备较宽的“即时识别”阅读词汇量。能够把握只有更高水平读者才能彻底读懂的文本中的主旨及次要要点。

弱点包括：阅读较慢、理解把握不够确定、无法辨识细微差别，及/或难以识别刻意隐藏的含义。

(General Professional Proficiency) Able to read within a normal range of speed and with almost complete comprehension a variety of authentic prose material on unfamiliar subjects. Reading ability is not dependent on subject matter knowledge, although it is not expected that the individual can comprehend thoroughly subject matter which is highly dependent on cultural knowledge or which is outside his/her general experience and not accompanied by explanation.

Text-types include news stories similar to wire service reports or international news items in major periodicals, routine correspondence, general reports, and technical material in his/her professional field; all of these may include hypothesis, argumentation and supported opinions. Misreading rare.

Almost always able to interpret material correctly, relate ideas and "read between the lines," (that is, understand the writers' implicit intents in text of the above types). Can get the gist of more sophisticated texts, but may be unable to detect or understand subtlety and nuance.

Rarely has to pause over or reread general vocabulary. However, may experience some difficulty with unusually complex structure and low frequency idioms.

(一般专业能力) 能够以正常速度范围、几乎完全理解的水平，阅读多种涉及陌生主题的真实散文材料。阅读能力不依赖于具体主题知识；但不要求读者能彻底理解高度依赖文化知识、或超出其一般经验且未附带解释的内容。

文本类型包括：类似通讯社稿件的新闻报道或主要期刊的国际新闻、常规往来信函、一般性报告、以及本人专业领域内的技术材料；这些文本都可能包含假设、论证与有依据的观点。误读罕见。

几乎总能正确解释材料、关联观点并“读懂言外之意”（即理解作者在上述文本类型中的隐含意图）。能够把握更复杂文本的要旨，但可能无法察觉或理解细微语义。

很少需要在常见词汇处停顿或回读；但对异常复杂结构与低频习语仍可能有一定困难。

(General Professional Proficiency, Plus) Can comprehend a variety of styles and forms pertinent to professional needs. Rarely misinterprets such texts or rarely experiences difficulty relating ideas or making inferences.

Able to comprehend many sociolinguistic and cultural references. However, may miss some nuances and subtleties. Able to comprehend a considerable range of intentionally complex structures, low frequency idioms, and uncommon connotative intentions, however, accuracy is not complete.

The individual is typically able to read with facility, understand, and appreciate contemporary expository, technical or literary texts which do not rely heavily on slang and unusual items.

(一般专业能力加) 能够理解与专业需求相关的多种文体与形式。很少误解文本，也很少在关联观点或作推断时遇到困难。

能够理解大量社会语言与文化指涉，但仍可能遗漏部分细微差别。能够理解相当范围内的刻意复杂结构、低频习语与不常见的言外意图，但准确性尚非完全。

通常能够较为流利地阅读、理解并欣赏当代说明文、技术性或文学性文本，但这些文本并不大量依赖俚语或非常规表达。

(Advanced Professional Proficiency) Able to read fluently and accurately all styles and forms of the language pertinent to professional needs. The individual's experience with the written language is extensive enough that he/she is able to relate inferences in the text to real-world knowledge and understand almost all sociolinguistic and cultural references.

Able to "read beyond the lines" (that is, to understand the full ramifications of texts as they are situated in the wider cultural, political, or social environment). Able to read and understand the intent of writers' use of nuance and subtlety.

The individual can discern relationships among sophisticated written materials in the context of broad experience. Can follow unpredictable turns of thought readily in, for example, editorial, conjectural, and literary texts in any subject matter area directed to the general reader.

Can read essentially all materials in his/her special field, including official and professional documents and correspondence. Recognizes all professionally relevant vocabulary known to the educated non-professional native, although may have some difficulty with slang.

Can read reasonably legible handwriting without difficulty. Accuracy is often nearly that of a well-educated native reader.

(高级专业能力) 能够流利、准确地阅读与专业需求相关的所有文体与语言形式。对书面语言的经验足够广泛，能够将文本中的推断与现实世界知识联系起来，并理解几乎所有社会语言与文化指涉。

能够“读出字里行间之外的含义”（即理解文本置于更广阔文化、政治或社会环境中的全部影响与含义）。能够理解作者运用细微差别与含蓄表达的意图。

能在广泛经验背景下辨识复杂书面材料之间的关系。例如，在任何面向普通读者的主题领域中，对社论、推测性与文学性文本中不可预测的思路转折也能顺畅跟进。

能够阅读本人专业领域内几乎所有材料，包括官方与专业文件及往来函件。能识别受过教育的非专业母语者所掌握的所有与专业相关词汇，尽管对俚语可能略有困难。

能够毫无困难地阅读字迹清晰的手写文本。其理解准确度常接近受过良好教育的母语读者。

(Advanced Professional Proficiency, Plus) Nearly native ability to read and understand extremely difficult or abstract prose, a very wide variety of vocabulary, idioms, colloquialisms and slang. Strong sensitivity to and understanding of sociolinguistic and cultural references.

Little difficulty in reading less than fully legible handwriting. Broad ability to "read beyond the lines" (that is, to understand the full ramifications of texts as they are situated in the wider cultural, political, or social environment) is nearly that of a well-read or well-educated native reader.

Accuracy is close to that of the well-educated native reader, but not equivalent.

(高级专业能力加) 具备近似母语者的能力，能够阅读并理解极其困难或高度抽象的散文，涵盖极其广泛的词汇、习语、口语化表达与俚语。对社会语言与文化指涉高度敏感且理解深入。

阅读不甚清晰的手写体几乎无困难。对“读出字里行间之外的含义”（即理解文本置于更广阔文化、政治或社会环境中的全部影响与含义）的广泛能力，几乎达到博学或受过良好教育的母语读者水平。

理解准确度接近受过良好教育的母语读者，但仍未完全等同。

(Functionally Native Proficiency) Reading proficiency is functionally equivalent to that of the well-educated native reader. Can read extremely difficult and abstract prose; for example, general legal and technical as well as highly colloquial writings.

Able to read literary texts, typically including contemporary avant-garde prose, poetry and theatrical writing. Can read classical/archaic forms of literature with the same degree of facility as the well-educated, but non-specialist native.

Reads and understands a wide variety of vocabulary and idioms, colloquialisms, slang, and pertinent cultural references. With varying degrees of difficulty, can read all kinds of handwritten documents.

Accuracy of comprehension is equivalent to that of a well-educated native reader.

(功能性母语能力) 阅读能力在功能上等同于受过良好教育的母语读者。能够阅读极其困难和高度抽象的散文，例如一般法律与技术文本，以及高度口语化的写作。

能够阅读文学文本，通常包括当代先锋派散文、诗歌与戏剧写作。能够以与受过良好教育但非专门研究者的母语者相同的熟练度阅读古典/古语形式的文学。

能够阅读并理解极为多样的词汇与习语、口语化表达、俚语及相关文化指涉。对各种手写文件的阅读能力不一，但均可应对。

理解准确度等同于受过良好教育的母语读者。