Certain students in the General English, Specialized, and Instructor Development Sections will be required to undergo an oral interview conducted by two faculty members in order to determine comprehension and speaking (C/S) ratings. During the interview you will be asked to participate in conversation by both asking and answering questions. Depending on the levels being checked by the interviewers, you may be asked to describe something; give directions or instructions; narrate a series of events - in present, past, and future; take part in a dialog; state and support opinions; hypothesize; etc. If the interviewers say something that you do not understand, you should ask them to repeat so that you can answer better. However, they will not correct you, help you with vocabulary, or tell you when you have misunderstood something or made a mistake. In other words, do not expect them to act like your teachers. You should relax as much as possible, answer the questions and perform the tasks to the best of your ability, and use your "best" English. Remember that the interview is a performance test, a measure of how well you understand and speak English on a particular day at a particular time. Although it provides an indication of your ability to handle the oral language, it is by no means a judgment of your total ability to communicate in English.

The interviewers will listen to your speech as you perform the "tasks" they give you. They will pay special attention to the vocabulary and structure you use, your pronunciation and fluency, and the awareness of the culture that you display in your use of language. Afterwards, they will give you a rating in comprehension and speaking based on how well you understood and responded. Your ratings will probably fall somewhere between 0 and 3. There are also "plus" levels (0+, 1+, and 2+). To achieve a "plus" you must be able to operate at the next higher level at least 60% of the time. For example, a "1+" speaker can do the same things with the language a "2" speaker can, but he/she will not do them as well. The "1+" speaker's vocabulary, structure, pronunciation, and/or fluency will not be as good as a "2" speaker's. A person who achieves a "1" in speaking can survive in the language, and a person who reaches a "1+" and "2" can do much more.

Below is a description of the base levels for speaking and what speakers at these levels are able to do with the language:

• Level 0: Speakers at this level have no proficiency in the language.
• Level 1: Speakers at this level have the ability to participate in short conversations, ask and answer questions about themselves, their families, their background, and handle everyday survival" situations. They communicate in sentences (not just phrases) and actually "create" with the language; that is, they do not merely repeat lines memorized in a dialog. Their pronunciation must be intelligible to a native speaker used to dealing with internationals."Survival" topics include:

• Ordering a meal in a restaurant
• Obtaining a hotel room
• Making all arrangements for travel
• Changing money Telling time; identifying days, weeks, months
• Talking on the telephone
• Asking directions (in a building/city/rural area)
• Purchasing items in stores
• Making introductions
• Using appropriate social greetings and social clichés; i.e. (excuse me, sorry, I'm late, etc.)
• Describing basic medical problems
• Describing personal background
• Describing personal comfort requirements (hunger, thirst, etc.) Issuing invitations
• Asking people to restate for clarity
• Level 2:
  • Level "2" speakers can talk about themselves and the world around them. They are able to fully participate in casual conversations; can express facts; give instructions (how to do something); give directions; describe; report on and provide narration about past, present, and future activities. They can handle "non-routine" situations; lack of language would not prevent them from solving a situation with a complication. They generally speak in "paragraphs" and control basic sentence structures, including present, past, and future tenses. Their pronunciation must be intelligible to native speakers not used to dealing with internationals.
    Level 2 topics include:
  • Background
  • Family Interests
  • Work
  • Travel
  • Current Events
• Level 3: Level "3" speakers can converse in formal and informal situations, resolve problem situations, deal with unfamiliar topics, provide explanations, describe in detail, offer supported opinions, and hypothesize. Speakers at this level use complex sentence structures with frequency and facility, and their broad vocabulary includes many abstract nouns. Their pronunciation and communication errors almost never interfere with a native speaker's understanding and listening comfort. Level 3 topics include:
  • Practical issues
  • Social concerns
  • Professional subjects
  • Abstractions
  • Particular interests
  • Special fields of competence

  As you progress through you English language studies, you should be thinking about these areas and the language tasks you must perform. Although you cannot "study" for the interview as you would study for a book quiz, you need to be building skills in expressing yourself in the ways mentioned in this handout.

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