| Communicative Success (Would a listener accustomed to the speech of learners understand?) | ||
|---|---|---|
| A | 6 / 5.5 | Understand all of the message. |
| A- | 5 | Understand the general message and most of the details. |
| B | 4.5 | Understand general message, but only some of the details. |
| C | 4 | Have some idea of the general message, but would not be sure to have understood. |
| D-F | 3.5 - 0 | Do not understand what the speaker is trying to say. |
| Pronunciation & Fluency | ||
| A | 6 / 5.5 | Speech is smooth; speaker is comfortable and confident in use of the language. No mispronunciation that would interfere with comprehension by a sympathetic native speaker. |
| A- | 5 | Speech is occasionally hesitant; some rephrasing. Mispronunciation causing misunderstanding occurs only rarely. |
| B | 4.5 | Speech is hesitant (e.g. frequent rephrasing, sentences left unfinished, long pauses). Several misunderstandings arise from mispronunciation of words or errors in intonation. |
| C | 4 | Speech hesitant and choppy; conversation is almost impossible. Mispronunciation and inaccurate stress make understanding difficult. Has to repeat a lot to be understood; OR not enough speech to evaluate. |
| D-F | 3.5 - 0 | Speech limited to isolated words, or mispronunciation makes comprehension impossible. |
| Vocabulary | ||
| A | 6 / 5.5 | Shows control of a wide range of the vocabulary taught in class and always uses this vocabulary appropriately. |
| A- | 5 | Shows control of an adequate range of the vocabulary taught in class and most often uses this vocabulary appropriately. |
| B | 4.5 | Some control of new vocabulary, but relies on fixed expressions/basic vocabulary or uses vocabulary inappropriately. |
| C | 4 | Shows very limited control of the vocabulary taught, making discussion of related topics extremely difficult; OR not enough speech to evaluate. |
| D-F | 3.5 - 0 | Shows no command of the vocabulary taught, making communication impossible. |
| Grammar | ||
| A | 6 / 5.5 | Shows consistent control of the structures taught in class and communication is never impeded. |
| A- | 5 | Usually controls structures taught in class. |
| B | 4.5 | Shows partial control of structures taught in class. |
| C | 4 | Speech is very difficult to understand due to lack of control of structures taught; OR not enough speech to evaluate. |
| D-F | 3.5 - 0 | Extreme lack of control of structures taught in class. |
| Role Plays/Interviews (Does it sound like a real conversation?) | ||
| A | 6 / 5.5 | Exchange is well-connected and appropriate to the topic and situation. Amount of time spent conversing is appropriate for the task assigned and the topic is adequately covered. |
| A- | 5 | Exchange is usually well-connected and appropriate to the topic and situation. |
| B | 4.5 | Some misunderstandings occur because discourse is not sufficiently connected or conversation is not always appropriate to the topic and situation; or speaker(s) does not maintain conversation for assigned length of time and needs to be told to continue. |
| C | 4 | Misunderstandings frequently occur between participants because discourse is not connected; or conversation is often inappropriate to topic or situation. |
| D-F | 3.5 - 0 | Exchange is not connected (many non-sequiturs; speaker unable to hold up his/her end of the conversation); or conversation is entirely inappropriate to topic or situation. |
Department of French and Italian, College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota