PROFICIENCY SCALE
A student who shows that s/he CAN do the following at the end of the semester and receives an average of 75% for all courses will be able to move up to the next level.
Reading
Level 1 High Beginning
• Find main ideas and
supporting details and
understand visual information
in basic academic texts.
• Preview, predict, and scan.
• Identify purpose, cause/
effect, reasons, sequence, and
pronoun reference.
• Identify parts of speech and
parts of words; find meanings
of new words from context.
• Complete sentences, match
words to definitions, etc. for
targeted vocabulary.
• Use reflecting, analyzing,
summarizing, making
inferences skills.
• Write sentences in response
to readings applying the
language introduced in the
textbook.
Writing
Grammar/Writing 1A
• Identify and apply correct
capitalization, punctuation,
and word order.
• Write a complete sentence
that has a subject, verb, and
object.
• Identify and apply basic
grammar constructions. (See
Grammar Level 1)
Level 2 Low Intermediate
Level 3 Intermediate
Level 4 Advanced
• Find main ideas, details, and specific
information in simple reading passages and
videos
•Preview, scan, skim, and make predictions
based on reading selections.
• Distinguish facts from opinions and make
inferences.
•Analyze reading selections by identifying
similarities, identifying reasons/motivations,
cause/effect, advantages/disadvantages, etc.
•Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate solutions to
problems, the relative importance of issues, and
writers’ attitudes.
• Complete sentences, match words to
definitions, etc. for targeted academic
vocabulary.
• Write sentences and paragraphs in response to
readings and visual information, applying
targeted writing skills.
• Apply reading skills taught in Level 2 to
simplified academic texts.
• Interpret infographics, survey information,
maps, charts, and captions.
• Identify and understand references and
figurative language.
• Evaluate arguments, sources, and evidence.
• Analyze and synthesize information.
• Identify pros and cons; identify and
differentiate theories from fact, etc.
• Apply methods and theories to different
scenarios.
• Complete sentences, match words to
definitions, fill in the blanks etc. for targeted
vocabulary.
• Write different types of paragraphs
applying targeted grammar and writing skills.
• Write a summary.
• Give oral or written reports on a self-chosen
book.
• Read academic texts and recognize main and
supporting ideas, infer facts and ideas, identify
meaning from context, and utilize graphs, tables, etc.
• Scan academic passages to locate specific
information.
•Summarize academic passages orally and in writing.
• Analyze written passages for technique, audience,
attitude, purpose, causes, effects, and arguments.
•Synthesize information from multiple sources to
make judgments and justify opinions.
•Interpret and evaluate evidence, figurative
language, and supporting arguments.
• Complete sentences, match words to definitions,
fill in the blanks, and produce original sentences
correctly for targeted academic vocabulary.
•Respond orally and in writing to written passages,
videos, and their ideas, use readings as writing
models, and apply targeted grammar and writing
skills.
•Understand video content and relate it to reading
passages.
• Identify and compose effective simple,
compound, and complex sentences.
• Identify, define, and apply the steps of the
writing process and specific techniques for each.
• Identify, define, evaluate, correct, and compose
topic sentences, supporting sentences, and
concluding sentences and combine them into
correctly structured original paragraphs.
• Write at least one effective example of the
following types of paragraphs: narrative,
descriptive, process analysis, definition, and
opinion.
• Write at least one paragraph produced in the
following situations: collaboratively, timed, and
multi-draft out-of-class.
• Identify and correct sentence fragments, fused
sentences, and comma splices as well as errors in
grammar, capitalization, word choice, and
punctuation.
• Define the terms clarity, unity, development,
and coherence; evaluate paragraphs for those
qualities; and apply techniques for achieving
them.
• Identify and compose effective simple,
compound, and complex sentences.
• Identify, define, and apply the steps of the
writing process and specific techniques for
each to paragraphs and essays.
• Write a variety of types of correctly
structured academic paragraphs.
• Identify, define, evaluate, correct, and
compose the parts of an academic essay.
• Identify and correct sentence fragments,
fused sentences, and comma splices as well
as errors in grammar, capitalization, word
choice, and punctuation.
• Write at least one essay produced in each of
the following situations: collaboratively,
timed, and multi-draft out-of-class, using MLA
format for out-of-class essays and
documentation where needed.
• Write an effective example of at least three
of the following types of academic essays:
descriptive, compare and contrast,
classification, and opinion, achieving clarity,
unity, development, and coherence in each.
Research
 Apply the basics of essay writing skills to writing
a research paper.
 Paraphrase excerpts from academic articles
chosen by the teacher.
 Write summary/response essays on these
articles.
 Summarize several academic articles.
 Annotate focused readings, create a rough
outline, write a thesis statement, and create topic
sentences.
 Complete a detailed outline including all
proposed evidence.
 Write multiple drafts of an argument research
paper with proper documentation and references.
 Write timed in-class essays in a computer lab in
anticipation of the TSI test.
 Meet with a teacher one-on-one at least once
for a writing conference.
• Illustrate homework completion through spot
checks, quizzes, or other means.
• Complete papers, presentations, and activities
on time.
• Be punctual in attending all required activities.
PROFICIENCY SCALE
A student who shows that s/he CAN do the following at the end of the semester and receives an average of 75% for all courses will be able to move up to the next level.
Level 1 High Beginning
Level 2 Low Intermediate
Level 3 Intermediate
Level 4 Advanced
• Identify and apply present, past, future, and
perfect tenses correctly.
• Identify and apply noun forms, pronouns,
word order, and subject-verb agreement.
• Identify and apply modal auxiliaries.
• Form questions using questions words.
• Compose grammatically correct sentences.
 Connect ideas with and, but, or, because,
and although and use correct punctuation.
 Identify and use comparative and
superlative forms of adjectives and
adverbs.
 Identify and use active voice, passive
voice, and other passive constructions.
 Identify and use count and non-count
nouns, articles, and capitalization of
geographic names.
 Identify and form adjective and noun
clauses.
 Identify and use gerunds and infinitives.
 Produce sentences illustrating
intermediate grammar skills.
• Identify, define, and apply the parts of the
academic paragraph and essay, the steps and goals of
the writing process, and the methods of
development in objective questions, sample
readings, and original writing.
• Produce at least two paragraphs and at least two
multi-paragraph essays by following the steps of the
writing process.
• Draw and label the rhetorical triangle and apply it
to sample essays and writing.
• Produce at least one example of informal writing,
academic paragraph, and academic multi-paragraph
essay in timed situations.
• Write for several purposes, including to generate
ideas, to explain, to respond to readings, and to
persuade.
• Write for both general academic audiences and
specific audiences.
• Produce at least one essay using MLA format and
documentation.
• Identify, apply, and correct errors in the use of
complete sentences, sentence types, parallelism,
noun clauses, adverb clauses, adjective clauses, and
participles and participial phrases on objective tests,
sample essays, and original writing.
• Take notes while listening to a university
lecture excerpt, applying targeted note taking
strategies.
• Identify the general message, strategies, and
details of videotaped excerpts of university
lectures.
• Apply targeted presentation skills through
formal oral presentations before a small
group.
• Apply targeted academic discussion
strategies through participation in whole-class
discussions.
• Correctly use targeted vocabulary words and
collocations by completing sentences or
through applied practice.
• Identify the general message, lecture
language, and main ideas and details of
videotaped excerpts of university lectures.
• Take notes applying targeted note taking
strategies.
• Apply targeted presentation skills
through formal oral presentations using
visuals or power-point.
• Apply targeted academic discussion
strategies through participation in wholeclass discussions.
• Correctly use targeted vocabulary words
and collocations by completing sentences
or through applied practice.
• Identify main ideas, details, and lecture
language of videotaped excerpts of university
lectures.
• Take notes, use notes to answer questions,
and identify note-taking strategies after
watching academic lectures.
• Demonstrate targeted presentation skills
through formal oral presentations using visuals
or power-point.
• Deliver a university level speech with
appropriate information, support, organization,
audience analysis, visual aids, etc.
• Correctly use targeted vocabulary words and
colocations by completing sentences.
• Identify academic discussion strategies.
Writing/Grammar
Listening/Speaking
Grammar
Grammar/Writing 1B
• Identify and apply correct
verb tenses: Present Simple
and Progressive, Past
Simple and Progressive, and
Future tenses in sample
sentences.
• Identify and apply parts of
speech, comparisons, and
modal auxiliaries.
• Form questions and use
questions words.
• Compose simple
grammatically correct
sentences.
• Listen for main ideas and
specific information and use
context clues in social, work,
and academic situations.
• Request, understand, and
give basic information such as
directions, reasons, invitations,
complaints, and advice.
• Apply basic language skills for
social interactions.
• Apply words, terms, and
idioms on a variety of topics.
• Identify and apply stress and
reductions in words and
sentences.
• Apply critical thinking skills.