Skill
0 – No Proficiency
1 – Survival
2 –Functional
3 –Professional
4 – Expert
5 – Highly Articulate
Native
Listening
No practical
understanding of the
spoken language.
Can understand
language about basic
survival needs, travel,
and minimum
courtesy
requirements. Can
understand simple
questions and
answers, and very
simple face-to-face
conversations.
Can understand
conversations on
routine social
demands and limited
work requirements.
Can understand
everyday topics,
common personal and
family news, wellknown current events,
and routine office
matters.
Can understand the
essentials of all
speech in a standard
dialect.
Can understand all
forms and styles of
speech pertinent to
professional needs.
Comprehension
equivalent to that of a
well-educated native
listener.
Speaking
Knows a few words.
Cannot function.
Can carry on simple
conversations on
familiar topics. Can
be very hard to
understand.
Can handle routine
work interactions.
Can handle most
normal social
conversational
situations. Can
perform job tasks in
the language.
Can participate
effectively in most
formal and informal
conversations on
practical, social, and
professional topics,
with noticeable
imperfections.
Can speak fluently
and accurately on all
levels. Speaks
effortlessly and
smoothly with a high
degree of
effectiveness,
reliability, and
precision. Can serve
as an informal
interpreter.
Functionally
equivalent to a highly
articulate, welleducated native
speaker.
Reading
No practical ability to
read the language.
Can read connected
written material in
simple language
containing only the
highest-frequency
structural patterns and
vocabulary.
Can read simple
authentic written
material within familiar
contexts.
Can read authentic
prose material on
unfamiliar subjects
with a normal range of
speed and almost
complete
comprehension.
Able to read fluently
and accurately all
styles and forms of
language pertinent to
professional needs.
Functionally
equivalent to a welleducated native
reader.
Writing
No functional writing
ability.
Can write statements
and questions on very
familiar topics to
express elementary
needs.
Can write routine
social correspondence
and prepare
documentary
materials for work.
Can use the language
effectively in most
formal and informal
exchanges on social
and professional
topics. Can write
reports, summaries,
and short research
papers.
Can write precisely
and accurately in a
variety of prose styles
pertinent to
professional or
educational needs.
Has writing proficiency
equal to that of a welleducated native
writer.