Speaking Rubric
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Pronunciation
Frequent errors in pronunciation would
make what you are trying to say
incomprehensible to a native speaker.
Although your pronunciation does not
interfere with the delivery of your
message, it is very Americanized and
may distract the listener from giving full
attention to the message.
Your pronunciation is frequently so
accurate and authentic that
sometimes you even sound as
though you were a native speaker!
Fluency
You pause so frequently while
speaking that communication is almost
halted. Consequently, it is difficult for
the listener to remain interested.
Vocabulary &
Circumlocution
Your limited vocabulary makes both
simple expression and circumlocution
difficult for you. Your resultant
tendency to lapse into English (or to
use Spanish words erroneously) may
make parts of your message
incomprehensible to a native speaker.
Your speech is quite broken and
marked with hesitations that may
indicate a lack of practice. The
awkward silences and your tendency
to use repetitions and fillers such as
“um” and “uh” disrupt the flow of
communication, creating irritation for
the listener and causing his or her
attention to wander.
Your vocabulary is adequate enough
to allow you to communicate some of
your thoughts, but your words are often
imprecise and repetitious. When you
get stuck on a word, you tend to lapse
into English and do not generally
circumlocute unless you are strongly
encouraged to do so.
While your pronunciation is marked by
minor interference from English sounds,
the errors are relatively insignificant and
do not interfere with the communication
of your message or your listener’s ability
to give sustained attention to it.
Although some minor hesitations are
present in your speech, they do not
really impede the flow of
communication or interfere with your
ability to maintain the attention of the
listener.
Accuracy &
Comprehensibility
The volume of serious errors present in
your speech would make your
message difficult (if not nearly
impossible) for a native speaker to
understand.
You repeat the same two or three
ideas using short, incomplete, and
often unrelated sentences. There are
so many basic elements missing that it
is difficult to follow your message.
The errors present in your speech would
frequently create confusion in the mind
of a native speaker.
It is difficult for you to follow even the
main idea of the conversation.
You cannot maintain your train of
thought when someone interrupts you
with a comment or a question. You do
not ask for clarification or more
information and never interject
anything. You cannot stray from the
original topic. The exchange isn’t
much of a conversation.
You follow the main idea of the
conversation, but miss a lot of the
details.
Interruptions fluster you tremendously,
but with serious effort, you are still able
to maintain your train of thought. You
have trouble asking for clarification or
for more information and seldom
interject anything. You also find it
difficult to stray from the original topic
and rely heavily on your partner to
determine the direction of the
conversation. Communication occurs,
but only if those involved take turns.
Content
Comprehension &
Strategic
Competence
Your speech is quite basic, repetitious,
and really lacks details. As a result,
many of your thoughts seem
incomplete and the ideas you express
often seem very unrelated.
Your speech reflects a broad vocabulary
that allows you to communicate most of
your thoughts pretty clearly and without
resorting to the use of English. However,
there are still many high frequency
words that you do not know and as a
result, you are forced to rely heavily on
circumlocution in order to communicate
your ideas.
The errors present in your speech,
although sometimes glaring, would not
generally interfere with a native
speaker’s ability to comprehend your
message.
Your speech is quite varied and contains
some elaboration, but still needs more
detail. While you make some attempts
to link your ideas together, the lack of
transitional words makes some of your
thoughts seem a little disconnected.
You are capable of understanding all of
the main ideas and most of the
important details of the conversation.
Interruptions bother you at times, but you
are still able to maintain your train of
thought. You can ask for clarification or
more information when necessary, but
generally let the speaker talk without
interjecting anything. If the conversation
drifts, you can follow it, but you prefer
not to stray too far from the original
topic. Two-way communication occurs
in a somewhat controlled manner.
Adapted from Bill Heller by Cherice Montgomery  2000
Your speech is fluid and natural,
allowing you to maintain the flow of
communication and the attention of
the listener without difficulty.
Your speech reflects an extensive
vocabulary that allows you to be
expressive, precise, and to
circumlocute with facility and style
when necessary.
The errors present in your speech are
so minor that your message would
be easily comprehended by a native
speaker.
Your expressive speech is filled with
descriptive details that make it
interesting and highly personalized.
You connect ideas very skillfully using
transitional words.
It is easy for you to understand both
the main ideas and the minor details
of the conversation. You are not
flustered by questions or other
interruptions. You do not hesitate to
ask for clarification or for more
information and are capable of
interjecting statements when
appropriate.
You do not mind straying from the
original topic and are comfortable
following the conversation wherever
it leads. Two-way communication
occurs in a spontaneous manner.
Adapted from Bill Heller by Cherice Montgomery  2000