English Language Learner Assessment

This guide is designed to help those who are learning English as a foreign language identify their English proficiency level by assessing their skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Level 1: Beginning

Reading: You need a lot of help to understand very simple texts and can identify only basic vocabulary words.

Writing: You can write very basic sentences or paragraphs but need significant assistance. Your language proficiency is very limited.

Speaking: You can say very basic phrases with help, but you struggle with pronunciation and have a limited vocabulary.

Listening: You find it difficult to understand both formal and informal English, including idiomatic expressions and colloquial language.

Level 2: Developing

Reading: You can understand simple texts with some help and identify key vocabulary words and phrases.

Writing: You can write simple texts, like essays or paragraphs, showing basic language proficiency. You have a limited vocabulary and basic sentence structure.

Speaking: You can speak somewhat clearly with basic organization of your ideas. You make some pronunciation errors and have a limited vocabulary.

Listening: You understand simple conversations and instructions but often make mistakes with idiomatic expressions and slang.

Level 3: Proficient

Reading: You can understand moderately complex texts with little help, identifying main ideas and themes.

Writing: You can write well-organized texts, demonstrating adequate language proficiency, an appropriate tone, and basic use of rhetorical devices.

Speaking: You speak clearly and coherently with relevant content, adequate pronunciation, and some effective use of tone and gestures.

Listening: You have an advanced understanding of both formal and informal English but might occasionally misunderstand idiomatic expressions and colloquial language.

Level 4: Advanced

Reading: You can independently understand complex texts, recognize literary devices, and interpret their meanings.

Writing: You write coherent and well-organized texts, showing excellent language proficiency and effective use of rhetorical devices.

Speaking: You speak fluently with excellent pronunciation, clear organization, impressive vocabulary, and effective use of rhetorical strategies.

Listening: You understand English at near-native levels, including idiomatic expressions and colloquial language, in both formal and informal contexts.

Level 1: Beginning

Reading: You have limited comprehension of simple texts, struggle with basic vocabulary and sentence structure, and frequently need help to understand main ideas and details.

Writing: Your writing has minimal content, poor organization, and grammar issues. You struggle to convey ideas coherently and lack vocabulary variety.

Speaking: Pronunciation and basic communication are challenging for you. You use limited vocabulary and short, fragmented sentences, requiring significant repetition, clarification, and correction.

Listening: Understanding basic spoken English is difficult, requiring repetitive explanations and simplified language. You often misinterpret key information and struggle with instructions.

Level 2: Developing

Reading: You show satisfactory comprehension of moderately complex texts, understanding main ideas and some supporting details, but occasionally need help with vocabulary and figurative language.

Writing: You can write with moderate organization and basic grammar, expressing ideas with some clarity but lacking in vocabulary sophistication and sentence structure. You demonstrate limited sentence variety, and errors may occur.

Speaking: You communicate with moderate fluency, though pauses and errors may occur. You can express ideas using basic vocabulary and participate in short conversations but may need occasional clarification.

Listening: You understand simple conversations and instructions, grasp main ideas but may miss details or nuances, and require occasional repetition or clarification.

Level 3: Proficient

Reading: You have a good understanding of a wide range of texts, grasping main ideas, supporting details, and inference. You use vocabulary and context clues effectively and can analyze texts independently.

Writing: Your writing is coherent, with well-organized paragraphs and good grammar. You display a range of vocabulary and sentence structures suitable for different purposes, communicating ideas with clarity and logical progression.

Speaking: You speak fluently, with a good command of vocabulary and intermediate sentence structures. You articulate thoughts coherently, engage in conversations, present opinions and ideas clearly, and respond appropriately.

Listening: You comprehend a wide range of spoken English, including complex conversations and lectures. You accurately understand main ideas, supporting details, and inferred meanings without needing frequent repetition.

Level 4: Advanced

Reading: You exhibit exceptional comprehension and critical analysis of complex texts, accurately identifying main ideas, supporting details, and nuances. You have a wide vocabulary and can interpret figurative language, making connections between texts and personal experiences or broader contexts.

Writing: Your writing skills are sophisticated, with strong organization and refined grammar. You use a rich vocabulary and varied sentence structures, expressing complex ideas concisely and persuasively with a strong command of writing conventions.

Speaking: You communicate confidently using advanced vocabulary and complex sentence structures, engaging in complex discussions, debates, and presentations effortlessly. You display strong active listening skills and adapt language based on conversation needs.

Listening: You demonstrate excellent listening skills, easily understanding challenging content, capturing nuances and figurative language, and extracting important information from oral sources.