Speaking

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• Can give logical, clear descriptions and presentations on a variety of familiar and unfamiliar subjects, using expanding and supporting ideas.

• Can use strategies to maintain listener interest.  

• Can add to a speaker's comments to become an active conversation partner.

• Can demonstrate a moderate degree of grammatical control with reasonable accuracy using a variety of structures.

• Can pronounce intelligibly even if a foreign accent is sometimes evident.  Mispronunciations occur occasionally.

• Can begin using appropriate sentence stress.

• Can present with some need for/reference to notes but without reading from slides or notes.

 

Writing

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• Can write essays of at least 5 paragraphs which address the prompt and have the following criteria: a hook, clear divided thesis, transitions, and unity of ideas with balanced body paragraphs and conclusion.  Can write essays which answer the question clearly.

• Can develop a least 2-3 details for each point of a given topic.  Can analyze information from a few sources to support his/her point of view (sources are appropriate and relevant, not translated?, and from an academic or professional source).  Can often format outside sources accurately (in-text citations, punctuation, integration)

• Can demonstrate a good degree of grammatical control of items marked as XX on Grammar Charts for points determined to master at this level.  Can use other grammar introduced at this level but with errors that occasionally obscure meaning.

• Can convey opinions using appropriate vocabulary while avoiding frequent repetition (a variety of low frequency words and some from AWL) with correct form and meaning.

• Can spell and use correct punctuation accurately most of the time.

 

Listening

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• Can understand most familiar and some unfamiliar topics including differing arguments, facts, and opinions in lecture format, provided speech is articulated in a familiar accent.

• Can predict content & complete a variety of guided notes templates.  

• Can recognize tone/intonation/stressed syllables.

• Can take notes which are detailed enough to use to recall main ideas and details.

 

Reading

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• Can understand some complex texts, including several different essay types and basic charts or graphs.  

• Can identify and differentiate main idea and supporting details in addition to analyzing arguments and cause and effect.

• Can preview/predict and quickly scan and gather key information from different parts of a text, or from different texts, in order to fulfill a specific task.

• Can use context to understand a range of academic and field-specific vocabulary.

• Can infer purpose, intended audience, tone, and main conclusions.

• Can independently draw straightforward connections between two or more similar texts of some length.

• Can take notes while reading using basic annotations or graphic organizers.