1 who, what, where, wens? the native speaker in the ilr ecolt 2010 october 2010 ilr testing...
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Who, What, Where, WENS? The Native Speaker in the ILRWho, What, Where, WENS?
The Native Speaker in the ILR
ECOLT 2010
October 2010
ILR Testing Committee
ECOLT 2010
October 2010
ILR Testing Committee
Native Speaker in the Literature
Native Speaker in the Literature
Sociolinguists, theoretical, computational
and applied linguists all discuss the native
speaker
Davies’ (2001) native speaker
Native speaker usageMethod of acquisition
Ultimate goal of acquisition
Meanings are used interchangeably
Sociolinguists, theoretical, computational
and applied linguists all discuss the native
speaker
Davies’ (2001) native speaker
Native speaker usageMethod of acquisition
Ultimate goal of acquisition
Meanings are used interchangeably
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“Native Speaker” in the ILR Skill Level Descriptions:
the “FE HA WENS”
“Native Speaker” in the ILR Skill Level Descriptions:
the “FE HA WENS”
Functionally Equivalent
Highly Articulate
Well-educated Native Speaker
ILR FE HA WENS is a special breed of NSExists, though rarely
Is defined in greater detail in training materials
and practical examples
Functionally Equivalent
Highly Articulate
Well-educated Native Speaker
ILR FE HA WENS is a special breed of NSExists, though rarely
Is defined in greater detail in training materials
and practical examples 3
History of the ILR ScaleHistory of the ILR Scale
Functional origin dating from FSI needs in
the 1950’s
ILR Skill Level Descriptions published by
OPM in1985 and used across the
government: Speaking, Reading, Listening
and Writing
Added Translation and Interpretation
Working on Audio Translation and Cultural
Guidelines
Functional origin dating from FSI needs in
the 1950’s
ILR Skill Level Descriptions published by
OPM in1985 and used across the
government: Speaking, Reading, Listening
and Writing
Added Translation and Interpretation
Working on Audio Translation and Cultural
Guidelines4
DefinitionsDefinitions
Native Speaker
Heritage Speaker (not our focus today)
Language Learner and Non-Native
Speaker
Native Speaker
Heritage Speaker (not our focus today)
Language Learner and Non-Native
Speaker
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Context for Our Tests Context for Our Tests
Functional Scale
Language professionals who USE their
language
OPI summits determined need for keeping
the reference point at Level 5
Need for a FE HA WENS at the top of the
ILR Scale
Functional Scale
Language professionals who USE their
language
OPI summits determined need for keeping
the reference point at Level 5
Need for a FE HA WENS at the top of the
ILR Scale
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ILR Skill Level Descriptions’ Conundrum
ILR Skill Level Descriptions’ Conundrum
intended to test second language
speakers
functionally equivalent to well-educated
native speaker’s standards
= yardstick for assessing proficiency
scores
intended to test second language
speakers
functionally equivalent to well-educated
native speaker’s standards
= yardstick for assessing proficiency
scores
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Who We TestWho We Test
Federal government personnel who
represent the U.S. regardless of when,
where or how they learned the language of
the test
Federal government personnel who
represent the U.S. regardless of when,
where or how they learned the language of
the test
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Who We TestWho We Test
No assumptions are made about how the
language of the test has been acquired
Examinees are treated like well educated
native speakers, then the language of the
test is scaled to their level
No assumptions are made about how the
language of the test has been acquired
Examinees are treated like well educated
native speakers, then the language of the
test is scaled to their level
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Native vs. Non-Native Speaker
Native vs. Non-Native Speaker
Irrelevant !Irrelevant !
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11
0
1 2 3 4 5
HS/College
Learners
Typical Proficiency Ranges by Acquisition Method
0
Language Majors
Heritage Speakers
Native Speakers
Articulate Native Speakers
FE HAWENS
Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Level 2 Level 3
Overall Able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements
Able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations in practical, social and professional topics.
Hallmarks Speaks with confidence, but not with facility
Commits errors that virtually never interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native speaker.
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Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Level 2 Level 3
Functions Can handle routine work-related interactions that are limited in scope
Professional contexts include matters of shared knowledge and/or international convention
Can participate in personal and accommodation-type interactions with elaboration and facility
Can discuss particular interests and special fields of competence with reasonable ease.
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Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Level 2 Level 3
Functions continued
Can handle most normal, high-frequency social conversational situations including extensive, but casual conversations about current events, as well as work, family and autobiographical information.
Normal professional duties such as answering objections, clarifying points, justifying decisions, understanding the essence of challenges, stating and defending policy, conducting meetings, delivering briefings, or other extended and elaborate informative monologues.
Can typically ask and answer predictable questions in the workplace.
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Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Level 2 Level 3
Organization Uses utterances that are minimally cohesive
Uses discourse that is cohesive.
Structures Uses simple structures and basic grammatical relations that are typically controlled; however, there are areas of weakness
Can effectively use structures to convey meaning accurately
Uses linguistic structure that is usually not very elaborate and not thoroughly controlled
Has structural inaccuracy, but it is rarely the major cause of misunderstanding
Commits frequent errors.
Commits errors in low-frequency and highly complex structures
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Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Level 2 Level 3
Vocabulary Can participate in personal interactions with elaboration and facility.
Can effectively use vocabulary to convey meaning accurately.
Uses vocabulary that is appropriate for high-frequency utterances, but unusual or imprecise elsewhere.
Uses the language clearly and relatively naturally to elaborate concepts freely and make ideas easily understandable to native speakers without searching for words or phrases.
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Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3 Level 2 Level 3
Fluency Speaks with confidence, but not with facility.
Speaks readily and fills pauses suitably.
Pronunciation Has mispronunciations that sometimes result in miscommunication.
Commits errors that virtually never interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native speaker.
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Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3
Differences Between Level 2 and Level 3 Level 2 Level 3
Socio-cultural awareness
Can handle most normal, high-frequency social conversational situations including extensive but casual conversations.
Can participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations in practical, social and professional topics.
Although cultural references, proverbs and the implications of nuances and idiom may not be fully understood, the individual can easily repair the conversation.
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Disclaimer! Disclaimer!
Government testers do NOT make an
overall rating based on one sample! The
samples we are going to play for you today
are being used to illustrate our discussion,
not to provide firm evidence of an
individual’s overall language proficiency
Government testers do NOT make an
overall rating based on one sample! The
samples we are going to play for you today
are being used to illustrate our discussion,
not to provide firm evidence of an
individual’s overall language proficiency
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Samples of NS and NNS performing Level 3 tasks Samples of NS and NNS performing Level 3 tasks
Non-native speaker (“Ben”) successfully
performing a supported opinion task at L3.
Non-native speaker (“Mary Ann”)
unsuccessfully performing a supported
opinion task at L3.
Native speaker (“Lucas”) unsuccessfully
performing a supported opinion task at L3.
Native speaker (“Michael”) successfully
performing a supported opinion task at L3.
Non-native speaker (“Ben”) successfully
performing a supported opinion task at L3.
Non-native speaker (“Mary Ann”)
unsuccessfully performing a supported
opinion task at L3.
Native speaker (“Lucas”) unsuccessfully
performing a supported opinion task at L3.
Native speaker (“Michael”) successfully
performing a supported opinion task at L3.20
ConclusionConclusion
What someone can DO with the language
at any given level is important
Not HOW they acquired their language
proficiency
What someone can DO with the language
at any given level is important
Not HOW they acquired their language
proficiency
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