Listening - High Proficiency

Global Performance Descriptor

• Learner can comprehend main points, details, speaker's purpose, attitudes, levels of formality and styles in oral discourse in moderately demanding contexts.
• Can follow most formal and informal conversations, and some technical work-related discourse in own field at a normal rate of speech.
• Can follow discourse about abstract and complex ideas on a familiar topic.
• Can comprehend an expanded range of concrete, abstract and conceptual language.
• Can determine mood, attitudes and feelings.
• Can understand sufficient vocabulary, idioms and colloquial expressions to follow detailed stories of general popular interest.
• Can follow clear and coherent extended instructional texts and directions.
• Can follow clear and coherent phone messages on unfamiliar and non-routine matters.
• Often has difficulty following rapid, colloquial/idiomatic or regionally accented speech between native speakers.

Performance Conditions

• Tasks are in a standard format, with items to circle, match, fill in a blank, and complete a chart.
• Learner is adequately briefed for focused listening.
• Communication is face to face, observed live, or video- and audio-mediated (e.g., tape, TV, radio).
• Speech is clear at a normal rate.
• Instructions are clear and coherent.
• Listening texts are monologues/presentations and dialogues (five to 10 minutes), within familiar general topics and technical discourse in own field.
• Topics are familiar.
• Presentation/lecture is informal or semi-formal with the use of pictures, visuals (10 to 15 minutes).
• Learner is briefed for focused listening.
• Speech is clear, at a normal rate.