Evaluating Speaker Adv Low - Mid- Past

ACTFL Level: Advanced Low/Mid

Topic: The Past

Interview Prompt: ¿Cuál fue la experienca más chocante para ti cuando eras joven?

Features of speaker performance:

• Tell stories about past events; keep discourse in past tense
• Express (and sometimes support) opinions on abstract issues
• Explain and describe in detail
• Produce coherent discourse across groups of sentences
• Control distinction between preterite and imperfect in context of storytelling
• Comprehensible to people who may not have experience with language learners

About the Advanced Low/Mid Speaker:

Speakers at the Advanced level can participate fluently and actively in a conversation. They can talk about a range of topics that are autobiographical or that relate to concrete events removed in time and/or space (e.g., tell a story about an event in the past; summarize something that happened on campus). They can talk in a coherent fashion to fulfill a variety of tasks, including narration, comparison and contrast, explanations; and they can talk about the past or the future, keeping their discourse in the appropriate time frame and, as they progress through the Advanced level (i.e., Advanced Mid and Advanced High), control the use of preterite and imperfect when narrating and describing in past time.

 Evaluate the Speaker

Looking only at the speaker’s performance, and keeping in mind the linguistic features associated with this level, discuss the following:

• Does the speaker produce a story that includes lots of narrative and descriptive detail?
• Is the context explained well, such that it would be comprehensible to listeners not familiar with the place, event, or people involved in the story?
• Is the speaker able to produce additional information in response to the follow-up questions?
• Is (all or most of) the response comprehensible?
• Is the speaker able to link sentences together to form more complex expressions?
• Is the speaker able to keep his/her discourse in the past?
• Does the speaker control the preterite and imperfect?
• Does the speaker have the vocabulary needed to convey the details of the narrative?
• Does the speaker tell a story that has a beginning, a middle, and an end?
• Does the speaker organize the story logically and coherently?

What proficiency level do you give to the response? Select among the following and justify your choice with evidence from the speech sample:

• Intermediate High. Provides information about the event, but does not keep discourse in the past consistently.
• Advanced Low/Mid: Fulfills the criteria for the task, sometimes with ease and fluency. Sometimes produces a coherent story that focuses on the events and enriches them with descriptive details; sometimes may not produce a long or detailed story. Sometimes more emphasis on events and less on descriptive detail. Keeps discourse in the past consistently, but may not deploy preterite and imperfect appropriately.
• Advanced High. Goes beyond the criteria for the task by, for example, introducing dialogue, imitating the characters in the story, or discussing the social ramifications of the event.
• http://oralproficiency.coerll.utexas.edu/spanish/module-2-6/ 

Evaluating Speaker - Adv Low-Mid - Otros paises

ACTFL Level: Advanced Low/Mid

Topic: Other Countries

Interview Prompt: ¿Has viajado a otros países? Cuéntame sobre tu viaje más reciente.

Features of speaker performance:

• Tell stories about past events; keep discourse in past tense
• Express (and sometimes support) opinions on abstract issues
• Explain and describe in detail
• Produce coherent discourse across groups of sentences
• Control distinction between preterite and imperfect in context of storytelling
• Comprehensible to people who may not have experience with language learners

About the Advanced Low/Mid Speaker:

Speakers at the Advanced level can participate fluently and actively in a conversation. They can talk about a range of topics that are autobiographical or that relate to concrete events removed in time and/or space (e.g., tell a story about an event in the past; summarize something that happened on campus). They can talk in a coherent fashion to fulfill a variety of tasks, including narration, comparison and contrast, explanations; and they can talk about the past or the future, keeping their discourse in the appropriate time frame and, as they progress through the Advanced level (i.e., Advanced Mid and Advanced High), control the use of preterite and imperfect when narrating and describing in past time.

 Evaluate the Speaker

Looking only at the speaker’s performance, and keeping in mind the linguistic features associated with this level, discuss the following:

• Does the speaker produce a story that includes lots of narrative and descriptive detail?
• Is the context explained well, such that it would be comprehensible to listeners not familiar with the place, event, or people involved in the story?
• Is the speaker able to produce additional information in response to the follow-up questions?
• Is (all or most of) the response comprehensible?
• Is the speaker able to link sentences together to for more complex expressions?
• Is the speaker able to keep his/her discourse in the past?
• Does the speaker control the preterite and imperfect?
• Does the speaker have the vocabulary needed to convey the details of the narrative?
• Does the speaker tell a story that has a beginning, a middle, and an end?
• Does the speaker organize the story logically and coherently?
• http://oralproficiency.coerll.utexas.edu/spanish/module-2-7/ 
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  What proficiency level do you give to the response? Select among the following and justify your choice with evidence from the speech sample:
• Intermediate High. Provides information about the event, but does not keep discourse in the past consistently.
• Advanced Low/Mid: Fulfills the criteria for the task, sometimes with ease and fluency. Sometimes produces a coherent story that focuses on the events and enriches them with descriptive details; sometimes nay not produce a long or detailed story. Sometimes more emphasis on events and less on descriptive detail. Keeps discourse in the past consistently, but may not deploy preterite and imperfect appropriately.
• Advanced High. Goes beyond the criteria for the task by, for example, introducing dialogue, imitating the characters in the story, or discussing the social ramifications of the event.

Evaluating Speaker - Adv-Superior Deportes

ACTFL Level: Advanced High/Superior

Topic: Sports

Interview Prompt: ¿Qué opinas de la importancia que se le da a los deportes en esta universidad?

Features of speaker performance:

• Express opinions about abstract/controversial issues
• Support opinions about abstract/controversial issues in response to objections/arguments
• Produce coherent argumentation in extended discourse
• Use anecdotes only to support arguments, not in place of them
• Control use of subjunctive and other low-frequency or complex structures
• Easily use paraphrasing and other strategies to compensate for gaps in lexical knowledge
• Errors still present, but do not distract from the content of the discourse

More About the Advanced High/Superior Speaker: Speakers at the Advanced High/Superior level can participate in conversations on practical, social, professional, and controversial topics. They speak in extended discourse to present, elaborate on, and defend a point of view. They can also provide hypotheses and detailed descriptions to support their arguments by discussing the consequences of a possible course of action. They control low frequency and complex structures (e.g., various uses of the subjunctive) and an ample lexicon to present their arguments in a professional, formal manner.

• Expanding on the opinion. 
•  ¿Cómo traen dinero a la universidad los programas de deportes?
• Supporting the opinion.
•  Comprendo lo que dices, pero algunas personas dicen que cuando se les da tanta importancia a los programas de deportes, inevitablemente se les da mucho poder también y que este poder da lugar a mucha corrupción. ¿Cómo respondes a este argumento?
• Hypothesizing about the consequences of a course of action
•  ¿Cuál sería el impacto de reducir el número de becas que se les da a los equipos de fútbol? ¿Afectaría la importancia de estos equipos a nivel institucional y a nivel nacional?
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  3. Evaluate the Speaker
  Looking only at the speaker’s performance, and keeping in mind the linguistic features associated with this level, discuss the following:
• Does the speaker express an opinion, support that opinion, and hypothesize about possible consequences?
• Is the opinion well developed?
• Is the speaker able to expand on the opinion and defend it against objections in response to the follow-up questions?
• Is the speaker able to link ideas together in coherent, sophisticated discourse? Does the speaker control the constructions (e.g., subjunctive) needed to defend opinions and speak hypothetically?
• Are the grammatical errors few enough that they do not distract the listener from the message?
• Is the speaker able to speak at length about ideas and concepts?
• Does the speaker develop and sustain an argument?http://oralproficiency.coerll.utexas.edu/spanish/module-2-8/http://oralproficiency.coerll.utexas.edu/spanish/module-2-8/
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  What proficiency level do you give to the response? Select among the following and justify your choice with evidence from the speech sample:
• Below Advanced High/Superior: Does not fulfill the criteria of the Superior level. Recounts experience rather than argue a point of view.
• Advanced High/Superior. Fulfills the criteria for the task, and does so with ease and fluency consistently or most of the time. Produces a coherent argument, develops it, and supports it. Talks about ideas, principles, and issues, using anecdotes and examples only for (not instead of) illustration.  Sometimes recounts experience rather than argue a point of view.
• Above Advanced High/Superior: Fulfills and goes beyond the criteria for the task with ease and fluency.

Evaluating speaker for Advanced High/Superior - politics

ACTFL Level: Advanced High/Superior

Topic: Politics

Interview Prompt: ¿Es importante saber de la política si eres estudiante?

Features of speaker performance:

• Express opinions about abstract/controversial issues
• Support opinions about abstract/controversial issues in response to objections/arguments
• Produce coherent argumentation in extended discourse
• Use anecdotes only to support arguments, not in place of them
• Control use of subjunctive and other low-frequency or complex structures
• Easily use paraphrasing and other strategies to compensate for gaps in lexical knowledge
• Errors still present, but do not distract from the content of the discourse

Preguntas sobre tu opinion

• Expanding on the opinion. En tu opinión, ¿es suficiente informarse sobre los temas políticos del momento, o es necesario ser políticamente active también? ¿Por qué?
• Supporting the opinion. Comprendo lo que dices, pero algunas personas opinan lo opuesto—que es mejor que los estudiantes se dediquen a sus estudios, y que luego en el futuro, será el momento propicio para participar en discusiones y actividades políticas. ¿Cómo respondes a este argumento?
• Hypothesizing about the consequences of a course of action. ¿Cuál sería el impacto en las campañas electorales si el 50% de los estudiantes universitarios trabajaran a favor de su candidato? ¿Afectaría el resultado de las elecciones presidenciales?

How to Evaluate the Speaker

Looking only at the speaker’s performance, and keeping in mind the linguistic features associated with this level, discuss the following:

• Does the speaker express an opinion, support that opinion, and hypothesize about possible consequences?
• Is the opinion well developed?
• Is the speaker able to expand on the opinion and defend it against objections in response to the follow-up questions?
• Is the speaker able to link ideas together in coherent and sophisticated discourse?
• Does the speaker control the constructions (e.g., subjunctive) needed to defend opinions and speak hypothetically?
• Are grammatical errors few enough that they do not distract the listener from the message?
• Is the speaker able to speak at length about ideas and concepts?
• Does the speaker develop and sustain an argument?  
• http://oralproficiency.coerll.utexas.edu/spanish/module-2-9/
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  What proficiency level do you give to the response? Select among the following and justify your choice with evidence from the speech sample:
• Below Advanced High/Superior: Does not fulfill the criteria of the Superior level. Recounts experience rather than argue a point of view.
• Advanced High/Superior. Fulfills the criteria for the task, and does so with ease and fluency consistently or most of the time. Produces a coherent argument, develops it, and supports it. Talks about ideas, principles, and issues, using anecdotes and examples only for (not instead of) illustration. Sometimes recounts experience rather than argue a point of view.
• Above Advanced High/Superior: Fulfills and goes beyond the criteria for the task with ease and fluency.