The University of Michigan  

ECPE  

Speaking Scoring Rubric  &  

Writing Test Rubric  

 

Effective as of May/June 2009            

i:  m

Hellenic American Un on ⏐ Examinations Department Athens Τ: 210 ‐ 36 80 000 ⏐ F 210 ‐ 36 34 200 ⏐ e ail: exams@hau.gr 

Thessaloniki Τ: 2310 – 557 600 ⏐ F: 2310 ‐ 55 39 25 ⏐ email: exams@hau.gr 

ECPE 2009 sPEaking sCoring rubriC (CondEnsEd VErsion)

Discourse and Interaction (Development, Functional Range, and Listening Comprehension)

Linguistic Resources (Range and Accuracy) Delivery And IntelligibilityVocabulary Grammar

Production of Independent, Spontaneous Speech• Summarizesconciselyandaccurately;littletonorelianceonwrittenmaterial

• Providescoherentexplanationswithoutpromptingonalltopics• Presentsdecisionspersuasivelyandappropriatelyforvaryingcontexts

Contribution to Extended Interaction• Contributesconsistentlyandappropriatelytodevelopmentofinteraction;veryawareoflistener

• Recommendationsareappropriateandsupportedwithexplanations

• Justifiesposition,regularlyparaphrasingandelaboratingtoexplainand/orclarify

• CommunicationbreakdownsarerareListening Comprehension• Understandslinguistic,sociolinguistic,andpragmaticinformationinordertoengageinextended,spontaneousinteraction

• Usesbroadrangeofvocabulary• Collocations,colloquiallanguage,idiomaticexpressionsusedaccuratelyandappropriately

• Usesawidevarietyofbasicandcomplexgrammaticalstructuresaccuratelyandeffectively

• Usesarangeofgrammaticalstructuresthatarepragmaticallyappropriate

• Fluentandarticulatedelivery

• Oftenusesrateofspeechand/orprosodicfeaturestoaddmeaning,aidlistener,and/ortoshiftstyle/registerappropriately

• “Slipsofthetongue”mayoccur,oftenself-corrected;(fossilized)errorsmaybepresentthroughoutdiscoursebutdonotimpedeinteraction

Production of Independent, Spontaneous Speech• Summarizesconciselyandaccurately;somerelianceonwrittenmaterial

• Providescoherentexplanations,usuallywithoutprompting,onallconcreteandmostabstracttopics

• Usuallypresentsdecisionspersuasively,andusuallyappropriatelyforcontext

Contribution to Extended Interaction• Usuallycontributesandappropriatelytothedevelopmentoftheinteraction;veryawareoflistener

• Providesrecommendationsthatarealmostalwayssupportedwithexplanationsandareappropriatetothecontext

• Justifiesposition,frequentlyparaphrasingandelaboratingtoexplainand/orclarifystatements

• CommunicationbreakdownsusuallydonotoccurListening Comprehension• Almostalwaysunderstandslinguistic,sociolinguistic,andpragmaticinformationordertoengageinextended,spontaneousinteraction

• Usuallyusesabroadrangeofvocabulary

• Collocations,colloquiallanguage,andidiomaticexpressionsareoftenusedandareusuallyaccurateandappropriate

• Occasionallyusessecondarymeaningofwords

• Usuallyusesavarietyofbasicandcomplexgrammaticalstructuresaccuratelyandusuallyeffectively

• Usuallyusesgrammaticalstructuresthatarepragmaticallyappropriate

• Frequentlyfluentandarticulate;mayrequireminimallistenereffort

• Usuallyusesrateofspeechand/orprosodicfeaturestoaddmeaning,toaidlistener,and/ortoshiftstyle/registerappropriately

• Fluencymayslightlydeclinewithchallengingspeecheventsbutthisrarelyaffectstheflowofdiscourse

• Errorsinvocabularyand/orgrammardonotcausemiscommunicationorinterrupttheflowofdiscourse

• Accuracyinvocabularyand/orgrammarmaydeclinewithmorechallengingspeechevents

Production of Independent, Spontaneous Speech• Adequatelysummarizes;mayrelyonwrittenmaterialperiodically

• Elaborates,oftenwithoutprompting,andprovidecoherentexplanationsonalmostallconcreteandmanyabstracttopics

• Oftenpresentsdecisionsclearly,appropriately;mayoccasionallyshowsomelimitationsinabilitytoextenddiscourseandtoprovideconvincingexplanations

Contribution to Extended Interaction•Oftencontributesandappropriatelytodevelopmentofinteraction;awareoflistener;mayoccasionallyrelyoninterlocutorsforcontinuationofdiscussion

• Recommendationsmayrequireminorpromptingforsupportingexplanations;mayoccasionallybeawkwardnesstoappropriatenessofwordchoices/phrasing

• Justifiespositionadequately;usuallyabletoparaphrase;clarityofmeaningmayoccasionallybelackingwhenprovidingsupportingdetails

• Communicationbreakdownsmayoccurduringchallengingspeechevents;usuallyrepaired

Listening Comprehension• Usuallyunderstandslinguisticandsociolinguisticinformationandoftenunderstandsthepragmaticinformationinordertoengageinextended,spontaneousinteraction

•Oftenusesmoderaterangeofvocabularyaccuratelyandappropriately

• Occasionallyusesidiomaticexpressionsandcolloquiallanguage

•Occasionallyusesincorrectcollocationsthatmayleadtovagueness

• Oftenusesavarietyofbasicandcomplexgrammaticalstructuresaccuratelyandeffectively

• Oftenusesavarietyofgrammaticalstructuresthatarepragmaticallyappropriate

• Oftenfluent,usuallyarticulate;mayrequiresomelistenereffort

• Paceusuallyconsistent;mayoccasionallyberelativelyslow

•Occasionallyusesrateofspeech,and/orprosodicfeaturestoaddmeaning,aidlistener,and/ortoshiftstyle/registerappropriately

• Anincreaseinrateofdeliverymayoccasionallyleadtoadecreaseinclarityofspeechorcomprehensibility

• Fluencymaydeclinewithmorechallengingspeecheventsbutthisdoesnotstoptheflowofdiscourse

• Rangeofvocabularyandgrammaticalstructuresextendsbeyondwhathasbeenprovidedorallyand/orinwriting

• Gapsand/orerrorsinvocabularyand/orgrammar,sometimesself-corrected,frequentlydonothindercommunication,butmayrarelycauseinterruptionsincommunicationflow

• Accuracyinvocabularyand/orgrammaroftendeclineswithanincreaseinrateofspeechand/orwithmorechallengingspeechevents

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Hellenic American Union

Discourse and Interaction (Development, Functional Range, and Listening Comprehension)

Linguistic Resources (Range and Accuracy) Delivery And Intelligibility

Vocabulary Grammar

Production of Independent, Spontaneous Speech• Usuallysummarizesbyrepeatinglanguagealreadyprovided• Occasionallyable,whenprompted,toelaborateandprovideexplanationsonmostconcretetopics;explanationsfrequentlylackcoherenceandorganization

• Usuallypresentsdecisionsbyrepeatinglanguagealreadyproduced

Contribution to Extended Interaction• Frequentlyreliesonotherparticipantstoinitiate,develop,maintaindiscourse;rarelyoffersfeedbackorcommentary

• Usuallyabletorecommend;occasionallyable,whenprompted,toprovidesupportingexplanations

• Attemptstojustifyapositionareusuallyunclearandrepetitive• Communicationbreakdownsmayoccurduringanyspeecheventandoftenarenotrepaired

Listening Comprehension• Limitationsincomprehensionmayoftenresultininterruptionsinexchangeandincommunicationbreakdowns

• Limitedrangeofvocabulary• Frequentlyusesvagueand/orinaccuratevocabulary

• Frequentuseofbasicstructures(i.e.,lackofcomplexsentences)thatoftencontainerrors

• Listenereffortfrequentlyrequired

•Deliveryisoftenslowandhalting

• Pausingandphrasingareoftenincorrect,negativelyaffectingintelligibility

• Productionmaybewordbyword,resultinginalackofsentencerhythmandflatintonation

• L1influencemaydisruptintelligibility

• Vocabularyandgrammarstructuresusedaretypicallyrepetitionsofwhathasbeenprovidedorallyorinwriting

• Gapsand/orerrorsinvocabularyandgrammarmaydisrupteffectivecommunication

Production of Independent, Spontaneous Speech• Unabletosummarize;merelyreadsinformationprovided• Occasionallyable,whenprompted,toelaborateonconcreteandfamiliartopics;explanationsusuallylackorganization

• Usuallyabletopresentbasicpositiononconcretetopic;verylittleelaboration;usuallyrepeatslanguagealreadyproduced

Contribution to Extended Interaction• Frequentlyunabletocontributetothedevelopmentofdiscourseontopicsthathavebeenprovided;considerablerelianceoninterlocutors

• Usuallyabletostatearecommendationoropinionbutunabletoprovidesupportingexplanation

• Rarelyabletojustifyanddefend;attemptsarealmostalwaysunclearandrepetitive

• AlmostalwaysunabletorepaircommunicationbreakdownsListening Comprehension• Extremelimitationsincomprehensionresultinaninabilitytoengageinextendeddiscourse

• Verylimitedvocabulary• Regularlysearchesforwords• Frequentlyusesvagueexpressions

• Usesonlybasicstructuresthatregularlycontainerrors

• Slowandhaltingdelivery

• Productionisoftenwordbyword,resultinginalackofsentencerhythmandflatintonation

• Errorsinrhythm,stress,andintonationdisruptintelligibility,oftencausingconsiderablelistenereffort

• L1influencemaydisruptintelligibility

• Regulargapsand/orerrorsinvocabulary,grammar,and/ordelivery• Gapsand/orerrorsfrequentlypreventcommunication

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EvaluationA candidate’s linguistic ability (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation) is evaluated independently by two examiners and separately from the other candidate’s ability. The test also assesses a candidate’s ability to participate in extended, coherent discourse with the other candidate. This means that a candidate should not try to dominate during any stage of the test. At the same time, a candidate should not play a passive role. Candidates are expected to contribute equally to the speaking activity. The stages of the Speaking Test are designed so that each candidate is provided ample opportunity to speak individually and to engage in discussions with others.

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/eli

Hellenic American Union

This rubric is a condensed version of the five-level scoring rubric that will be used to rate candidates sitting for the new speaking test, effective May/June 2009, of the ECPE.

A revised rating scale for the ECPE writing test will be implemented in June 2009. The new rubric will have five levels: A, B, C, D, and E. The descriptors for performance levels A, B, and C will not change; only level D will be divided into a new D and an E level. The minimum passing level will continue to be C. The writing task will not change.

Please note that the 4-level rubric (A, B, C, and D) will remain in effect for ECPE examinations administered in 2008.

RATING RHETORIC GRAMMAR/SYNTAX VOCABULARY MECHANICS

A Honors

• Topicrichly,fully,complexlydeveloped

•Organizationwell-controlled,appropriatetothematerial

• Connectionissmooth

• Flexibleuseofawiderangeofsyntactic(sentencelevel)structures;morphological(wordforms)controlnearlyalwaysaccurate

• Broadrange,appropriatelyused

• Spellingandpunctuationerrorsarerareandinsignificant

B • Topicclearlyandcompletelydeveloped,withacknowledgmentofitscomplexity

•Organizationiscontrolledandshowsappropriatenesstothematerial

• Fewproblemswithconnection

• Bothsimpleandcomplexsyntaxadequatelyused;goodmorphologicalcontrol

• Vocabularyuseshowsflexibility,isusuallyappropriate

• Anyinappropriatevocabularydoesnotconfusemeaning

• Spellingandpunctuationerrorsareinfrequentandnotdistracting

C • Topicclearlydeveloped,butnotalwayscompletelyorwithacknowledgmentofitscomplexity

•Organizationgenerallycontrolled;connectionsometimesabsentorunsuccessful

• Bothsimpleandcomplexsyntaxpresent

• Forsome,syntaxiscautiousbutaccurate,whileothersaremorefluentbutlessaccurate

• Inconsistentmorphologicalcontrol

• Adequatevocabulary,butmaysometimesbeinappropriatelyused

• Spellingandpunctuationerrorssometimesdistracting

D • Topicdevelopmentusuallyclearbutsimpleandmayberepetitive

• Attemptstoaddressdifferentperspectivesonthetopicareoftenunsuccessful

• Overrelianceonprefabricatedlanguageand/orlanguagefromtheprompt

•Organizationpartiallycontrolled

•Morphologicalerrorsarefrequent

• Simplesentencestendtobeaccurate;morecomplexonestendtobeinaccurate

• Vocabularymaybelimitedinrange,andissometimesinappropriatelyusedtothepointthatitcausesconfusion

• Spellingandpunctuationerrorsarefrequentlydistracting

E • Topicdevelopmentmaybeunclearand/orlimitedbyincompletenessorlackoffocus

•Mightnotberelevanttotopic

• Connectionofideasoftenabsentorunsuccessful

• Pervasiveandbasicerrorsinsentencestructureandwordordercauseconfusion

• Problemswithsubject-verbagreement,tenseformationorwordformation

• Evenbasicsentencesarefilledwitherrors

• Incorrectuseofvocabularycausesconfusion

• Evenbasicwordsmaybemisused

•Mayshowinterferencefromotherlanguages

• Basicvocabularywordsregularlymisspelled

• Littleornocontroloversentenceboundaries

• Spellingandpunctuationerrorsregularlycauseconfusion

ECPE writing tESt rUBriC, rEViSED for 2009

Hellenic American Union

http://www.lsa.umich.edu/eli