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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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