825:
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native speakers; examples include playing an effective role among native speakers in contexts such as conferences, lectures and debates on matters of disagreement, as well as advocating a position at length. While proficiency may match that of an educated native speaker, the individual is not necessarily perceived as culturally native due to occasional weaknesses in idioms, colloquialisms, slang, and cultural references.
813:
789:
25:
801:
596:
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Individuals classified at level 3 are able to use the language as part of normal professional duties and can reliably elicit information and informed opinion from native speakers; examples include answering objections, clarifying points, stating and defending policy, conducting meetings, and reading
304:
Individuals classified at level 4 are able to understand the details and ramifications of concepts that are culturally or conceptually different from their own language and can set the tone of interpersonal official, semi-official and non-professional verbal exchanges with a representative range of
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Grades may be assigned separately for different skills such as reading, speaking, listening, writing, translation, audio translation, interpretation, and intercultural communication. For some of these skills, the level may be referred to with an abbreviation, for example, S-1 for
Speaking Level 1.
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can handle limited work requirements, needing help in handling any complications or difficulties; can get the gist of most conversations on non-technical subjects (i.e. topics which require no specialized knowledge), and has a speaking vocabulary sufficient to respond simply with some
320:
has complete fluency in the language, such that speech on all levels is fully accepted by educated native speakers in all of its features, including breadth of vocabulary and idiom, colloquialisms, and pertinent cultural
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on a scale of 0–5. The designation 0+, 1+, 2+, 3+, or 4+ is assigned by most agencies when proficiency substantially exceeds one skill level but does not fully meet the criteria for the next level. The exception is the
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The majority of individuals classified as Level 1 are able to perform most basic functions using the language; this includes buying goods, reading the time, ordering simple meals and asking for minimal directions
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Professional working proficiency is rated 3 on the scale. Level 3 is what is usually used to measure how many people in the world know a given language. A person at this level is described as follows:
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with almost complete comprehension a variety of prose material on familiar and unfamiliar topics such as news reports, routine correspondence, and technical material in trained fields of competence.
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A table published by the
American University Center of Provence gave the following correspondences between the ILR, the European language proficiency scale CEFR, and the proficiency scale of the
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able to use questions and answers for simple topics within a limited level of experience; the native speaker must strain and leverage contextual knowledge to understand what is said
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has an accent which may be obviously foreign; has a good control of grammar; and whose errors virtually never interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native speaker
701:
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can handle with confidence most basic social situations including introductions and casual conversations about current events, work, family, and autobiographical information
259:
able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most conversations on practical, social, and professional topics
291:
can understand and participate in any conversations within the range of own personal and professional experience with a high degree of fluency and precision of vocabulary
523:
613:
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A person who can satisfy their immediate needs using memorized phrases is rated 0+ on the scale. The following describes the traits of an ILR Level 0+ individual:
185:
unable to read connected prose but may be able to read numbers, isolated words and phrases, personal and place names, street signs, office and shop designations
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However, a comparison between the ILR self-assessment grids (reading, speaking, listening) and the CEFR assessment grid could suggest a different equivalence:
138:
756:
These descriptions are a product of U.S. Government grants and are in the public domain. They are cited here from Higgs 1984, Appendix B.
153:(Defense Language Institute English Language Center), which assigns a + designation for failure/inconsistency at the next higher level.
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is a set of descriptions of abilities to communicate in a language. It is the standard grading scale for language proficiency in the
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Full professional proficiency is rated 4 on the ILR scale. A person rated at this level should have the following characteristics:
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731:
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able to understand basic questions and speech, which allows for guides, such as slower speech or repetition, to aid understanding
640:
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can usually handle elementary constructions quite accurately but does not have thorough or confident control of the grammar
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may be able to ask questions or make statements with reasonable accuracy only with memorized utterances or formulae
42:
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would rarely be taken for a native speaker, but can respond appropriately even in unfamiliar grounds or situations
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Elementary proficiency is rated 1 on the scale. The following describes the traits of an ILR Level 1 individual:
134:
68:
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able to use the language fluently and accurately on all levels and as normally pertinent to professional needs
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may be able to produce symbols in an alphabetic or syllabic writing system or 50 of the most common characters
35:
75:
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Native or bilingual proficiency is rated 5 on the scale. A person at this level is described as follows:
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has a general vocabulary which is broad enough that searching for a word has become a seldom phenomenon
188:
understanding limited to occasional isolated words or memorized utterances in areas of immediate needs.
57:
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Limited working proficiency is rated 2 on the scale. A person at this level is described as follows:
145:
817:
696:
568:
805:
723:
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writes in simple sentences or sentence fragments with continual spelling and grammar errors
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can discuss particular interests and special fields of competence with reasonable ease
839:
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has a speaking proficiency equivalent to that of an educated native speaker
800:
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has a vocabulary only large enough to communicate the most basic of needs
170:
No communicative ability. Possibly able to speak a few isolated words.
643:) estimated equivalencies provided by a certified ACTFL administrator.
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has comprehension which is quite complete for a normal rate of speech
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can fulfill traveling needs and conduct themselves in a polite manner
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able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements
297:
makes only quite rare and minor errors of pronunciation and grammar
614:"Understanding the TEF Results: Level Breakdown and Equivalencies"
599:
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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Interagency
Language Roundtable Language Skill Level Descriptions
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has an accent which, though often quite faulty, is intelligible
18:
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Equivalence with the
European language proficiency scale CEFR
129:'s federal-level service. It was originally developed by the
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Descriptions of abilities to communicate in a language
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American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
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American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
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Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages
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Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
133:(ILR), which included representatives of the U.S.
571:), a similar, though informal, 0–5 language scale
524:Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills
300:can handle informal interpreting of the language
251:ILR Level 3 – Professional working proficiency
309:ILR Level 5 – Native or bilingual proficiency
8:
768:ILR scale description from the official site
280:ILR Level 4 – Full professional proficiency
531:, the European language-proficiency scale
225:ILR Level 2 – Limited working proficiency
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
656:"SELF-ASSESSMENT OF READING PROFICIENCY"
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139:National Foreign Affairs Training Center
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123:Interagency Language Roundtable scale
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196:ILR Level 1 – Elementary proficiency
174:ILR Level 0+ – Memorized proficiency
47:adding citations to reliable sources
734:from the original on March 21, 2022
728:French Academy DC MD VA / Baltimore
773:Foreign language proficiency scale
692:"Understanding, Speaking, Writing"
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519:List of language proficiency tests
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166:ILR Level 0 – No proficiency
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144:The scale grades people's
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751:Original entry based on
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41:Please help
36:verification
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639:) and ILR (
484:AL, AM, AH
451:NL, NM, NH
398:AL, AM, AH
365:NL, NM, NH
99:August 2016
58:"ILR scale"
818:Government
724:"The CEFR"
630:2017-11-28
576:References
321:references
69:newspapers
806:Education
738:March 21,
708:March 21,
676:March 21,
635:**ACTFL (
340:(ACTFL):
161:ILR scale
141:(NFATC).
840:Category
794:Language
732:Archived
702:Archived
667:Archived
513:See also
780:Portals
462:IL, IM
376:IL, IM
83:scholar
151:DLIELC
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670:(PDF)
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448:0/1
435:ILR
349:ILR
121:The
62:news
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473:IH
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