The English Farm uses a five point rating system of language skills in assessments and progress reports.
We follow the ILR system. Abilities are scored 1-5. But unlike other scoring systems, ILR's ceiling is very high. A score of 5 means native level.
ILR was developed to assess the language skills of government workers and foreign service types for the U.S. government. It is the same scoring system as GBC, which is the language test used by consultants and government workers in Japan. This test is administered by Berlitz (test description here in Japanese).
Follow the guidelines below. If a student has a GBC score, your evaluations should be in line with that score.
1.0 Elementary
A person at this level can speak the language, is capable of buying goods, reading the time, ordering simple meals, and asking for minimal directions.
2.0 Working proficiency
A person at this level can handle most basic social situations including introductions and casual conversations about current events, work, family, and autobiographical information, as well as limited work requirements and non-technical subjects.
3.0 Professional proficiency
A person at this level can speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most conversations on practical, social, and professional topics.
4.0 Full professional proficiency
A person at this level can speak the language fluently and accurately, at the social and professional level, and can understand and participate in a conversation with a high degree of fluency and precision of vocabulary.
5.0 Native or bilingual proficiency
A person at this level can speak the language as fluently as an educated native speaker and has a deep understanding of vocabulary and idiom, colloquialisms, and pertinent cultural references.
Note:
- Most students in Japan actively taking English classes will be below the 2.5 mark. A level of 2.5 is considered a sufficient level of English by many professional organisations in Japan, and as such many full-time professionals who have reached this level cease to study English.
- The specific scores required by particular organisations is priviledged information. As such, we cannot directly share or publish it. Please ask your student what their personal target is and make a note in their profile/assessment.
Summary of categories
Interaction
- How well does this student participate in discussion and class?
- Do they ask lots of questions?
- Do they interrupt?
- Do they have plenty to say?
- Does the conversation flow easily?
Confidence
- How does this student carry him- or herself in conversation?
- Are they nervous? Are they hesitant?
Communication
- How well does this student get their point across (fluency, grammar and all other things aside)?
Listening
- Do you need to repeat yourself?
- Does the student catch what you say, even if they may not understand it?
- How often do they misunderstand you?
Vocabulary
- How's the variety and sophistication of this student's word choice?
- Is there much repetition?
- Can they be illustrative and descriptive?
Structure
- Both grammar and argumentation.
- Does this person use accurate grammar, with a clear and logical argument? Or are their thoughts disorganised and rambling?
- Think also about cohesion here and their discursive skills.
Fluency
- Does this person speak haltingly, or are they able to express themselves at the speed of thought?
- This is not grammatical accuracy/structure. It is also not delivery. It is smoothness and how much thinking time they require. Response time also comes into it.
Delivery
- Is this student speaking with good intonation and enthusiasm? Or are they flat and inanimate?
- Can they be persuasive?
Pronunciation
- How is this person's pronunciation?
- Do they have a thick accent? Some accent is OK (it's identity), as long as you think that the average English speaker can understand them.
Effort
- Is this person trying?
- This score is visible to the student. If you give them a low rating, please explain in the recommendations box what they can do to improve their performance both in and out of class. Ex. Ask more questions; be more interested; repeat new words and phrases; use new language in sentences rather than words and phrases they already know; comment on lesson records etc.