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CERTIFICATE OF SECOND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
High school students, following a second language, in their Graduation
Year are eligible for a Certificate of Second Language Proficiency. In order to
receive this Certificate, students must take an oral proficiency interview in
grade 12. Only students taking a grade 12 French or French Immersion course will
be tested, otherwise the cost will be $40. The Certificate will state that the
student achieved a certain level of proficiency as defined by the Department of
Education. The Language Proficiency Interview allows students to demonstrate
mastery of spoken French in a face-to-face situation with a trained language
interviewer.
The interview is designed to test in the areas of pronunciation, grammatical
accuracy, vocabulary, fluency, and listening comprehension. The interview
produces a single, overall language proficiency score based on a scale which can
go from "Unratable" to "Superior".
Some scores may have a plus, such as "Basic Plus" or "Intermediate Plus". The
plus indicates that the level of proficiency is higher than the level shown, but
not high enough to warrant being included in the next level.
| Description of Levels of Language
Proficiency |
| Unratable: |
No functional ability in the language. |
| Novice: |
Able to satisfy immediate needs using rehearsed phrases. No real
autonomy of expression, flexibility or spontaneity. Can ask questions or
make statements with reasonable accuracy only with memorized phrases or
formulae. Vocabulary is limited to areas of immediate needs. Attempts at
creating speech are usually unsuccessful. |
| Basic: |
Some creation with language is evident. Able to satisfy minimum
courtesy requirements and maintain very simple face-to-face interaction
with native speakers used to dealing with second language learners.
Almost every utterance contains fractured syntax and grammatical errors.
Vocabulary is adequate to express most elementary needs. |
| Basic Plus: |
Able to initiate and maintain predictable face-to-face conversations
and satisfy limited social demands. Shows spontaneity in language
production, but fluency is very uneven. Range and control of the
language is limited. |
| Intermediate: |
Able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work
requirements. Can handle with confidence but not with facility most
social situations, including introductions and casual conversations
about current events, as well as work, family and autobiographical
information. Can give directions from one place to another. Has a
speaking vocabulary sufficient to respond simply with some
circumlocutions; accent, though often quite faulty, is intelligible; can
usually handle elementary constructions quite accurately but does not
have thorough or confident control of grammar. In complex situations,
language usage generally disturbs the native speaker. |
| Intermediate Plus: |
Able to satisfy most work requirements and show considerable ability
to communicate on concrete topics relating to particular interests and
special fields of competence. Often shows remarkable fluency and ease of
speech, yet under tension or pressure language may break down. Generally
strong in either grammar or vocabulary, but not both. Normally controls
general vocabulary with very little groping for every day words. Is able
to participate in most formal and all informal conversations on
practical, social and professional topics, although comprehension may be
faulty at times. |
| Advanced: |
Able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and
vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal
conversations on practical, social and professional topics. Knowledge of
vocabulary is broad enough that the speaker rarely has to grope for a
word; accent may be obvious. Control of grammar good; errors virtually
never interfere with understanding and rarely disturbs the native
speaker. Comprehension is quite complete. |
| Advanced Plus: |
Able to speak the language with sufficient structural and lexical
accuracy that participation in conversations in all areas poses no
problem. Accent is still faulty, and the speaker occasionally exhibits
hesitancy, which indicates some uncertainty in vocabulary or structure. |
| Superior: |
Able to use the language fluently and accurately on all levels
normally pertinent to professional and participate in any conversation
within the range of personal and professional experience with a high
degree of fluency and precision of vocabulary. Accent is good, but the
speaker would rarely be taken for a native speaker. |
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