Stages of Proficiency

This page shall inform you about the  concept and meaning as well as various Frameworks of Proficiency in the English Language as given by the  leaders in ELT such as the Oxford and the Cambridge Universities & U.S DEPARTMENT OF STATE, American Council & The European Council etc  Stay tuned........

Language Proficiency is hard to describe in the sense that different experts such as the linguists, the interpreters and the translators define it differently, not only that but add to it various other components as well. Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. As theories among pedagogues as to what constitutes proficiency there is little consistency as to how different organizations classify it. Additionally, fluency and language competence are generally recognized as being related,  Here is given below an exposition on how to understand proficiency.  One description defines Proficiency as that of a ....

• Native speaker's: The term native speaker is equal to that of “mother tongue,” and  these two terms may be safely interchangeably used. A native speaker’s language is his first language. This means that it has dominated his youth and is therefore the language he does his thinking in. A native speaker is more than fluent — he correctly and easily uses his first language.
• Fluent:  Like a native speaker, a fluent speaker of a language is very comfortable with the language — however, it is not necessarily his first, native or mother tongue. Although it’s difficult to achieve, fluency is be attained through extended study and, usually, with time spent living in full linguistic immersion. Merriam-Webster defines the adjective “fluent” in reference to language as “capable of using a language easily and accurately.” It’s important to note that while a fluent speaker may be nearly perfect, he may require more conscious concentration when speaking and may not have the same spontaneity as a native speaker when it comes to idioms and similar terms and phrases.
• Proficient: A Proficient” is defined as “well advanced in an occupation, art, or branch of knowledge.” In terms of language, the “proficient” label can therefore be seen as referring to a speaker who, is very skilled in the use of a language, uses the language with greater formality and less familiarity than a native or fluent speaker

• Bilingual: The dictionary definition of “bilingual” is “using or able to use two languages with equal fluency.” Unless each language gets spoken with equal strength, the term “bilingual” could be misleading.
• Trilingual: When someone says they are trilingual they perhaps speak one language as a native speaker, a second language fluently and the third at only a proficient level. 

Whereas the  The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) distinguishes between proficiency and performance. In part, ACTFL's definition of proficiency is derived from mandates issued by the US government, declaring that a limited English proficient student is one who comes from a non-English background and "who has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language and whose difficulties may deny such an individual the opportunity to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English or to participate fully in our society." ACTFL views "performance" as being the combined effect of all three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) divides general competences in knowledge (descriptive knowledge), skills, and existential competence with particular communicative competences in linguistic competence, socio-linguistic competence, and pragmatic competence. The CEFR has three principal dimensions: language activities, the domains in which the language activities occur, and the competences on which we draw when we engage in them. 
 Language activities : The CEFR distinguishes between four kinds of language activities: reception (listening and reading), production (spoken and written), interaction (spoken and written), and mediation (translating and interpreting).

Common reference levels: The Common European Framework divides learners into three broad divisions that can be divided into six levels; for each level, it describes what a learner is supposed to be able to do in reading, listening, speaking and writing. These levels are:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Level group	Level group name	Level	Level name	Description
A	Basic user	A1	Breakthrough or beginner	Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
		A2	Way stage or elementary	Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
B	Independent user	B1	Threshold or intermediate	Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
		B2	Vantage or upper intermediate	Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
C	Proficient user	C1	Effective operational proficiency or advanced	Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer clauses, and recognize implicit meaning. Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
		C2	Mastery or proficiency	Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These descriptors can apply to any of the languages spoken in Europe, and there are translations in many languages.


According to the U.S DEPARTMENT OF STATE @ Careers representing America there are the following Proficiency Codes:


Language Proficiency Definitions

Proficiency Code	Speaking Definitions	Reading Definitions
0 - No Practical Proficiency	No practical speaking proficiency.	No practical reading proficiency.
1 - Elementary Proficiency	Able to satisfy routine travel needs and minimum courtesy requirements	Able to read some personal and place names, street signs, office and shop designations, numbers and isolated words and phrases
2 - Limited Working Proficiency	Able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements	Able to read simple prose, in a form equivalent to typescript or printing, on subjects within a familiar context
3 - Minimum Professional Proficiency	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	Able to read standard newspaper items addressed to the general reader, routine correspondence, reports, and technical materials in the individual's special field.
4 - Full Professional Proficiency	Able to use the language fluently and accurately on all levels pertinent to professional needs.	Able to read all styles and forms of the language pertinent to professional needs.
5 - Native or Bilingual Proficiency	Equivalent to that of an educated native speaker.	Equivalent to that of an educated native.

In the US, an influential proficiency measure is the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale, developed by the US State Department. It identifies five levels of language proficiency:

• Level 1 – Elementary – Can fulfill the basic needs in a language, such as ordering meals, asking time, and asking for directions.
• Level 2 – Limited Working Proficiency – Can fulfill routine social demands, such as small talk about one’s self, one’s family, and current events.
• Level 3 – Professional Working Proficiency – Can discuss a variety of topics with ease and almost completely understand what others are saying.
• Level 4 – Full Professional Proficiency – Can participate in all manners of conversations with ease and only rarely makes grammatical mistakes.
• Level 5 – Native or Bilingual Proficiency – Can use the language the way an educated native speaker of the language would.

Additionally, a person in between levels might be at a 1+, 2+, 3+, or 4+ level. The following pyramid shows that Level 1 is the lowest level and you have to go up in order to increase your knowledge & skills to gain proficiency.

Image Courtesy: http://languagesurfer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Reverse-Pyramid1.png




References:

Alison ,'Defining Levels of Language Proficiency Avoids Confusion ' at Accredited Language,, December 14, 2015 at  https://www.alsintl.com/blog/language-proficiency/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages https://careers.state.gov/gateway/lang_prof_def.html