Chinese Proficiency Samples - Speaking - Intermediate

Intermediate Low

• The speaker was creating with the language, rather than processing memorized language.
• Was able to handle successfully a limited number of uncomplicated tasks, such as naming the members of family and what they do, (e.g., 我的哥哥是传道士。我的姐姐在 （？） 工作。我的弟弟妹妹去学校...是初中生。) and asking and answering simple questions (e.g., where, when and who regarding a party to which he was invited.)
• Was primarily reactive and struggled to answer direct questions or requests for information (e.g., 为什么喜欢跑步? -- 因为很好玩, ... 是运动。1776 年发生了什事？--  美国要去跟英国一样, ...不一样。你为什么喜欢学中文？--  因为我喜欢写字。我喜欢说中文。也是很有趣。
• The speech was characterized by frequent pauses.
• The utterances were primarily discreet sentences.
• Could be understood by interlocutors accustomed to dealing with non-natives.

Intermediate Mid

• The speaker was able to express meaning by creating with the language.
• Was able to answer a variety of uncomplicated questions, such as the length of time and reason for studying Chinese (我十二岁的时候去一个charter school。有中文课，选课的时候可以选。... 我觉得中文很有意思，所以我要学习六年。差不多六年。), what he did on the flight to Beijing (我看电影。我的飞机有电视。所以我可以看电影，还是睡觉。), what he did on a typical day in Beijing (我们去看很多的游客的地方。我们去过夫子庙。还是，我们逛街一点。对。), and what he enjoyed doing besides going to school (我很喜欢滑雪。我很喜欢弹小提琴。我很喜欢读书。).
   
• Could ask a variety of questions, as demonstrated in his handling of the role-play situation.
• Utterances were of sentence length and some strings of sentences.
• Was not able to provide paragraph-length discourse to handle topics at the advanced level, such as narrating the trip to Beijing or activities in a typical day in Beijing; describing first impressions of Beijing, typical Chinese food, 夫子庙, the story of Harry Porter; comparing Beijing and Xi'an; explaining why people love to eat at McDonald's; and giving directions to the McDonald's.
• Could be generally understood by interlocutors accustomed to dealing with non-natives.

Intermediate High

• The speaker was able to converse with ease and confidence when dealing with most routine tasks and social situation of the Intermediate level (e.g., returning purchased merchandise, how to use Chinese in the future.)
• Could handle most of the Advanced level questions at level (e.g., explaining why studying Chinese at Nanjing University, why it is important to express one's opinions, what "freedom" meant to her, describing a portion of a story in a book, narrating and describing how she got interested in learning how to play the cello, and describing the challenges facing America due to high taxes.)
• Could not sustain performance at the Advanced level over a variety of topics (e.g., explaining whether or not a society emphasizing individualism is good, how to help unemployed and homeless people with money from churches or why the government should not take on this responsibility).
• Could be generally understood by native speakers accustomed to dealing with non-natives.