TFU Foreign Language Assessment Rubrics
Below are a set of procedures and rubrics designed to assist in the assessment of the English competency of students.
Speaking Assessment
Description:
Speaking ability—the ability to express yourself and participate in real-time conversation/discussion in an appropriate and meaningful way
—is a fundamental aspect of “real-world” second language competence. The speaking rubric below (next page) is designed to be used in
an examination context—a one-on-one, face-to-face "interview" test between a teacher and a student for a reasonable amount of time
(possibly 7 to 10 min. per student). The student answers oral questions related to the content covered in class, and is encouraged to
expand on answers and engage the instructor in conversation as the test proceeds. The student is informed at least a week ahead of
time of the upcoming exam, allowing him/her to prepare by reviewing the textbook (e.g., a just-completed unit) or other learning materials
from class, practicing pronunciation and/or reviewing vocabulary, grammar exercises, and conversation activities. Although this is not
exactly a spontaneous conversation, it gives the student chance to show what they can do in a well- understood context (which may be
more similar to typical real-world conversations than some suddenly- imposed, contrived classroom conversations). Depending on topic,
pictures or other realia related may be used. As the exam progresses, the instructor assigns a score for each skill category (0-4),
resulting in an overall score between zero and 20.
In interactive speaking activities, listening ability unavoidably becomes involved, so this type of speaking assessment can also be viewed
as a supplement to some less interactive listening based assessments. The procedure and rubric presented here can be used for a one-
time assessment, or multiple assessment results can be averaged to yield an overall assessment over the course of a school term.
If one-to-one assessment proves impractical, the rubric can also be completed through observation of normal in-class activities over the
course of a term. In this case, students are aware that they are being assessed on an on-going basis and will receive a score for each
skill category and an overall score (between zero and 20) at the end of the term.
(Rubric on next page)
Speaking Fluency Assessment Rubric
0-Not able to 1-Inadequate 2-Needs 3-Meets 4-Exceeds
Categories perform improvement expectation expectations
Vocabulary Uses only few words Uses only basic, Uses limited Uses varied Uses appropriate
and expressions or simple vocabulary vocabulary and vocabulary and expressions and a
inadequate and expressions. expressions and expressions learned wide range of
vocabulary. Sometimes uses makes frequent in class, and makes vocabulary learned in
inadequate errors in word choice. only a few errors in and out class.
vocabulary, which Does not try to use word choice.
hinders the student new words learned in
from responding class or expand
properly. vocabulary and
expressions.
Grammar Can't use appropriate Uses only basic Uses a variety of Uses a variety of Uses many different
sentence structures. structures and makes structures with sentence structures structures depending
Can't put words in frequent errors. frequent errors, or but makes some on contexts with only
proper word order. uses basic structures errors. a few grammatical
with only a few errors.
errors.
Pronunciation Can't understand Frequent problems Pronunciation, Pronunciation, Pronunciation,
what the student with pronunciation rhythm and intonation rhythm and intonation rhythm and intonation
says. and intonation. errors sometimes are almost clear and are almost always
Voice is too quiet to make it difficult to accurate, but only clear and accurate.
hear. understand the occasionally difficult
Hard to understand. student. to understand.
Overall Fluency Speaks very little or Speaks with much Speaks with some Speaks with some Speaks smoothly
doesn't speak at all. hesitation, which hesitation, which hesitation, but it with little hesitation
often interferes with sometimes interferes doesn't usually and doesn't interrupt
communication. with communication. interrupt the flow of the flow of
conversation. conversation.
Speaks with
confidence.
Interaction Can hardly Ideas and purpose is Tries to Focus on the Gives clear ideas.
communicate; always not clear; usually communicate, but conversation most of Communicates
misses questions does not respond sometimes doesn't the time and effectively; almost
from the teacher and appropriately or respond communicate always responds
can't respond. clearly and as the appropriately. effectively; generally appropriately.
result, needs a lot of Sometimes ideas are responds Keeps the
help communicating. not clear and hard to appropriately and conversation going
understand. tries to develop the by asking follow-up
interaction. questions.
Listening Assessment
Description:
Listening comprehension is a key aspect of “real-life” competence in an L2. The assessment procedure described here relies on lecturer-
observation of student performance as they carry out various tasks over the course of a term in a regular language class. These
classroom tasks may range from ones purely focusing on listening comprehension (including quizzes/tests) to ones involving
communicative performance (conversation activities). Students will understand that they are being assessed on an on- going basis and will
receive a score for each skill area and an overall score (between zero and 20) at the end of the term.
Specific listening skills listed in the rubric, but which are not observed in class activities, should not be considered in evaluating students'
performance (e.g. in a reading-focused class with little or no pair/group work, or a class with few instructions given in the L2), with total
possible points adjusted accordingly (e.g., zero to 16 rather than zero to 20).
Listening Assessment Rubric
Criteria 0-Not able to 2-Needs 3-Meets 4-Exceeds
N/A 1-Inadequate
Skills perform improvement expectations expectations
Made significant Made some Made only a few
mistakes in mistakes in mistakes in Could understand
Could not
Understands No verbal understanding understanding understanding instructions
understand and
teacher's verbal instructions instructions and instructions butinstructions and correctly and follow
follow instructions
instructions provided could barely could follow with
could follow with without trouble.
at all
follow with help clarification byno help from
from others others others
Made only a few
Made some
Made significant mistakes in
Could not mistakes in Could understand
mistakes in understanding
Understands No verbal understand understanding the questions
understanding questions and
teacher's verbal questions questions, and questions, but correctly and
questions and could provide
questions provided provided no could provide provide sufficient
could only provide somewhat
responses. somewhat unclear responses.
unclear responses appropriate
responses
responses
Made significant Made some Made only a few
mistakes in mistakes in mistakes in Could understand
Could not
Understands No verbal understanding understanding the understanding the the instructions
understand and
recorded instructions instructions and instructions but instructions and correctly and follow
follow instructions
instructions provided could barely could follow with could follow with no them with no
at all
follow with help clarification by help from problem
from others others others
Made only a few
Made some
Made significant mistakes in
Could not mistakes in Could understand
mistakes in understanding the
Understands No verbal understand the understanding the the questions
understanding the questions and
recorded instructions questions, provided questions but could correctly and
questions and could provide
questions provided no responses at all provide somewhat provide sufficient
could only provide somewhat
unclear responses responses.
unclear responses appropriate
responses
Made some Made only a few
Could not Made significant
mistakes in mistakes in Could understand
understand the mistakes in
understanding, but understanding and correctly and
Understands No communicative talks at all and understanding
could pursue the could pursue the actively pursue the
partner(s) in activities done couldn't pursue others and could
communicative communicative communicative
pair/group work the communicative barely pursue the
activity to the activity with no activity.
activity at all communicative certain extent problem
activity
Writing Assessment
In order to be called a “competent”, a learner should minimally be able to produce a logically presented, coherent, audience-appropriate
short essay or piece of prose on a variety of topics. The procedure and rubric presented here can be used for a one-time assessment,
or multiple assessment results can be averaged to yield an overall assessment over the course of an institution term.
The lecturer uses the rubric below to assign the essay a score (0–4) for each category, resulting in a total score between zero and 28.
Essay Writing Assessment Rubric
0-Not able to 2-Needs 3-Meets 4- Exceeds
Category perform 1-Inadequate Improvement Expectations Expectations
Introduction/ Does not contain an Does not adequately Contains a simple Clearly shows what Clearly shows what
Opening paragraph introduction. state what the essay introduction but does the essay is about the essay is about
is about. not grab attention. and attempts to grab and grabs the
For example, "My the reader's attention. reader's attention.
essay is about
".
Main Idea/Body The essay has no The support for the The essay contains The essay contains The essay contains
support for the topic. topic is very weak or weak support but support for the topic. strong support for the
irrelevant. contains evidence or topic and uses
examples. evidence and/or
examples.
Conclusion Does not contain a The conclusion is The essay concludes Concludes the essay Effectively restates the
conclusion. irrelevant to the unsatisfactorily. It may satisfactorily. introduction and gives
introduction. leave the reader Effectively restates the the author's position
confused or go introduction. on the topic.
against the
introduction.
Sentence Structure Does not contain Contains very simple Contains short Uses complex Uses complex
structure. Words are sentence structure. sentences along with sentence structures sentence structures
put together randomly. Sentences are very simple connecting and uses connecting and correctly uses
short and choppy. words. words with a few connecting words.
mistakes.
Grammar/Spelling Egregious errors in Contains many errors Contains a few Grammar and/or Virtually no grammar
grammar and/or in grammar and/or grammatical and/or spelling is correct for and/or spelling errors.
spelling. spelling. spelling errors. the most part.
Punctuation/ Egregious errors in Contains many errors Contains a few Punctuation and/or Virtually no
Capitalization punctuation and/or in punctuation and/or punctuation and/or capitalization is correct punctuation and/or
capitalization. capitalization capitalization errors. for the most part. capitalization errors.
Audience Does not understand The intended Vaguely understands Understands who the Has a keen
Understanding the intended audience. audience is not the audience but uses essay is intended for understanding of the
thought about or grammar and and uses grammar audience and tailors
ignored in most of the vocabulary that the and vocabulary based the essay to the needs
essay. reader might not be on the of the reader.
aware of. audience.
Read Aloud Fluency Assessment Rubric
0-Not able to 2-Needs 3-Meets 4- Exceeds
perform 1-Inadequate Improvement Expectations Expectations
Expression and Reading is almost Reads in a quiet Reads in a quiet Reads with volume Reads with varied
Volume inaudible, not clear voice as if has no voice. The reading and expression. volume and
enough to follow confidence in reading sounds natural in part However, sometimes expression.
what is being read. of text. The reading of the text, but reader slips into Sounds like s/he is
does NOT sound does not always expressionless, talking comfortably
natural—not like sound comfortable unnatural-sounding with acquaintance,
talking to an and expressive. reading. with voice matching
acquaintance. the interpretation of
the passage.
Phrasing Monotone voice and Reads word-by-word Reads in two or three Reads with a mixture Reads with good
unnatural grouping of in a monotone voice. word phrases, not of run-ons, mid phrasing; adhering to
words makes adhering to sentence pauses for punctuation, stress
comprehension punctuation, stress breath, and some and intonation.
difficult to impossible. and intonation. choppiness.
Reasonable stress
and intonation.
Smoothness Long pauses cause Frequently hesitates Reads with extended Reads with Reads smoothly with
listener to “lose the while reading, pauses or occasional breaks in some breaks, but
thread.” sounds out words, hesitations. Many rhythm. Has difficulty self-corrects with
and repeats words or “rough spots.” with specific words difficult words and/ or
phrases. Makes and/or sentence sentence structures.
multiple attempts to structures.
read the same
passage.
Pace Slow or failed Reads slowly and Reads moderately Reads fast and slow Reads at a
attempts to utter laboriously. slowly. throughout reading. conversational pace
many words causes throughout the
even sentence-level reading.
comprehension
difficulties.
Rubric modified from Rasinski (2004) – Creating Fluent Readers.
