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Writers at the Superior level are able to produce most kinds of
formal and informal correspondence, complex summaries, précis,
reports, and research papers on a variety of practical, social,
academic, or professional topics treated both abstractly and concretely.
They vary sentence structures, syntax, and vocabulary to direct
their writing to specific audiences, and they demonstrate an ability
to alter style, tone, and format according to the specific requirements
of the discourse. These writers demonstrate a strong awareness of
writing for the other and not for the self. Writers at the Superior
level demonstrate the ability to explain complex matters, provide
detailed narrations in all time frames and aspects, and present
and support opinions by developing cogent arguments and hypotheses.
They can organize and prioritize ideas and maintain the thrust of
a topic through convincing structure and lexicon and skillful use
of writing protocols, especially those that differ from oral protocols,
to convey to the reader what is significant. Their writing is characterized
by smooth transitions between subtopics and clear distinctions between
principal and secondary ideas. The relationship among ideas is consistently
clear, evidencing organizational and developmental principles such
as cause and effect, comparison, chronology, or other orderings
appropriate to the target language culture. These writers are capable
of extended treatment of a topic, which typically requires at least
a series of paragraphs but can encompass a number of pages. Writers
at the baseline of the Superior level will not demonstrate the full
range of the functional abilities of educated native writers. For
example, their writing may not totally reflect target language cultural,
organizational, syntactic, or stylistic patterns. At the baseline
Superior level, occasional errors may occur, particularly in low-frequency
structures, but there is no pattern to them. Errors do not interfere
with comprehension and they rarely distract the native reader.
Writers at the Advanced-High level are able to write about a variety
of topics with significant precision and detail. They can handle
most social and informal correspondence according to appropriate
conventions. They can write summaries, reports, précis, and
research papers. They can also write extensively about topics relating
to particular interests and special areas of competence, but tend
to emphasize the concrete aspects of such topics. Advanced-High
writers can describe and narrate in all major time frames with good
control of aspect. In addition, they demonstrate some ability to
incorporate the functions and other criteria of the Superior level
and to develop arguments and construct hypotheses. They cannot,
however, sustain those abilities and may have difficulty dealing
with a variety of topics in abstract, global, and/or impersonal
terms. They often show remarkable ease of expression when writing
at the Advanced level, but under the demands of Superior-level writing
tasks, patterns of error appear. Although they have good control
of a full range of grammatical structures and a fairly wide general
vocabulary, they may not use these comfortably and accurately in
all cases. Weaknesses in grammar, syntax, vocabulary, spelling or
symbol production, cohesive devices, or punctuation may occasionally
distract the native reader from the message. Writers at the Advanced-High
level do not consistently demonstrate flexibility to vary their
style according to different tasks and readers. Their writing production
often reads successfully but may fail to convey the subtlety and
nuance of the Superior level.
Writers at the Advanced Mid level are able to meet a range of work
and/or academic writing needs with good organization and cohesiveness
that may reflect the principles of their first language. They are
able to write straightforward summaries and write about familiar
topics relating to interests and events of current, public, and
personal relevance by means of narratives and descriptions of a
factual nature. Advanced Mid writers demonstrate the ability to
narrate and describe with detail in all major time frames. Their
writing is characterized by a range of general vocabulary that expresses
thoughts clearly, at times supported by some paraphrasing or elaboration.
Writing at the Advanced Mid level exhibits some variety of cohesive
devices in texts of several paragraphs in length. There is good
control of the most frequently used target language syntactic structures,
e.g., common word order patterns, coordination, and subordination.
There may be errors in complex sentences, as well as in punctuation,
spelling, or the formation of nonalphabetic symbols and character
production. While features of the written style of the target language
may be present, Advanced Mid writing may at times resemble oral
discourse or the writing style of the first language. Advanced Mid
writing incorporates organizational features of both the target
language and the writer's first language. While Advanced Mid writers
are generally aware of writing for the other, with all the attendant
tailoring required to accommodate the reader, they tend to be inconsistent
in their aims and focus from time to time on the demands of production
of the written text rather than on the needs of reception. When
called on to perform functions or to treat topics at the Superior
level, Advanced Mid writers will generally manifest a decline in
the quality and/or quantity of their writing, demonstrating a lack
of the rhetorical structure, the accuracy and the fullness of elaboration
and detail that would be characteristic of the Superior level. Writing
at the Advanced Mid level is understood readily by natives not accustomed
to the writing of non natives.
Writers at the Advanced Low level are able to meet basic work
and/or academic writing needs, produce routine social correspondence,
write about familiar topics by means of narratives and descriptions
of a factual nature, and write simple summaries. Advanced Low writers
demonstrate the ability to narrate and describe in major time frames
with some control of aspect. Advanced Low writers are able to combine
and link sentences into texts of paragraph length and structure.
Their writings, while adequate to satisfy the criteria of the Advanced
level, may not be substantive. Writers at the Advanced Low level
demonstrate an ability to incorporate a limited number of cohesive
devices but may resort to much redundancy and awkward repetition.
Subordination in the expression of ideas is present and structurally
coherent, but generally relies on native patterns of oral discourse
or the writing style of the writer's first language. Advanced Low
writers demonstrate sustained control of simple target language
sentence structures and partial control of more complex structures.
When attempting to perform functions at the Superior level, their
writing will deteriorate significantly. Writing at the Advanced
Low level is understood by natives not used to the writing of non
natives, although some additional effort may be required in the
reading of the text.
Writers at the Intermediate-High level are able to meet all practical
writing needs such as taking notes on familiar topics, and writing
uncomplicated letters, simple summaries, and compositions related
to work, school experiences, and topics of current and general interest.
Intermediate-High writers connect sentences into paragraphs using
a limited number of cohesive devices that tend to be repeated and
with some breakdown in one or more features of the Advanced level.
They can write simple descriptions and narrations of paragraph length
on everyday events and situations in different time frames, although
with some inaccuracies and inconsistencies. For example, they may
be unsuccessful in their use of paraphrase and elaboration and/or
inconsistent in the use of appropriate major time markers, resulting
in a loss in clarity. In those languages that use verbal markers
to indicate tense and aspect, forms are not consistently accurate.
The vocabulary, grammar, and style of Intermediate-High writers
essentially correspond to those of spoken language. The writing
of an Intermediate-High writer, even with numerous and perhaps significant
errors, is generally comprehensible to natives not accustomed to
the writing of non-natives, but gaps in comprehension may occur.
Writers at the Intermediate-Mid level are able to meet a number
of practical writing needs. They can write short simple communications,
compositions, descriptions, and requests for information in loosely
connected texts that are based on personal preferences, daily routines,
common events, and other topics related to personal experiences
and immediate surroundings. Most writing is framed in present time,
with inconsistent references to other time frames. The writing style
closely resembles the grammar and lexicon of oral discourse. Writers
at the Intermediate-Mid level show evidence of control of syntax
in noncomplex sentences and in basic verb forms, and they may demonstrate
some ability to use grammatical and stylistic cohesive elements.
This writing is best defined as a collection of discreet sentences
and/or questions loosely strung together; there is little evidence
of deliberate organization. Writers at the Intermediate-Mid level
pay only sporadic attention to the reader of their texts; they focus
their energies on the production of the writing rather than on the
reception of the text. When Intermediate-Mid writers attempt Advanced-level
writing tasks, the quality and/or quantity of their writing declines
and the message may be unclear. Intermediate-Mid writers can be
understood readily by natives familiar with the writing of non-natives.
Writers at the Intermediate-Low level are able to meet some limited
practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate
questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are recombinations
of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple
conversational sentences with basic subject-verb-object order. They
are written mostly in present time with occasional and often incorrect
use of past or future time. Writing tends to be a few simple sentences,
often with repetitive structure. Vocabulary is limited to common
objects and routine activities, and is adequate to express elementary
needs. Writing is somewhat mechanistic and topics are limited to
highly predictable content areas and personal information tied to
limited language experience. There may be basic errors in grammar,
word choice, punctuation, spelling, and in the formation and use
of nonalphabetical symbols. When Intermediate-Low writers attempt
to perform writing tasks at the Advanced level, their writing will
deteriorate significantly and their message may be left incomplete.
Their writing is understood by natives familiar with the writing
of non-natives, although additional effort may be required.
Writers at the Novice High level are able to meet limited basic
practical writing needs using lists, short messages, postcards,
and simple notes, and to express themselves within the context in
which the language was learned, relying mainly on practiced material.
The writing is generally writer centered and is focused on common,
discrete elements of daily life. Novice High writers are able to
recombine learned vocabulary and structures to create simple sentences
on very familiar topics, but the language they produce may only
partially communicate what is intended. Control of Intermediate
level features is not sustained due to inadequate vocabulary and/or
grammar. Novice High writing is often comprehensible to natives
accustomed to the writing of non natives, but gaps in comprehension
may occur.
Writers at the Novice Mid level are able to copy or transcribe
familiar words or phrases, and reproduce from memory a modest number
of isolated words and phrases in context. They can supply limited
information on simple forms and documents, and other basic biographical
information, such as names, numbers, and nationality. Novice Mid
writers exhibit a high degree of accuracy when writing on well-practiced,
familiar topics using limited formulaic language. With less familiar
topics, there is a marked decrease in accuracy. Errors in spelling
or in the representation of symbols may be frequent. There is little
evidence of functional writing skills. At this level, the writing
may be difficult to understand even by those accustomed to reading
the texts of non-natives.
Writers at the Novice Low level are able to form letters in an
alphabetic system and can copy and produce isolated, basic strokes
in languages that use syllabaries or characters. Given adequate
time and familiar cues, they can reproduce from memory a very limited
number of isolated words or familiar phrases, but errors are to
be expected.
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