European Language
Portfolio
Listening Skills
Self-Assessment Grid
This Self-Assessment Tool is
based on one of several components of the European Language Portfolio
developed under the auspices of the European Council. The European Language
Portfolio is designed to provide continuity and comparability throughout
Europe in documenting and assessing language skills.
Which of the following descriptions
most closely matches your skill level when you listen to English? Choose
one, then click on the 
icon to go to the appropriate assessment sheet. If you feel your skills
levels are somewhere between two or more descriptions, you may complete
more than one sheet.
- I can recognise familiar
words and very basic phrases concerning myself, my family, and immediate,
concrete surroundings when people speak slowly and clearly.
- I can understand phrases
and the highest frequency vocabulary related to areas of most immediate
personal relevance (e.g. very basic personal and familiar information,
shopping, local geography, employment). I can catch the main point in
short, clear, simple messages and announcements.
- I can understand the main
points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered
in work, school, leisure, etc.. I can understand the main point of many
radio or TV programmes on current affairs or topics of personal or professional
interest when the delivery is relatively slow and clear.
- I can understand extended
speech and lectures and follow even complex lines of argument, provided
the topic is reasonably familiar. I can understand most TV news and
current affairs programmes. I can understand the majority of films in
standard dialect.
- I can understand extended
speech, even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships
are only implied and not signalled explicitly. I can understand television
programmes and films without too much effort.
- I have no difficulty in
understanding any kind of spoken language, whether live or broadcast,
even when delivered at fast native speed, provided I have some time
to get familiar with the accent.
This
page is maintained by Janet Sutherland
Last updated: 10 September 2005