Study Guide
Field 020: French
Sample Listening Comprehension Assignment
The following materials contain:
- Test directions for the listening comprehension assignment
- A sample listening comprehension assignment, strong response characteristics,
and sample strong response - Performance characteristics and scoring scale
Test Directions for the Listening Comprehension Assignment
[Note to examinee: These test directions are provided here to familiarize you with the directions you will see on the actual test. They may refer to features whose functionality is not enabled in this study guide.]
This section of the test consists of a listening comprehension assignment. You will listen to an audio recording. The listening passage will be read twice. After you have heard the passage twice, you will respond in writing to the assignment presented.
Your response may be written in either the target language or English. This should be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work. You may use the erasable notebooklet to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response. However, your final response to the assignment must be typed in the response box provided for the assignment.
Please note that special characters (such as letters with accents or other diacritical marks) cannot be entered using the keyboard but are available for insertion in the on-screen response box. To access these characters, click on the button that appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Using the mouse, click on the character you wish to include in your response and then select
"Insert ." The character will be inserted where the cursor is positioned in the response box.Your response to the listening comprehension assignment in this section will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria.
LISTENING COMPREHENSION: accuracy and completeness in comprehending spoken language
INFERENCE: demonstrated ability to infer information accurately from spoken language, including subtleties such as tone
Please be aware that the visual enhancements and are NOT available during this section of the test. Please DO NOT use these features until you have completed all listening items and proceeded to the remaining sections of the test.
Select the Next button to continue.
[After completing the listening comprehension assignment, you will see on the screen:]
This is the end of the listening comprehension section of the test. You may now remove your headset.
Select the Next button to continue with the remainder of the test.
Sample Listening Comprehension Assignment
Subarea 1
Listening Comprehension
[Notes to examinee: During the test, you will listen to a passage read twice and then respond to the assignment in writing, in either French or English. (For complete test directions to this assignment, see above.) The dialogue shown below represents the recorded text you would hear on the actual test. It is shown here for study purposes only; on the actual test you will not see printed text accompanying the recordings.]
Write a brief response in which you:
- identify the speakers;
- explain where and at what time of year the conversation probably takes place; and
- predict what is likely to happen as a result of the conversation.
Strong Response Characteristics for the Listening Comprehension Assignment
An excellent response would demonstrate a thorough and accurate understanding of the content of the passage, including virtually all significant details. The examinee would accurately infer information implied in the passage, even if it is subtly conveyed in the recording. Because this exercise is designed to test your listening skills and not your writing ability, you may write your response in either the target language or English. You should choose the language that is more familiar to you.
Sample Strong Response to the Listening Comprehension Assignment
Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam.
Les personnes qui parlent sont la mère et le professeur de Charles.
La conversation a probablement lieu au printemps; la mère de Charles es probablement chez elle, le professeur à l'école.
Il va y avoir une réunion entre la mère de Charles, le professeur et la psychologue de l'école. Les trois participants parleront des problèmes académiques et personnels de Charles et des mesures à prendre pour qu'il améliore son travail scolaire de manière à pouvoir passer en terminale l'automne prochain.
Performance Characteristics for the Listening Comprehension Assignment
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the listening comprehension assignment.
LISTENING COMPREHENSION | accuracy and completeness in comprehending spoken language |
---|---|
INFERENCE | demonstrated ability to infer information accurately from spoken language, including subtleties such as tone |
Scoring Scale for the Listening Comprehension Assignment
Scores will be assigned to each response to the listening comprehension assignment according to the following scoring scale.
Score Point | Score Point Description |
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4 |
|
3 |
|
2 |
|
1 |
|
U | The response is unrelated to the assigned topic, illegible, not written in the required language, not of sufficient length to score, or merely a repetition of the assignment. |
B | There is no response to the assignment. |