CELLA B-D
Listening & Speaking Sections

Speaker Notes:

Facilitator Notes:

The listening test is all multiple-choice and is paced by a CD (or teacher script, which appears in the Directions for Administration manual).

There are four item types that progressively get more challenging.

1. Listen and Match: single sentences—taps into the lower end of the proficiency spectrum.

2. Picture Description: single sentences, but more listening is involved.

3. Short Talks: two types—partial dialogues and teacher talks (mixture of BICS and CALP).

BICS – Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills or the language skills needed in social situations.

CALP – Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency or formal academic learning. This includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing about subject area content material.

4. Extended Listening: assesses whether the student can learn new information in English.

The Speaking section is administered in a one-on-one setting. The test administrator sits with a student and asks a series of questions. The student’s responses are scored on the spot by the test administrator.

There are 5 items types in the speaking tests:

1. Oral Vocabulary – student identifies objects or actions and state antonyms

2. Speech Functions – student asks a question related to a situation

3. Personal Opinion – student gives reason to support an opinion

4. Story Retelling – student hears story then repeats it

5. Graph Interpretation – student looks at graph and speaks about the information on the graph