Table 3 SBA assessment criteria for individual presentation (IP)

Can project the voice appropriately for the context without artificial aids. Can pronounce all sounds/sound clusters and words clearly and accurately. Can speak fluently and naturally, with very little hesitation, while using suitable intonation to enhance communication.

Can use appropriate body language to show focus on audience and to engage interest. Can judge timing in order to complete the presentation. Can confidently invite and respond to questions if this is required by the task.

Can use a wide range of accurate and appropriate vocabulary. Can use varied, appropriate and highly accurate language patterns; minor slips do not impede communication. Can choose appropriate content and level of language to enable audience to follow. Can self-correct effectively. Can present without use of notes, but may glance at a note card occasionally.

Can convey relevant information and ideas clearly and fluently without referring to notes. Can elaborate in detail on some appropriate aspects of the topic, and can consistently link main points with support and development. Can be followed easily and with interest. Can reformulate a point if the audience is unclear.

Can project the voice appropriately for the context without artificial aids. Can pronounce all sounds/sound clusters clearly and almost all words accurately. Can speak fluently using intonation to enhance communication, with only occasional hesitation, giving an overall sense of natural nonnative language.

Can use appropriate body language to show focus on audience and to engage interest. Can judge timing sufficiently to cover all essential points of the topic. Can appropriately invite and respond to questions or comments when required for the task.

Can use varied and almost always appropriate vocabulary. Can use almost entirely accurate and appropriate language patterns. Can choose content and level of language that the audience can follow, with little or no dependence on notes. Can usually self-correct effectively. May occasionally refer to a note card.

Can convey relevant information and ideas clearly and well, perhaps with occasional, unobtrusive, reference to a note card. Can elaborate on some appropriate aspects of the topic, and can link main points with support and development. Can be followed easily. Can explain a point if the audience is unclear.

Can project the voice mostly satisfactorily without artificial aids. Can pronounce most sounds/sound clusters and all common words clearly and accurately; less common words can be understood although there may be articulation errors (e.g., dropping final consonants). Can speak at a deliberate pace, with some hesitation but using sufficient intonation conventions to convey meaning.

Can use appropriate body language to display audience awareness and to engage interest, but this is not consistently demonstrated. Can use the available time to adequately cover all the most essential points of the topic. Can respond to any well-formulated questions if these are required by and directly related to the task

Can use mostly appropriate vocabulary. Can use language patterns that are usually accurate and without errors that impede communication. Can choose mostly appropriate content and level of language to enable audience to follow. Can self-correct when concentrating carefully or when asked to do so. May refer to a note card but is not dependent on notes.

Can present relevant literal ideas clearly in a well-organized structure, perhaps with occasional reference to a note card. Can expand on some appropriate aspects of the topic with additional detail or explanation, and can sometimes link these main points and expansions together effectively. Can be followed without much effort.

Volume may be a problem without artificial aids. Can pronounce all simple sounds clearly but some errors with sound clusters; less common words may be misunderstood unless supported by contextual meaning. Can speak at a careful pace and use sufficient basic intonation conventions to be understood by a familiar and supportive listener; hesitation is present.

Can use some appropriate body language, displaying occasional audience awareness and providing some degree of interest. Can present basic relevant points but has difficulty sustaining a presentation mode. Can respond to any relevant, cognitively simple, well-formulated questions required by the task.

Can use simple vocabulary and language patterns appropriately and with errors that only occasionally impede communication, but reliance on memorized materials or written notes makes language and vocabulary use seem more like written text spoken aloud. Can choose a level of content and language that enables audience to follow a main point, but needs to refer to notes. Can sometimes self-correct simple errors, may suggest a level of proficiency above 3, but cannot be scored accurately because of dependence on notes.

Can present some relevant literal ideas clearly, and can sometimes provide some simple supporting ideas. Can sometimes link main and supporting points together. May appear dependent on notes.

Volume may be a problem without artificial aids. Can pronounce simple sounds/sound clusters well enough to be understood most of the time; common words can usually be understood within overall context. Can produce familiar stretches of language with sufficiently appropriate pacing and intonation to help listener’s understanding.

Can use a restricted range of features of body language, but the overall impression is stilted. Can present very basic points but does not demonstrate use of a presentation mode and is dependent on notes. Audience awareness is very limited.

Can appropriately use vocabulary and language patterns drawn from a limited and very familiar range. Can read notes aloud but with difficulty. Can identify some errors but may be unable to self-correct. Provides a limited language sample or a sample wholly spoken from notes.

Can make an attempt to express simple relevant information and ideas, sometimes successfully, and can attempt to expand on one or two points. Can link the key information sequentially. May be dependent on notes.

Volume is likely to be a problem. Can pronounce some simple sounds and common words accurately enough to be understood. Can use appropriate intonation in the most familiar of words and phrases; hesitant speech makes the listener’s task difficult.

Body language may be intermittently present, but communication strategies appropriate to delivering a presentation are absent. There is no evident audience awareness.

Can produce a narrow range of simple vocabulary. Can use a narrow range of language patterns in very short and rehearsed utterances. Insufficient sample to assess vocabulary and language patterns.

Can express a main point or make a brief statement when prompted, in a way that is partially understandable. The presentation is wholly dependent on notes or a written text.

Does not produce any comprehensible English speech.

Does not attempt a presentation.

Does not produce any recognizable words or sequences.

Does not express any relevant or understandable information.