Table 8 Revised 5-point rating scales

5

Speaks very fluently with almost no hesitations, false starts, or modifications of attempted utterances.

Errors are barely noticeable.

Confidently attempts a variety of verb forms (e.g., passives, modals, tense, and aspect) even if the use is not always correct.

Routinely attempts the use of coordination and subordination to convey ideas that cannot be expressed in a single clause, even if the result is awkward or incorrect.

Confidently initiates and pursues interaction with others.

Responds appropriately and naturally to others with adequate detail.

May attempt paraphrase or clarification.

Communicates very effectively overall.

4

Speaks fairly fluently with only occasional hesitations, false starts, or modifications of attempted utterances.

Errors are not unusual, but rarely major.

Attempts a variety of verb forms (e.g., passives, modals, tense, and aspect) even if the use is not always correct.

Regularly attempts the use of coordination and subordination to convey ideas that cannot be expressed in a single clause, even if the result is awkward or incorrect.

Regularly attempts to initiate and pursue interaction with others.

Responds appropriately and naturally to others, though not always with adequate detail.

Communicates relatively effectively overall.

3

Speaks somewhat fluently though hesitations and word-finding delays are not uncommon.

Manages most common forms, with occasional errors, major errors present but not predominant.

Mostly relies on simple verb forms, with some attempt to use a greater variety of forms (e.g., passives, modals, more varied tense and aspect).

Makes some attempt to use coordination and subordination to convey ideas that cannot be expressed in a single clause.

Makes some attempt to initiate and pursue interaction with others.

Responds appropriately to others, though not always naturally or with much detail.

Communicates somewhat effectively overall.

2

Speaks with a marked degree of hesitation due to word-finding delays or inability to phrase utterances easily.

Demonstrates limited linguistic control: major errors frequent.

Produces numerous sentence fragments in a predictable set of simple clause structures.

If coordination and/or subordination are attempted to express more complex clause relations, this is hesitant and done with difficulty.

Makes an effort to initiate and pursue interaction with others, even if unsuccessful at times.

Responds to others but often with unnatural pauses and without much detail.

Communicates relatively ineffectively overall.

1

Speech is quite disfluent due to frequent and lengthy hesitations or false starts.

Exhibits a clear lack of linguistic control even of basic forms.

Produces mostly sentence fragments and simple phrases.

Little attempt to use any grammatical means to connect ideas across clauses.

Does not initiate or attempt to pursue interaction with others.

Provides only minimal responses when prompted.

Communicates very ineffectively overall.