LAMP Scale

Level 0 Plus: I can use more than 50 words of my new language in appropriate contexts

Level 1: You are at Level One when you can confidently check each of the following Level One language activities:

•  I can initiate conversations and use appropriate leave-takings to close conversations
•  I can make a selection from a menu and order a simple meal
•  I can ask and tell the time of day, the day of the week, and the date
•  I can go to the market or butcher and ask for vegetables, fruit, milk, bread, and meat and can bargain when appropriate
•  I can tell someone how to get from here to the post office, a restaurant, or a hotel
•  I can negotiate for a taxi ride or a hotel room and get a fair price
•  I can make a social introduction of someone else and also give a brief speech to introduce myself
•  I can understand and correctly respond to questions about my marital status, nationality, occupation, age, and place of birth
•  I can get the bus or train I want, buy a ticket, and get off where I intended to
•  I can use the language well enough to assist a newcomer in all of the above level one situations
 
Level 1 Plus: I have a One Plus proficiency because I can do all of the Level One activities and at least three of the following Level Two activities

Level 2: You are at Level Two when you can confidently check each of the following Level Two language activities:

•  I can give detailed information about the weather, my family, my home and my living arrangements
•  I can take and give simple messages over the phone
•  I can give a brief autobiography and also talk about my plans and hopes (i.e. you could give a five minute testimony in church without too much planning)
•  I can describe my most recent job or activity in some detail and also describe my present role in Mexico (i.e. you could explain well to someone what you are doing in the village)
•  I can describe the purpose and function of the organization I represent
•  I could use my new language in hiring an employee and agreeing on qualifications, salary, hours, and special duties
•  I feel confident that my pronunciation is always intelligible
•  I feel confident that people understand me when I speak in the new language, at least 80% of the time. I am also confident that I understand what native speakers tell me on topics like those of Level Two.
•  I could use my new language well enough to assist a newcomer on any of the Level Two situations

Level 2 Plus: I have a Two Plus proficiency because I can do all of the Level Two activities and at least three of the following Level Three activities

Level 3: You are at Level Three when you can confidently check each of the following Level Three language activities:

•  I do not try to avoid any of the grammatical features of the language
•  I have sufficient vocabulary and grasp of the grammatical structure to complete any sentence that I begin
•  I can speak at a normal rate of speech with only rare hesitations
•  I can confidently follow and contribute to a conversation between native speakers when they try to include me
•  I am able to correctly understand any information given to me over the telephone
•  I can listen to a speech or discussion on a topic of interest to me and take accurate notes (i.e. you could take very good notes on a sermon at a church giving the main points and illustrations)
•  I can speak to a group of native speakers on a professional subject and have confidence that I am communicating what I want to
•  I can understand opposing points of view and can politely describe and defend an organizational position or objective to an antagonist (i.e. you could explain the reason for being in a village to someone that is against Christianity)
•  I could cope with a social blunder, an undeserved traffic ticket, or a plumbing emergency
•  I can understand two or more native speakers talking with each other about a current event or issue
•  I could serve as an interpreter for a newcomer in any of the Level Three situations
•  I feel that I can carry out the professional responsibilities of my work in my new language (i.e. you could lead Bible studies, preach, disciple others knowing that you weren't preaching heresy and that you are being understood by the local people)

Level 3 Plus: I have a Three Plus proficiency because I can do all of the Level Three activities and at least three of the following Level Four activities

Level 4: You are at Level Four when you can confidently check each of the following Level Four language activities:
•  I practically never make grammatical mistakes
•  I can always understand native speakers when they talk with each other.
•  I can understand humor and language puns, and I can actively participate in fun and humorous situations (i.e. you can watch Mexican television and laugh at the same things the locals do)
•  My vocabulary is always extensive and precise enough for me to convey my exact meaning in professional discussions
•  I fell I have a comprehensive grasp of the local culture “knowledge bank”
•  I can appropriately alter my speech style for a public lecture, or a conversation with a professor, an employee, or a close friend
•  I could serve as an informal interpreter for a “bigwig” at a professional or social function
•  I feel that I could carry out any job assignment as effectively in my second language as in English