The ILR Oral Interview: Origins, Applications, Pitfalls, and Implications

test? may it be used in the classroom? What pitfalls attend its use? What are the implications of a proficiency-based testing system for classroom methodology and curriculum design?2 The oral interview is a testing procedure capable of measuring a wide range of speaking abilities from novice to native. The OI answers the question: How well does X speak German? In the OI, the student converses with one or two trained testers on a variety of topics for approximately ten to forty minutes, depending on the student's proficiency level. The resulting speech sample (which may be tape-recorded for later verification) is then rated on a scale ranging from zero (no practical ability to function in the language) to five (ability equivalent to that of a well-educated native speaker). Plus ratings (0 +, 1 +, 2 +, up to 4 +) are given to students who fulfill the requirements for a given level but fail to sustain performance at the next higher level. The resulting scale contains, in total, eleven ranges of overall proficiency, with each range defined in terms of functional foreign language use.