Initial Oral Assessment
Note: The following questions are meant to promote speech for the purpose
of deciding on further assessments. Feel free to eliminate, add to or expand
on the following questions. If the student is non-responsive or demonstrates
a limited command of English, discontinue interview and proceed to
Assessment A. It is recommended that this interview be recorded.
Suggested questions:
General Information:
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What is your name? What do you like to be called?
3. How old are you? What is your birthday?
4. Where are you from? ____________ Were you born there? __________
Questions about school:
1. Did you go to school?
Yes
No (probe for frequency)
2. What language was your teaching in?
3. How is this school different/same from your other school?
4. Tell me about your school (grade, length of day, classes subjects).
5. Did you learn any English in school?
6. Can you read/write in your first language?
7. What do you like/don’t like about school?
Questions about family:
1. Tell me about your family.
2. Who do you live with?
3. Do you have family members at this school?
4. What language do you speak at home?
5. Do your parents speak other languages?
6. How is your life in Canada the same/different than your home country?
(weather, food, housing, city)
7. Tell me what you would do on a regular day? (home country/here).
8. What do you like to do for fun?
Promoting Questioning:
1. Do you have any questions about this school?
2. Do you have any questions for me?
3. Do you have any questions about living in Canada?
4. Look at this picture. What questions does it make you think of?
Expressing/supporting personal opinions:
1. If you could _____ or _____ which would you choose? Why?
(eg. play soccer or baseball, eat carrots or potatoes, watch tv or ride your bike
– adapt to the student).
See the Initial Assessment flow chart for next steps.
Comments:
Student Name: __________________
D.O.B.: ________________________
Date: _________________________
Interviewer: ___________________
The EAL student can:
A1.1 – A1.2
 Answer questions/converses using
single words or short phrases
 Respond to general information
questions
 Can express lack of understanding
 Can express preferences
A2.1-A2.2
 Answers questions/converses using
short phrases and short sentences
 Request clarification when necessary
 Ask questions
 Recount familiar events, stories and
key information
 Express personal opinions and
emotions on familiar topics
 Speak with sufficient clarity and fluency
for listener comprehension
B1.1-B1.2
 Initiate and maintain conversations on
familiar topics using appropriate
discourse cues. (eg. reply,
acknowledgement, agreement)
 Speak with clear, fluent pronunciation
and voice quality (tone, volume, stress)
 Uses diverse vocabulary and familiar
expressions.
 Support/justify opinions and
arguments most of the time
 Begin to self-correct simple
grammatical errors
 Use most language structures
appropriate to the grade level
 Speak with fluency and clarity
 Self-correct common grammatical
errors
 Use idiomatic and colloquial language
appropriately
B2+
 Completed all of the tasks above with
grade appropriate ease
 Appears to speak with the fluency of a
native speaker.