How to Use the CELBAN Speaking and Listening Score Cards
These score cards are here to help you understand your language performance.
They are not a test.
They are not a list of twelve tests that you need to complete.
The CLB levels show a progression of language ability from Level 1 to Level 12.
The Speaking Score Card can also help you think about your listening because speaking and listening happen together in communication.
1. Start with the CLB levels
There are 12 CLB levels.
As you move from one level to the next, the language abilities become more developed.
Do not try to read all 12 levels at once.
Remember the required score, at this time, on the CELBAN is 8 for speaking and 9/10 for listening.
(The score for listening has changed back and forth from a 9 to 10 and back to a 9 over time. It can change again.)Instead:
Find a level that looks similar to your current ability.
Read the descriptions of what you can do at that level.
Look at the examples.
Compare them with your own communication.
Then look at the next level.
Notice what changes.
Ask yourself:
What can I do now? ✅
Then ask:
What can I do at the next level that I cannot do yet? ✅
This is where the score card becomes a learning tool.
2. Do not choose a level only because it sounds like you
Look at the whole description.
For speaking, notice:
How clearly you communicate.
How you organize your ideas.
Your word choice.
Your grammatical control.
How you interact with another person.
How you respond to the situation.
How you adjust your communication to the person and context.
Speaking ability is more than pronunciation or grammar.
> You are also learning how to understand another person, decide what to say, organize your response, and communicate your meaning in a particular situation.
3. Use the Speaking Score Card to think about Listening
Speaking and listening are different skills.
But they are connected.
When you are having a conversation, you are not only speaking.
You are also listening.
You need to understand what another person says before you can respond appropriately.
This means that the Speaking Score Card can give you another way to look at your listening.
Ask yourself:
Can I understand what the other person is asking me?
Can I identify the important information?
Can I understand what the person wants or needs?
Can I recognize the purpose of the conversation?
Can I respond to what I have heard?
Can I ask for clarification when I do not understand?
The question is not simply:
“Can I speak English?” ❌
It is:
“Can I understand and respond appropriately in this situation?” ✅
4. Pay attention to the four competencies
As you use the score cards, pay attention to the four competencies that are important in CELBAN:
These competencies help you look beyond individual words and sentences.
For example, you may understand the words someone is saying but still have difficulty understanding what you are expected to do.
Or you may understand an instruction but have difficulty responding clearly.
Or you may know what you want to say but have difficulty adjusting your response to the person or situation.
These are different parts of communication.
5. Ask what is happening in the conversation
When you listen to a speaking example, do not only listen for words.
Ask:
What is happening in this situation?
Who is speaking to whom?
What does each person need?
What information is important?
What is the purpose of the conversation?
What does the speaker need to understand?
What does the speaker need to do?
How does the response change because of the situation?
Then ask:
What would I do in this situation?
This helps you connect listening with communication.
6. Listen for the difference between benchmarks
The CLB levels are not twelve separate exams.
They show development.
As you move from one level to another, notice how communication changes.
You may notice differences in:
the amount of information understood.
the complexity of the information.
the way ideas are organized.
the ability to understand implied meaning.
the ability to respond appropriately.
the ability to manage a conversation.
and the ability to communicate in less familiar or more complex situations.
Do not ask only:
“Did I understand every word?” ❌
Ask:
“Did I understand what was happening?” ✅
“Did I understand what the person meant?”✅
“Did I know what I needed to do?” ✅
“Could I respond appropriately?”✅
7. Use the score card to find your next step
You do not need to become a Level 12 speaker or listener all at once, or even at all.
At the time of writing, the required CELBAN score for speaking is an 8, which is lower than Level 12.
The purpose of showing all twelve levels is to let you see the progression.
Start where you are.
Then look one step ahead.
My current ability ➡️ What I notice ➡️ What I need to develop ➡️ What I practice next
The score card helps you see the difference between where you are and where you are going.
8. Listening is not passive
Listening is something you do.
You listen to understand.
You listen to decide.
You listen to respond.
You listen to notice what is important.
You listen to understand instructions and information.
You listen to another person's meaning, not simply their words.
This is especially important in healthcare communication.
A healthcare professional needs to understand what another person is communicating and then respond in a way that is appropriate to the situation.
A CLB level is a description of language ability.
It is not a description of your intelligence, your value, or your ability to be a nurse or other healthcare professional.
Use the score cards to understand your communication development.
Use the examples to help you see what development can look like.
Use speaking to notice listening.
Use listening to understand what you need to respond to.
Use what you notice to decide what you want to work on next.
> The goal is not simply to speak more.
The goal is to understand and communicate more effectively.
