S.L.P.

functional level

Guide to help you prepare for English and French tests

Civil Guard Language Department

INDEX

0. INTRODUCTION

1. STANAG 6001 FRAME

2. THE TESTS

3. LISTENING COMPREHENSION TRAIT

3.1. The test

3.2. STANAG descriptors
3.3. Evaluation of the test
3.4. Recommendations for its practice

4. ORAL EXPRESSION TRAIT

4.1. The test

4.2. STANAG descriptors
4.3. Structure of the interview
4.4. Recommendations for its practice

5. READING COMPREHENSION TRAIT

5.1. The test

5.2. STANAG descriptors
5.3. Evaluation of the test
5.4. Recommendations for its practice

6. WRITTEN EXPRESSION TRAIT

6.1. The test

6.2. STANAG descriptors
6.3. Evaluation of the test
6.4. Recommendations for its practice

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0. INTRODUCTION

This guide is intended as an information and support tool for all those who decide to take the
SLP functional level (2.2.2.2.2.) tests in English and French in the Civil Guard.

First, some general details about STANAG 6001, promulgated by the NATO Standardization
Agency, which is intended to assess comprehension and expression skills, both oral and written, in
the target language, are provided for information purposes.

Next, the different tests are analyzed, trait by trait, considering their respective descriptors.

Finally, a series of recommendations are given to support the preparation and performance
of the tests. This does not mean that it is the only way of approaching the language; each test taker
must find his or her own method of learning the language, according to his or her personal needs,
abilities, circumstances, interests, etc.

In any case, these test preparation guides will in no case replace the regulations in force for
each exam session, which will appear on the Languages web page of the Intranet.

1. STANAG 6001 FRAME

STANAG 6001 is the regulatory standard for languages in the Armed Forces of NATO
countries. The main purpose of this standardization agreement is to homogenize, in this context, the
measurement of linguistic competence for each of the four linguistic features to be assessed: oral
comprehension, oral expression, written comprehension and written expression.

To this end, it establishes a scale of levels, from 0 to 5, describing the general linguistic
requirements to be met at each level:

Level 0: no competence
Level 1: survival
Level 2: functional
Level 3: professional
Level 4: expert
Level 5: native speaker of high cultural level

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The description of each of the levels, for each of the linguistic features, contains the following
elements:

TASK: whatthe candidate cando with the language.

CONTENT: what it can talk about (thematic areas, contexts...).
ACCURACY: how you use the language (quality and correctness of your message). TEXT:
what type of text/discourse is produced (length and organization of the discourse).

The following table shows a distribution of these four elements in the descriptor
corresponding to level 2 (functional) of the trait of oral expression.

As can be seen through this descriptor, the scale provided by the STANAG describes and
measures the general ability (linguistic competence) one has over a language, and not the degree
of knowledge of it.

Another characteristic of this scale is that it is not linear, so it cannot be said that a person
with level 2 knows twice as much, nor that he/she knows how to express him/herself.

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The same can be said of a level 3 compared to a level 2, and it can only be said that a level 3 is
able to do a number of things with the language that a level 2 could not do.

On the other hand, it should be clarified that each of these descriptors presents the minimum
that must be demonstrated in order to be accredited. However, the differences between levels are
wide, so it is possible that an individual may show different abilities in tackling each of the tasks of
the level, being stronger in some of them and weaker in others. This also explains why there are
notable differences in language proficiency between individuals with the same level of proficiency.
Let's look at an example:

Describe your city (level 2 speaking task)

EXAMINING A: "...I live in a city in the north of Madrid. It is a small city and has 3000
inhabitants. The city center is very nice because it has a very old church and the town hall.
The city has a fairly large shopping center where you can find many stores, where you can
buy clothes, food, toys...etc. We also have a streetcar that goes all over the city...".

EXAMINING B: "... I live in a city south of Barcelona. It is a fairly large city, with a population
of around one million inhabitants. Many people from different cultures coexist in it, we could
speak of a multicultural city. It is a very well connected city with several public transportation
systems: city and intercity buses and streetcars. The cultural offer is quite wide, there are
four cinemas, two theaters and several museums. As for the service factor, it offers a wide
range of possibilities from several bilingual schools, university to several hospitals with a
multitude of specialties...".

Both examinees meet the requirements for Level 2 of the Speaking trait in that they are able
to describe places...in complete but simple paragraphs. Both comply with the assigned task,
expressing ideas in a logical and coherent manner.

The fact that examinee B is able to produce a longer and richer piece of vocabulary and
syntactic and grammatical structures does not mean that he/she is a level 3. To demonstrate a level
3 you would have to develop level 3 tasks, which should be proposed by the tribunal.

Since we know that each level represents a range of proficiency and not a particular point,
what can be inferred from the proficiency demonstrated in this Level 2 test is that both test takers
are at different points in the same language proficiency level (Level 2 of the Speaking trait). Thus:

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 However, more tasks would be needed to validate this argument, so the only conclusion at
this point is that both adequately meet this level 2 test.

THE PLUS "+" INDICATOR

In the fourth edition of the STANAG, a series of intermediate levels have been included
between the previous base levels, called "plus levels" and whose representation in the degree of
linguistic ability is made by means of the symbol "+".

A "plus level" is defined as a level of language proficiency that is well beyond the midpoint
between two base levels. The competence of a "plus level" significantly exceeds the skills of the
lower base level but does not meet the higher base level. Thus, it is essential to have to carry out
tasks of the higher base level in order to be able to accredit a "plus level" in any linguistic trait.

STANAG 6001 develops in its Appendix 1 the descriptors of the "+" levels of language
proficiency.

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 2. THE TESTS
The tests and their structure are determined by the corresponding call, published on the
corporate Intranet and in the Official Gazette of the Civil Guard. Currently, language assessment
exams consist of the following tests:

■ Listening comprehension test , consisting of a written questionnaire on recorded

auditions.

■ Oral expression test , consisting of an interview with at least two examiners.

■ Written comprehension test , consisting of a text comprehension questionnaire.

■ Written expression test , consisting of the writing of a written assignment.

The following is a detailed explanation of each of the tests mentioned above.

3. LISTENING COMPREHENSION TRAIT

3.1. The test

The listening comprehension trait is assessed by a passive listening test. The test consists of
30-40 auditions (the number of questions will depend on the corresponding call) and the time to
complete it will vary depending on each exam.

Each audition will be listened to only once, corresponding to a multiple-choice question with
four possible answers, of which only one is correct. Wrong answers are not penalized.

The proposed auditions must meet a series of general parameters, including:

■ They will be produced by native speakers and intended for a native listener.

■ They can have background noise or ambient sound, such as trains in a station, traffic,
music in a bar, etc.

■ They can pick up different accents from countries that use the target language as an
official language.

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 ■ The question must necessarily refer to the text and must be able to be answered
only with the information contained in or derived from the text.

■ Answers must be written at the same level of difficulty as the text.

■ Each question should be aimed at verifying a task of the level to be assessed.

3.2. STANAG descriptors

The following table shows, in summary form, what is described in the STANAG for this trait at
each of the levels.

In it, the tasks, contents and precision that the examinee has to fulfill have been marked.
Thus, we have:

- TASKS: what you can understand (attitudes, tone, etc.).

- CONTENT: subject areas, contexts, etc., in which the examinee can operate.

- PRECISION: accuracy of what it comprises.

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Oral Comprehension LEVEL 0 LEVEL 0+ LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1+ LEVEL 2
TASK Comprehension It includes: It includes: Understands face-to-face, Understands face-to-face
limited to occasional simple and very conversations, in standard
isolated words - isolated words; - common familiar predictable conversations. language at normal speed,
- some commonly used expressions; with some repetition or
And in a limited and
phrases; - short and simple rephrasing, with a native
inconsistent manner:
- short sentences on sentences; speaker not accustomed to
issues of immediate - simple questions and - descriptions of people, speaking to foreigners
daily needs. answers; places or things;
- very simple - narrations of events and
conversations. factual information;
- simple instructions and
directions.

CONTENTS Topics include basic Topics include : Topics include :

needs:
- purchases; - personal and family
- meals; - the family; issues;
- housing; - personal experiences and - public matters of personal
- transportation; interests; and general interest;
- schedules. - travel plans. - routine work-related
issues;
- narratives about current,
past and future events.

Each level described in this table encompasses what is described for previous levels.

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Oral Comprehension LEVEL 0 LEVEL 0+ LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1+ LEVEL 2
ACCURACY He needs pauses even Many You understand the main Is able to understand the
between familiar misunderstandings idea, but you may confuse general meaning of spoken
expressions, and often occur both in the some of the facts on which language in the media or
has to ask for understanding of the it is based. among native speakers in
repetitions. main idea and of the situations requiring
facts on which it is Understands simple comprehension of
based. grammatical structures of specialized or
short speech but can sophisticated language.
misinterpret more complex
structures. He is able to understand
the facts, but not the
Shows very limited ability subtleties of the language
to understand the general surrounding the facts.
meaning of spoken media
language.

Each level described in this table encompasses what is described for previous levels.

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3.3. Evaluation of the test

The result of the listening comprehension test is calculated on the basis of the number of
correct answers. Wrong answers are not penalized. The percentages to establish the different levels
are those expressed in the corresponding call, being those in force in 2014 as follows:
■ Level 0, between 0 % and 11 % of correct answers.
■ Level 0+, higher than 11% and up to 24% of correct answers.
■ Level 1, higher than 24% and up to 59% of correct answers.
■ Level 1+, higher than 59% and up to 69% of correct answers.
■ Level 2, higher than 69% of correct answers.

At the discretion of the selection board, the percentage of correct answers obtained may be
confirmed, decreased to 10% or increased to 15%, depending on the level of oral comprehension
assessed in the interview.

Thus, a result of 62.9% (SLP 1+) may be increased to a maximum of 72.3% (SLP 2) if the
selection board deems it appropriate, according to the results of the interview. Similarly, this
percentage of 62.9% can be reduced to 56.6% (SLP 1).

3.4. Recommendations for its practice

a) Examination

When taking the examination there are several aspects that the examinee should take into
account:

Each audition is passed only once and at the moment of silence, you have to answer directly
on the answer sheet. This process must be repeated throughout the audition, since once the test is
over, the answer booklets will be collected without further delay.

During the quiet time and after having answered the previous question, the examinee should
also anticipate the next question by reading the following answer choices. In most cases it is
possible to deduce what we are going to be asked about and thus put ourselves in the situation.

It is important to take this test as calmly as possible, and if in any question we are blocked by
the question asked, by the answers, or because we have not understood the audio, it is advisable to
mark one of the answer options and be attentive to the next one. In this situation, there are times
when we may even lose more than one question due to the anxiety or nervousness produced by this
type of test.

We must bear in mind that we must not leave blank boxes, since errors are not penalized.

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 b) Exam preparation

Now that we know what is to be measured and what type of hearing we can find in this test, it
only remains to prepare it adequately. For this purpose, on the Languages web page of our Intranet
there are some sample tests and also some recommendations on web pages that help to improve
the learning process.

The learning of any language has to be carried out with a lot of preparation and practice of
each of the different aspects of the language. We must be aware of our level and on that basis
choose the most appropriate material. Laying a good foundation is fundamental and therefore, if we
start from scratch, we should practice with very elementary content (simple words and sentences) of
which we can have the transcription of the audio we are going to listen to.

As we progress through the STANAG scale, we must introduce content of greater difficulty. In
level 1 we will introduce more complex auditions. For example: sentences with several
complements, simple advertising slogans, public address announcements in airports and transport
stations, etc.

For level 2, it is recommended to practice with audiovisual content of which a

transcript(podcasts, videos, etc.) is available for free download on the Internet. The subject matter of
such content must conform to the themes established by the STANAG for that level: narration about
real, present, past and future events, descriptions, everyday life issues, travel, work, etc.

The Internet offers a wide variety of material for language study and practice. These contents
are mostly free, usually distributed by subject area and also by proficiency level (e.g. elementary,
intermediate and advanced). There are also online listening comprehension tests that can help put
us in context. (As a starting point, it is recommended to access links of interest on the Language
Department web page of our Intranet).

This practice could be complemented by watching or listening to news programs broadcast by

national channels in the target language.

4. ORAL EXPRESSION TRAIT

4.1. The test

The trait of oral expression is evaluated by means of a conversation test with one or more
members of the examining board.

The test consists of a carefully structured conversation lasting about 15 minutes. This is an
approximate time. The test does not end until the board has established the candidate's level of
linguistic proficiency. This may take more or less time than the established time. Real-life exchanges
are simulated in the conversation with the
The purpose of the test is to measure the test taker's general ability as a foreign language speaker.

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4.2. STANAG descriptors

The following table shows, in summary form, what is described in the STANAG for this trait at
each of the levels.

In it, the tasks, contents and precision that the examinee has to fulfill have been marked. Thus
we have:

■ TASKS: what you can do with the language (attitudes, tone, etc.).

■ CONTENT: subject areas, contexts, etc., in which the examinee can operate.

■ ACCURACY: correctness of the oral speech he/she is able to produce.

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 Oral Expression LEVEL 0 LEVEL 0+ LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1+ LEVEL 2
TASK Unable to function in Able to satisfy Can generate Able to initiate simple and Able to communicate in
spoken language immediate needs communication by very predictable face-to- everyday social situations
through the use of combining and face conversations. and routine professional
memorized expressions, recombining familiar situations
previously rehearsed. language elements Is able to ask for help,
already learned. request information and It can:
Their attempts to clarification, and express
generate sentence-level Can initiate, maintain satisfaction, - describe people, places
discourse are generally and end short dissatisfaction and and things;
unsuccessful. conversations by asking confirmation, with ease. - narrate present, past and
and answering short, future activities;
simple questions. - state facts;
- compare and contrast;
- giving instructions and
directions.

CONTENTS Topics include basic Topics include: Topics include:

needs:
- shopping; - public matters of personal
- meals; - the family; and general interest;
- housing; - personal experiences - work procedures;
- transportation; and interests; - narratives about past,
- schedules; - travel plans; present and future
- indications; - simple work-related events.
- simple instructions. issues.

Each level described in these tables encompasses what is described for the previous levels.

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 Oral Expression LEVEL 0 LEVEL 0+ LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1+ LEVEL 2
ACCURACY Lacks the ability to Communication is Time concepts are Usually masters simple
communicate extremely limited, even imprecise grammatical structures, but
with native speakers uses imprecisely or avoids
who are used to talking His speech is generally more complex ones.
to foreigners. characterized by Slightly controls simple
hesitation, unpredictable grammatical structures The use of the vocabulary
Even memorized word order, frequent and may use time is appropriate for very
expressions lack the pauses, effort and references incorrectly. frequently used
correct pronunciation, difficulty in finding the expressions; but is unusual
stress and intonation. right word (except in Frequent errors in or imprecise in other
routine utterances), pronunciation, vocabulary circumstances.
ineffective and grammar can make
reformulations and self- communication difficult. Errors in pronunciation,
corrections. vocabulary and grammar
Expression can be can sometimes distort
laborious. meaning.

Native speakers
accustomed to talking to
foreigners may
occasionally require you
to repeat or rephrase
yourself, or they have to
use their knowledge of
the real world to
understand you.

Each level described in these tables encompasses what is described for the previous levels.

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 From the above, for those who aspire to reach level 2, it is important to
master, among others, aspects such as:

■ Narrating in past, present and future.

■ Perform physical descriptions.
■ Give instructions/directions.
■ Compare, contrast and state facts.

All this with a good command of simple grammar, with an adequate and
appropriate vocabulary for the most frequent topics, and with lexical-
grammatical errors that no longer distort the message.

4.3. Structure of the interview

The interview is divided into three parts:

A) Heating
B) Level check / tests
C) Farewell

A) Heating

The warm-up phase lasts approximately 3-4 minutes. It aims to:

■ Contact with the court, so that the examinee gets used to the court's
pronunciation, accents, intonation, etc.

■ Allow the speech to become fluent, which also serves to relax some of
the initial tension.

■ Gather information about your work, family, hobbies, travel, education.

All this information can then be used for the tests in the level check
phase.

What would happen if a test taker is not able to answer the questions
posed in the warm-up phase? This being the case, it would not make
sense to move on to the next phase, since it would mean a step up in the
complexity of the questions posed. And in this case, it would fall under
what is described for level 0.

B) Level check/testing

Once the warm-up phase is over, we reach the level check phase. This
phase follows an iterative process, which will allow the evaluators:

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 ■ Identify what he/she can do with the language, i.e., the level at which
the examinee can carry on a conversation.

■ Identify the tasks and content that the examinee cannot achieve, i.e.,
what he or she cannot do with the language.

This lack of linguistic competence is usually shown by what is called a

"linguistic breakdown":

■ Lack of fluency.
■ Language impairment at the lexical-grammatical level.
■ Lack of suitable endings.
■ S ubstitutions for expressions in other languages.
■ Task avoidance.
■ Failures in oral comprehension.

C) Farewell

This last phase is intended to end the interview in a pleasant manner. For
this purpose, questions will be asked about immediate matters, not
related to the test. For example: What are you going to do next? How are
you going to get back to your point of origin? What are your plans for the
afternoon?

4.4. Recommendations for its practice

As for the type of questions that the examining board may ask, they will
normally be based on topics of personal interest expressed during the warm-up
phase (family, work, city of residence, habits, education, etc.), general topics
(work-related, current events, past experiences, future plans, etc.) for which a
basic knowledge of them is sufficient. It is advisable to be informed about
current affairs and to keep abreast of new developments.

All questions, no matter how banal they may seem to us, have a linguistic
purpose. The court is not interested in our knowledge of the subject or the issue
raised, but in our use of language as a communication tool, so we must pay
attention to the form (language) and not to the content (the truthfulness of the
information provided).

For example, if the court asks about the last vacation, it is important to
keep in mind what the objective of the test is, which in this case would be to
describe or narrate in the past tense. The court is not interested in whether what
is told is true or invented. You will simply check the sentence structures and the
use of past tenses.

At all times be aware of the test to be performed:

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 ■ It is not about passing or failing, but about showing what we are
capable of doing with the language.

■ It is about assessing our linguistic competence and not our

professional competence.

■ Improve pre-test relaxation, knowing that the evaluators will try to

make us feel comfortable during the interview, to prevent nervousness
from affecting our performance on the test.

■ The evaluators control the interview, the examinee should relax and
let the test flow naturally.

■ We must familiarize ourselves with the tasks, which serve as a vehicle

for evaluation. The real purpose of the question is the task.

■ Practice with personal topics and those described in the STANAG for
this trait (family, city of residence, studies, etc.), professional topics
(our work, the State Security Forces and Corps, our time at the Civil
Guard Academy, etc.), and general knowledge (current affairs, places
to travel, hobbies, movies, literature, TV series, etc.).

■ Keeping informed about current affairs.

5. READING COMPREHENSION TRAIT

5.1. The test

The reading comprehension trait is assessed by means of a

comprehensive reading test. Normally, the test consists of a text comprehension
questionnaire (the number of questions and the time to complete them will
depend on the corresponding call).

Each text has a series of multiple-choice questions, with four possible

answers, only one of which is correct. Wrong answers are not penalized. Each
text is independent of the others, making sense on its own.

The purpose of this test is to measure the degree of linguistic

competence in the trait of written comprehension.

As for the texts, they must meet a series of general parameters, among
which are included:

■ They must come from authentic material, intended for a native reader.

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 ■ If they contain acronyms or abbreviations, they should be written in
full, except in cases where they are widely known (NATO, EU, FBI,
Europol, etc.).

■ The question must necessarily refer to the text and must be able to be
answered only with the information provided in the text.

■ Answers must be written at the same level of difficulty as the text.

5.2. STANAG descriptors

The following table shows, in summary form, what is described in the

STANAG for this trait at each of the levels.

In it, the tasks, contents and precision that the examinee has to fulfill
have been marked. Thus we have:

- TASKS: what you can understand (attitudes, tone, etc.).

- CONTENT: subject areas, contexts, etc., in which the examinee can

operate.

- PRECISION: accuracy of what it comprises.

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Written Comprehension LEVEL 0 LEVEL 0+ LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1+ LEVEL 2
TASK No practical reading It is able to read You can read very Comprehends well Sufficient comprehension to
skills. numbers, single words simple material: texts such as public read authentic, simply
and phrases, names of announcements and written material on familiar
people and places, road - brief notes; short biographies. topics.
signs, names of stores - notices;
and offices. May be able - very simple He is also capable of
to read memorized descriptions; understanding, in a
sentences or sentences - short series of limited and
that are strongly instructions and inconsistent manner,
supported by context. directions. somewhat longer
texts.

CONTENTS The topics are about Topics include: You can read:
simple, everyday
personal and work - basic needs; - descriptions of people,
situations. - personal experiences places and things;
and interests; - narratives about past,
- travel plans; present and future events;
- simple work-related - family issues;
reports. - technical material.

Each level described in this table encompasses what is described for the previous levels.

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Written Comprehension LEVEL 0 LEVEL 0+ LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1+ LEVEL 2
ACCURACY Can misinterpret very Often, you can guess
simple texts and cannot the meaning of
read complex unfamiliar words by
sentences. context alone.
You understand the He cannot draw conclusions
It can misinterpret even main idea, but you directly from the text or
some simple texts. may confuse some of understand the subtleties of
the facts on which it is language around specific
based. facts.

Understands simple He is able to decipher texts

grammatical structures through context and his
of short speech, but experience of the real world.
can misinterpret more
complex structures. He may be slow in
performing this task, and
He shows a very may also misinterpret some
limited ability to information.
understand the
cohesive elements of Can summarize, order and
discourse, which locate specific information in
prevents him from higher level texts related to
using this knowledge his/her professional field, but
to make correct in an incoherent and
assumptions. unreliable manner.

Each level described in this table encompasses what is described for the previous levels.

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 5.3. Evaluation of the test
The result of the reading comprehension test is calculated on the basis of the number of
correct answers. Wrong answers are not penalized. The percentages to establish the different levels
are those expressed in the corresponding call, being those in force in 2014 as follows:

Level 0, between 0 % and 11 % of correct answers.

Level 0+, higher than 11% and up to 24% of correct answers.
Level 1, higher than 24% and up to 59% of correct answers.
Level 1+, higher than 59% and up to 69% of correct answers.
Level 2, higher than 69% of correct answers.

5.4. Recommendations for exam preparation

Knowing what is to be measured and knowing what type of texts are to be used in this test,
the only thing left to do is to prepare it properly. To do so, the following should be done:

■ Practice with the tests posted on the language page of our Intranet.

■ Practice with real texts, for which there are plenty of free resources available on the
Internet. The language web page recommends some pages of interest that could help in
this learning process.

The learning of any language has to be carried out with a lot of preparation and practice of
each of the different aspects of the language. We must be aware of our level and on that basis
choose the right material. Laying a good foundation is fundamental and therefore, if we start from
scratch, we should practice with simple content at the beginning, suitable for our level, and
gradually increase the complexity with higher level content whose reading allows us to improve our
competence in this feature.

As we advance through the STANAG scale, we must introduce more difficult content, such
as longer sentences, short dialogues, brief news items, press announcements, advertisements,
travel agency brochures, brief descriptions of series, books, movies, etc.

For level 2, the best preparation consists of reading the written press, available through the
Internet, but without reading editorials, opinion articles, etc., which will be the object of preparation
for level 3. It can also be interesting to read instruction manuals or any of the magazines on the
market that deal with leisure, professions, travel, nature, business, history, etc. But as long as they
refer to concrete facts and have a specific content, it can also be interesting to read instruction
manuals or any of the existing magazines on the market.

factual, and not opinions or hypothetical statements or abstract issues. That is to say, the subject
matter of such content must conform to the topics established by the STANAG for that level, taking
care to choose texts whose language is standard language (tabloid tabloids, tabloids, tabloid
magazines, magazines aimed at a teenage audience, etc. are not recommended).

Although literary texts will not be used in this test, reading texts adapted to level 2 may be
useful for language learning. Many language teaching institutions recommend books for different
levels of learning and most publishers have series in their catalogs aimed at specific learning
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 levels (e.g. elementary, intermediate, advanced, etc.).

We also have the possibility, through the Internet, of taking a multitude of online text
comprehension tests which, although they are of different structures and types, will always
contribute to the improvement of this skill.

6. WRITTEN EXPRESSION TRAIT

6.1. The test

The trait of written expression is evaluated by means of a test that consists of the completion
of an essay. The candidate must choose a topic from among two that will be offered to him/her for
his/her choice, and its length must be approximately 220 words. The total time to complete it is set
at 60 minutes (these specifications may vary according to the current call for applications).

The following may be specified for each proposal:

■ The task required.

■ The format of the text required (letter, e-mail, information note, etc.).
■ The recipient (a friend, a relative, a boss, a subordinate, a company, a customer service,
etc.).
■ The minimum length of the text (in words). In the current call the number of words for the
essay is around 220 (the number of words may vary depending on the call).

The proposals, their specifications and any other information provided for the performance of
the tests will be given in Spanish (this specification may vary according to the call in force).

Proposals must belong to one of the following thematic areas, of which a general knowledge
is sufficient:

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 ■ Current events: extracted from current and wide-ranging news.
■ General: universal, widely known issues.
■ Professionals: widely known generic issues.

EXAMPLE:

Develop one of the two proposed options:

OPTION 1: Write a letter to a foreign magazine, interested in learning about the Guardia
Civil. The letter should include the following points:

■ What is the Guardia Civil? Narrate some of your story.

■ List and describe some of the specialties of the Civil Guard.
■ Contrast the Civil Guard with other State Security Forces and Corps.

OPTION 2: Nowadays the cult of the body and health is a paramount issue. Write an
essay stating the following points:

■ Why has society changed so much with respect to this issue?

■ List and describe some of the habits and actions to take to be and stay healthy.
■ Indicate some of the measures that should be taken to promote sports and good
eating habits.

6.2. STANAG 6001 descriptors

The following table shows, in summary form, what is described in the STANAG for this trait at
each of the levels.

In it, the tasks, topics and accuracy that the examinee has to fulfill have been marked. Thus
we have:

■ TASKS: what you can do with the language (attitudes, tone, etc.).

■ CONTENT: subject areas, contexts, etc., in which the examinee can operate.

■ ACCURACY: correctness of the text it produces.

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Written Expression LEVEL 0 LEVEL 0+ LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1+ LEVEL 2
TASK He does not possess You can only write Capable of writing Is able, in a limited and
functional writing memorized material, what is necessary to unreliable manner, to
ability. set phrases, lists of easily create: - lists, write instructions and
frequent items or a notes, postcards; Can write simple personal
descriptions of people,
few short memorized - short personal correspondence, routine
places or things, or to
sentences. letters; professional correspondence
relate specific activities
- short telephone or events. and memos, brief reports
messages; and letters. Can: - describe
- invitations. people, places and things;
- narrate present, past and
future activities;
- state facts;
- compare and contrast;
- giving instructions and
directions.
CONTENTS The issues have to do Topics include: - public
with basic needs. Topics include: matters of personal and
- shopping; general interest; - work
- the family; procedures;
- personal experiences - narratives about current,
and interests; past and future events.
- travel plans;
- simple work-related
issues.
Each level described in this table encompasses what is described for the previous levels.

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Written Expression LEVEL 0 LEVEL 0+ LEVEL 1 LEVEL 1+ LEVEL 2
ACCURACY Lacks the ability to Their attempts to Writing tends to be a
Hardly controls simple You can combine and join
communicate. compose sentences collection of loose grammatical structures. sentences to obtain a
are generally sentences (or coherent text; contrast
unsuccessful. Time references may paragraphs and connect
fragments) on a given
topic, with little not be correct. them in reports and
organization. correspondence.
Vocabulary can be However, the correlation of
Errors in spelling, imprecise except for ideas may not always be
vocabulary, grammar words that are used clear and transitions may be
and punctuation are very frequently. unnatural.
frequent.
Communication can Master simple grammatical
sometimes be structures of frequent use.
ineffective.
Errors can sometimes
distort the meaning.

Each level described in this table encompasses what is described for the previous levels.

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 From the above, for those who aspire to reach level 2, it is important to master, among
others, aspects such as:

■ Narrating in past, present and future.

■ Perform physical descriptions.
■ Give instructions/directions.
■ Compare, contrast and state facts.

All this with a good command of simple grammar, with an adequate and appropriate
vocabulary for the most frequent topics, and with lexical-grammatical errors that no longer distort the
message.

6.3. Evaluation of the test

Three elements are assessed in the evaluation of the written expression tests:

- TASK, i.e., whether the examinee has been able to perform the required language task(s):
- Level 1: covers your immediate needs.

- Level 2: if it describes real facts or events, if it describes places, objects or people, if it

gives instructions or indications in some detail, etc.

■ A t the textual level, CONTENT is assessed, i.e.:

- If it responds to the issue raised and if it is pertinent and relevant.

- If it follows an appropriate narrative or expository line.

- Whether the text has the necessary coherence and cohesion for the STANAG level,
etc.

- The PRECISION of the language, i.e:

- The type of vocabulary used.

- The degree of control of morphosyntactic structures.

- Respect for spelling and punctuation conventions.

- Grammatical control, etc.

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 It should be noted that the use of dictionaries, spelling and/or grammar checkers is not
allowed.

6.4. Recommendations for its practice

To improve our level of linguistic competence in terms of written expression, it is interesting to

have written different types of documents in our mother tongue. Once we are able to create quality
texts in our own language, we will be able to produce them in another language, being aware that
there will be certain changes in terms of formatting, courtesy formulas, placement of headings, etc.,
that we should take into account.
It is not about translating into another language, but about being able to create texts in
another language (a very common mistake in writing).
In order to obtain a better performance when performing the test, it is convenient to establish
a work routine containing the following phases:

- Careful reading of the drafting proposal

- What task I am asked to perform.

- What are the aspects/points that I have to touch.

- Type of text, language, length, time, etc.

- Planning

- Presentation of ideas and selection of those to be included in the text.

- Define the structure of the text and the hierarchy of the ideas to be presented.

■ Editorial staff

■ Review

- Of the content (have I forgotten anything?).

- Possible lexical-grammatical errors.
- Text structure (coherence and cohesion).

As a recommendation to improve the quality of our newsrooms we should:

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■ Learning to interpret/recognize what is the key concept or concepts, or in this case, the task we
have to develop.

■ To develop our ability to quickly extract, before the writing phase, as many ideas, knowledge,
experiences, etc., as we have on the subject to be written about.

■ Be able to select the best ideas obtained.

■ Adequately plan the text, establishing the order in which these ideas should be developed and
creating a logical structure that the reader can easily follow.

■ Separate writing from proofreading, i.e., do not do both at the same time.

■ Express in our own words what we want to say, without using memorized fragments that rarely fit
naturally in our work.

■ Use simple sentences whenever possible, bearing in mind that, in order to develop complex
arguments, it is necessary to use a more elaborate discourse.

■ Use an appropriate vocabulary that correctly conveys the meaning of what we want to express.

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