Tamil Language Proficiency Assessment

To take the Tamil language proficiency test:
1) Submitted the application and we will contact you to discuss the test for listening, speaking, reading, and writing. 
2) After confirming the exam date, provide your Tamil school certificate copy and grades from the Tamil School where you got your education. If you were home schooled, then provide letter from your teacher.
By getting Intermediate High or above in the AJA Language Proficiency Assessment in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Tamil language, student will meet the foreign language proficiency for the Seal of Biliteracy.

AJA Tamil Proficiency Test Overview

The Evaluation of language proficiency is based on paper-based or online test. This will be aligning with the format that is followed similar to language proficiency test model. It measures four basic language skills: Writing, Listening, Reading, and Speaking. The entire exam takes about 3 ½ hours. The structure of this exam is made up of the following:

Part 1: Writing - composition/essay writing (30 minutes)
Part 2: Listening - a listening comprehension and answering questions (45 minutes)
Part 3: Reading - a multiple-choice/fill in the blanks format test (Reading comprehension) (60 minutes)
• Part 4: Speaking - Oral/interview/speaking test. (30 minutes)

You will not take your oral test when you do the written test. You will need to arrange to take the oral test separately (approximately 30 minutes).

You can take the written test without taking the oral exam. You cannot take the oral exam without taking the written test. If you need an oral test, make sure that you ask for one when you register. If you are applying for Michigan Seal of Biliteracy, we strongly recommend taking the oral exam. 

Tamil Assessment Evaluation Overview

Writing
What to expect

• This part will have 30 minutes to write an essay
• There are two topics to choose from
• One topic to be chosen to write
• You can always clarify with examiner if the given topics are not clear. 

Tips
• Scores on this part are based on no. of words written. There are atleast more than 200 words are expected. Lesser than 150 words will receive low scores
• Use the first few minutes to make an outline. Use the last few minutes to read and correct your essay
• There is no additional score for handwriting but it is should be in readable. 

Model Questions
• பெரும்பாலான மக்களின் வாழ்க்கையில் இயந்திரங்கள் இப்போது முக்கிய பங்கு வகிக்கின்றன. கணினிகள், கார்கள் மற்றும் வீட்டு இயந்திரங்கள் (சலவை இயந்திரங்கள் போன்றவை) மிகவும் பொதுவானவை. மக்களின் வாழ்க்கையில் பல இயந்திரங்களை வைத்திருப்பதன் நன்மைகள் மற்றும் தீமைகள் என்ன? உங்கள் பதிலில் குறிப்பிட்ட எடுத்துக்காட்டுகளைப் பயன்படுத்தவும்

• சில கல்லூரி மற்றும் பல்கலைக்கழக பட்டப்படிப்புகளுக்கு மாணவர்கள் ஒரு காலத்திற்கு வெளிநாட்டில் படிக்க வேண்டும். வேறொரு நாட்டில் மாணவர்கள் படிப்பதன் நன்மைகள் மற்றும் தீமைகள் என்ன? எடுத்துக்காட்டுகளுடன் உங்கள் கருத்தை ஆதரிக்கவும்

• பல்வேறு ஆற்றல் மூலங்கள் உள்ளன (எடுத்துக்காட்டாக, சூரியன், காற்று, எண்ணெய், நீர், இயற்கை எரிவாயு, நிலக்கரி, அணுக்கரு பிளவு போன்றவை). அத்தகைய ஒரு மூலத்தைத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து அதன் நன்மைகள் மற்றும் தீமைகள் பற்றி விவாதிக்கவும். கிடைக்கும் தன்மை, பாதுகாப்பு, புவியியல் இருப்பிடம் போன்றவற்றை நீங்கள் கருத்தில் கொள்ளலாம்

• நம்முடைய வெற்றிகளை விட நம்முடைய தவறுகளிலிருந்து நாம் அதிகம் கற்றுக்கொள்கிறோம் என்று பெரும்பாலும் கூறப்படுகிறது. நீங்கள் ஒரு முறை செய்த மற்றும் கற்றுக்கொண்ட ஒரு தவறு பற்றி சொல்லுங்கள்

• சில நாடுகளில், மக்கள் ஒரு நிறுவனத்தில் சேரும்போது, அந்த நிறுவனத்தில் அவர்களுக்கு வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும் வேலை உறுதி. இந்த சந்தர்ப்பங்களில், மக்கள் நிறுவனங்களை மாற்றுவது அரிது. மற்ற நாடுகளில், அத்தகைய உத்தரவாதம் இல்லாத நிலையில், தொழிலாளர்கள் தங்கள் வேலையிலிருந்து வெளியேற்றப்படலாம் அல்லது வேறொரு வேலையைக் கண்டுபிடிக்க அவர்கள் தானாக முன்வந்து வெளியேறலாம். ஒரு நாட்டின் சூழலுக்கு எந்த அமைப்பு சிறந்தது என்று நீங்கள் நினைக்கிறீர்கள்

Listening
What to expect

• This is a multiple-choice test of 60 questions. It lasts about 35 minutes.
• The test is played on CD/MP3. Sound is broadcast from speakers all around the room.
• You will be given three possible answers for each question. Choose the best answer. Only one answer is correct.
• There are several kinds of problems: questions, short conversations, and two short talks and one radio interview.

Tips
• Listen to the conversation carefully and take a notes if possible.
• Try to guess the answer form the multiple choice given

Reading
What to expect
• There will be 120 questions (30 questions ins each part of GCVR)
• There will be 80 minutes to complete this section

Tips
• Pay attention to the timing
• Try to answer as quickly as possible. This will help to get more time to review at the end
• Quickly guess the remaining question when the examiner calls for nearing the time finish.

Grammar (G)
• Fill out the suitable answer from the given set of words. These are related to prepositions in tamil. You have to select one suitable answer from the list given to the corresponding question number.

ஓர் ஊரில் ஒரு காய்கறி வியாபாரி இருந்தாள். 1. __________________ பெயர் மாலா. மாலா தினமும் காய்கறி தோட்டங்களுக்குச் சென்று வர, ஒரு 2. __________________வைத்திருந்தாள். மாலா வியாபாரத்தில் அதிகப் பணம் சம்பாதித்தாலும், ஒரு டாலரையும் தானம் செய்யமாட்டாள். ஆனால், மாலாவின் கணவன் மருதநாயகம், அவளது 3. __________________எதிரானவன். மருதநாயகம் தன் 4. __________________குணத்தை மாற்றப் பாடுபட்டான். 5. __________________எண்ணம் வீண் போகவில்லை. நாளடைவில் மாலா மணம் மாறினாள். ஒரு முறை, 6. __________________தீப்பற்றியது. நல்ல வேளை! சில ஏழை வாடிக்கையாளர்கள், அவளைக் காப்பாற்றினர். அன்றிலிருந்து, மாலா தனது கருமித்தனத்தை விட்டுவிட்டாள்.
1. அவளை, அவளுடைய, அவளால், அவளுக்கு
2. மாட்டு வண்டியை, மாட்டு வண்டிக்கு, மாட்டு வண்டியால், மாட்டு வண்டியின்
3. குணத்தை, குணத்தால், குணத்துக்கு, குணம்
4. மனைவிக்கு, மனைவியை, மனைவியால், மனைவியின்
5. அவனுக்கு, அவனது, அவனால், அவனே
6. சந்தைக்கு, சந்தையில், சந்தையை, சந்தையால்

• Fill out the suitable answer from the given set of words. You have to select one suitable answer from the list given to the corresponding question number.
1. தமிழ்நாட்டில் நிறைய கோயில்கள் _______________________
2. கோயில்களை குளங்கள் _______________________
3. சில கோயில்களில் பெரிய மரம் _______________________
4. எங்கள் ஊரில் ஒரு சின்னக் கோயில் _______________________
5. ஆனால் இந்த கோயிலில் குளம் _______________________
6. இந்த கோயிலுக்குப் பக்கத்தில் முன்னால் ஒரு பெரிய மரம் ______________________
(இருந்தது, இருக்கிறது, இருக்கும், இல்லை, இருக்கின்றன) 

Speaking
What to expect
• Separate individaul session scheduled for speaking assessment
• There will be conversation between examiner and student
• The conversation are more related to regular talking related to happenings and about the students
• Speaking Examiner will introduce him or herself and ask general questions on familiar topics such as home, family, work, studies and interests.
• Speaking Examiner will give any topic and ask student to talk about that topic. Examiner will ask questions on topic based on the student response.

Tips
• You can always clarify with examiner if the given question is not clear.

Assessment Grading Level

Speaking
Intermediate
Speakers at the Intermediate level are distinguished primarily by their ability to create with the language when talking about familiar topics related to their daily life. They are able to recombine learned material in order to express personal meaning. Intermediate level speakers can ask simple questions and can handle a straightforward survival situation. They produce sentence-level language, ranging from discrete sentences to strings of sentences, typically in present time. Intermediate-level speakers are understood by interlocutors who are accustomed to dealing with non-native learners of the language.

Intermediate High
Intermediate High speakers are able to converse with ease and confidence when dealing with the routine tasks and social situations of the Intermediate level. They are able to handle successfully uncomplicated tasks and social situations requiring an exchange of basic information related to their work, school, recreation, particular interests, and areas of competence. Intermediate High speakers can handle a substantial number of tasks associated with the Advanced level, but they are unable to sustain performance of all of these tasks all of the time. Intermediate High speakers can narrate and describe in all major time frames using connected discourse of paragraph length, but not all the time. Typically, when Intermediate High speakers attempt to perform Advanced-level tasks, their speech exhibits one or more features of breakdown, such as the failure to carry out fully the narration or description in the appropriate major time frame, an inability to maintain paragraph-length discourse, or a reduction in breadth and appropriateness of vocabulary. Intermediate High speakers can generally be understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives, although interference from another language may be evident (e.g., use of code-switching, false cognates, literal translations), and a pattern of gaps in communication may occur.

Writing
Intermediate
Writers at the Intermediate level are characterized by the ability to meet practical writing needs, such as simple messages and letters, requests for information, and notes. In addition, they can ask and respond to simple questions in writing. These writers can create with the language and communicate simple facts and ideas in a series of loosely connected sentences on topics of personal interest and social needs. They write primarily in present time. At this level, writers use basic vocabulary and structures to express meaning that is comprehensible to those accustomed to the writing of non-natives.

Intermediate High
Writers at the Intermediate High sublevel are able to meet all practical writing needs of the Intermediate level. Additionally, they can write compositions and simple summaries related to work and/or school experiences. They can narrate and describe in different time frames when writing about everyday events and situations. These narrations and descriptions are often but not always of paragraph length, and they typically contain some evidence of breakdown in one or more features of the Advanced level. For example, these writers may be inconsistent in the use of appropriate major time markers, resulting in a loss of clarity. The vocabulary, grammar, and style of Intermediate High writers essentially correspond to those of the spoken language. Intermediate High writing, even with numerous and perhaps significant errors, is generally comprehensible to natives not used to the writing of non-natives, but there are likely to be gaps in comprehension.

Listening
Intermediate 
At the Intermediate level, listeners can understand information conveyed in simple, sentence-length speech on familiar or everyday topics. They are generally able to comprehend one utterance at a time while engaged in face-to-face conversations or in routine listening tasks such as understanding highly contextualized messages, straightforward announcements, or simple instructions and directions. Listeners rely heavily on redundancy, restatement, paraphrasing, and contextual clues. Intermediate level listeners understand speech that conveys basic information. This speech is simple, minimally connected, and contains high-frequency vocabulary. Intermediate-level listeners are most accurate in their comprehension when getting meaning from simple, straightforward speech. They are able to comprehend messages found in highly familiar everyday contexts. Intermediate listeners require a controlled listening environment where they hear what they may expect to hear.

Intermediate High
At the Intermediate High sublevel, listeners are able to understand, with ease and confidence, simple sentence-length speech in basic personal and social contexts. They can derive substantial meaning from some connected texts typically understood by Advanced level listeners although there often will be gaps in understanding due to a limited knowledge of the vocabulary and structures of the spoken language.

Reading
Intermediate
At the Intermediate level, readers can understand information conveyed in simple, predictable, loosely connected texts. Readers rely heavily on contextual clues. They can most easily understand information if the format of the text is familiar, such as in a weather report or a social announcement. Intermediate-level readers are able to understand texts that convey basic information such as that found in announcements, notices, and online bulletin boards and forums. These texts are not complex and have a predictable pattern of presentation. The discourse is minimally connected and primarily organized in individual sentences and strings of sentences containing predominantly high frequency vocabulary. Intermediate-level readers are most accurate when getting meaning from simple, straightforward texts. They are able to understand messages found in highly familiar, everyday contexts. At this level, readers may not fully understand texts that are detailed or those texts in which knowledge of language structures is essential in order to understand sequencing, time frame, and chronology.

Intermediate High
At the Intermediate High sublevel, readers are able to understand fully and with ease short, non-complex texts that convey basic information and deal with personal and social topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge. These readers are also able to understand some connected texts featuring description and narration although there will be occasional gaps in understanding due to a limited knowledge of the vocabulary, structures, and writing conventions of the language.