Members
Diploma Intermédio De Português Língua Estrangeira
(DIPLE)
The DIPLE corresponds to level B2 of the Common European Framework of the Council of Europe.
The B2 Reference Level description for this level presents social contexts of communication, types of written and oral texts, speech acts, topics and both specific and general concepts expected to be essential for the use of the language in the communicative activities described below, from the perspective of the users in using the language in a culturally appropriate way. The B2Level descriptionalso includes the following sections: verbal interaction and the speech structure, sociocultural competence, compensation strategies, learning to learn, appendix on pronunciation and intonation.
At this level, users gain independence that allows them to deal with a variety of communicative situations. The language users have already developed linguistic mechanisms of communication, namely, of identifying and handling principal lexical-syntactic and syntactic-semantic language structures which allow a certain degree of flexibility and an ability to deal with the unexpected. They are also able to use appropriate communicative strategies and are quite aware of style (formal/informal) and social conventions, which allows them to build up mechanisms of developing sociocultural adequacy and in consequence improve their communicative competence.
Users are able to recognise and use more common idioms providing the core is understood.
Their understanding of oral and written texts goes beyond mere understanding of factual information, and they are also able to distinguish between main and subsidiary points. They are able to produce texts of various types.
This level allows users to work in situations in which Portuguese is the language of work. However, there may still be a lot of difficulties in situations in which Portuguese is simultaneously the language of work and the language of communication.
At this level users may attend courses, including academic ones (e.g. within the framework of exchange programmes between universities).
READING
In everyday communicative situations, language users are able to:
- understand most texts on everyday subjects;
- understand various types of newspaper articles, especially those which fall within a specific area of interest;
- understand any kind of written text as long as it does not require familiarity with any specific vocabulary (e.g. legal terms).
In communicative situations in the workplace, language users are able to:
- understand letters that fall within their own work area, both routine and non-routine, although complex situations and the use of non-standard language may cause problems;
- understand a report or article within a work area familiar to them and grasp the general meaning of reports and articles on less familiar or unfamiliar topics, although they will have greater difficulty whenever information is not clearly expressed;
- understand instructions and descriptions of products within their own work area.
In communicative situations encountered during the activity of studying, language users are able to:
- understand texts related to areas of study of non-academic training courses,
- understand books and articles which are not very complex as regards the language and the contents, but their reading speed is still too slow to cope with an academic course.
Format of the component:
Part I: General understanding of short newspaper articles
The following task types are used: matching or true/false,
Part II: Detailed understanding of two texts
The folowing task types are used: multiple choice, matching, true/false.
Duration: 45 mins
Weight: This component accounts for 25% of the total marks.
WRITING
In everyday communicative situations, language users are able to:
- write most texts on everyday subjects,
In communicative situations in the workplace, they are able to:
- produce a range of documents, which may need to be checked if accuracy and register are important;
- produce texts within a familiar area of work giving detailed information and describing a product or service;
- take and pass on messages, but they still may have difficulty if these are lengthy or complex;
- take dictation as long as the pace is appropriate to their capacities and they have time to check what they are writing,
In communicative situations encountered during the activity of studying, language users are able to:
- take notes during a lecture/conference/seminar,
- take notes from written sources, although they may still find it difficult to be sufficiently selective,
- produce written texts on educational matters, but they still find it difficult to write academic essays.
Format of the component:
Part I: Writing a personal or formal letter. Responses should be between 160 and 180 words in length.
Part II: Writing a text of a narrative, descriptive or argumentative nature from a choice of three. Responses
should be between 160 and 180 words in length.
Duration: 1 hr 15 mins
STRUCTURAL COMPETENCE
Language users should prove that they are able to react appropriately to items which test:
- the use of articles, prepositions, verbs, conjunctions, pronouns, é que constructions (in interrogative phrases and as a focus process), verbal moods, noun forms, tenses (in simple clauses as well as in verbal, adjectival and noun complement constructions), compound and complex clauses as well as verbal, noun and adjectival agreement.
- vocabulary that falls within the area of transactional subject matters and most common idioms describing people, events/situations by quantifying or comparing.
Format of the component:
Completing texts and sentence transformation.
Organizing, reducing or expanding a text.
Duration: 45 mins
LISTENING
In everyday communicative situations, language users are able to understand:
- routine conversations on a wide range of less predictable topics;
- routine medical advice;
- information and notices displayed in public places;
- most of the content of a TV programme with the visual support provided and main points of a radio programme on general or familiar topics;
- most of the information/explanations given by a tour guide, without many limitations.
In communicative situations encountered during the activity of studying, language users are able to:
- grasp the general meaning of a conference/lecture/seminar as long as the topic is familiar to them.
In communicative situations in the workplace, they are able to:
- understand conversations within their own work area,
- understand the essential subject matter of a meeting as long as the topic falls within their own work area.
Format of the component:
Part I: Listening to short dialogues related to everyday communicative situations.
Part II: Listening to radio programmes.
Part III: Listening to extracts from a conference, a guided visit or a text asking for/giving information,
instructions or expressing opinions.
The following task types are used: true/false, matching, multiple choice.
Duration:40 mins
SPEAKING
In everyday communicative situations, language users are able to:
- deal with most situations likely to occur in hotels, restaurants or shops, e.g. ask for a refund or replacement of faulty goods, ask for information/explanations, express pleasure/displeasure at the service given, etc.;
- deal with situations likely to occur in transactional areas of communication, like health (e.g. describe symptoms of a health problem or ask for information about health services provided and procedures involved);
- deal with communicative situations with social contexts (e.g. express opinions, set out arguments, etc.), although difficulties are still possible;
- as a tourist, they are able to ask for information that goes beyond what can be found in guidebooks (e.g. on a guided tour);
- show visitors around, describing places and answering questions about them.
In communicative situations in the workplace, language users are able to:
- ask for and give detailed information within a familiar topic area and take some limited part in meetings;
- take and pass on messages, although difficulties are likely if these are complex.
In communicative situations encountered during the activity of studying, language users are able to:
- ask questions during a lecture/conference/seminar on a familiar or predictable topic, although there may be difficulties especially if the communicative situation is complex;
- give a brief, simple presentation on a familiar topic.
Format of the component:
If possible, this component should be examined with two candidates at the same time.
Part I: Interaction with the examiner and between the candidates during which they are expected to answer questions about themselves.
Part II: A collaborative task during which candidates are expected to plan an activity or solve a problem
involving negotiation between the two candidates.
Part III: Reaction to one or more stimuli received by candidates before the beginning of this component.
Duration: 20 minutes with every pair of candidates.
Weight: Every component carries 20% of the total marks.
FINAL GRADING
The grade of Muito Bom (Very Good) is awarded to candidates who achieved 85 to 100%.
The grade of Bom (Good) is awarded to candidates who achieved 70 to 84%.
The grade of Suficiente (Pass) is awarded to candidates who achieved 55 to 69%.
SCHEDULE
| Unit and Duration | Time |
| Reading (45 mins) | 09.00 |
| Writing (1 hr 15 mins) | 10.00 |
| Structural Competence (45 mins) | 11.30 |
| Listening (40mins) | 13.30 |
| Speaking (20 mins) | Please contact your Examination Centre |