However, they may have difficulty understanding very specialized discussions. Students can understand a speaker who uses words to say more than their simple meaning, for example, cultural references. A Advanced A listening proficiency rating of A means that students are at the Advanced level. Students at this level can understand most of the main ideas of spoken descriptions, stories, interviews, short lectures, news items, and other factual reports on many topics. Students have a good understanding of most discussions about events in past, present, and future time.
Students can also understand the order of ideas in spoken language.
However, students may have difficulty understanding the message when ideas are not presented in order. Students at this level can follow most, but not all, of the important parts of a discussion as well as some details on topics that they know. They have not completely developed the ability to understand fully descriptions, stories, interviews, short lectures, news items, and reports. Students may still misunderstand some parts of what they hear. Intermediate A listening proficiency rating of I means that students are at the Intermediate level.