DIPLE (B2)

What is the DIPLE Exam?

DIPLE (Diploma Intermédio de Português Língua Estrangeira or Intermediate Diploma of Portuguese as a Foreign Language) corresponds to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment of the European Council.

The description for this level of reference presents the social domains of communication, the situations of communication, the types of written and oral text, the strategies of communication, the speaking acts, the topics, the specific general notions, which together are expected to be fundamental to the usage of the language in the communicative activities described below, from the perspective of the speakers to use it in a culturally accepted way. The description for reference level B2 also contains the following sections: verbal interaction and discourse structure, sociocultural competence, compensation strategies, learn to learn and an addendum on pronunciation and intonation.

This level grants the speaker a degree of independence to interact in a wide range of situations of communication. The speaker has developed linguistic-communicative mechanisms, namely the recognition and use of the main lexical-syntactic and syntactic-semantic structures of the language, which enable them to have greater flexibility and capacity to use the language in less predictable situations. Being able to use strategies of communication and has a greater awareness of register (formal/informal) and social conventions, allowing them to develop mechanisms of sociocultural adequacy, thus broadening their communicative competence. The speaker is able to recognise and start using more common idioms, provided the core is known.

The comprehension of oral and written texts goes beyond the mere understanding of factual information, being able to distinguish between main elements and secondary ones. The speakers are able to produce texts of various types.

This level makes it so the speakers can work in contexts where Portuguese is the working language and can take academic courses. In the contexts where Portuguese is simultaneously the work and communication language, there can still be many difficulties.

What is the structure of the DIPLE Exam?

The DIPLE Exam has four components: Reading, Written Production and Interaction, Listening and Oral Production and Interaction.

What is the format of the Reading component?

General and detailed understanding of texts. There are items of multiple choice, correspondence and completion.

What can Portuguese speakers do at this level regarding the Reading component?

In everyday communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• understand the majority of texts specific to this type of situation.
• understand different types of press texts, especially articles on specific areas of interest.
• understand any type of text that doesn’t require knowledge of the specific language, like, for example, legal terms.

In professional communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• understand letters of their professional area, whether they’re routine or not, although complex situations and an unpredictable usage of the language can cause some problems.
• understand a report or an article on a familiar topic and grasp the general meaning of reports and articles on unfamiliar or less familiar topics, while always having greater difficulties whenever the information is given in a less explicit way.
• understand instructions and descriptions of products of their professional area.

In educational communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• understand texts related to non-academic training courses.
• understand books and articles that are not very complex in terms of language and context, although they still do not have a rhythm that allows them to follow an academic course.

What is the format of the Written Production and Interaction?

Section I: Production of a personal letter directed at an institution, with 160 – 180 words in length.

Section II: Production of a narrative, descriptive or argumentative text (from three given topics), with 160 – 180 words in length.

Section II: Rewriting of sentences.

What can Portuguese speakers do at this level regarding the Written Production and Interaction component?

In everyday communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• write the majority of texts required for this type of situation.

In professional communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• produce a set of documents, which may need checking if precision and register are important.
• produce texts, from a familiar area of work, which describes and gives detailed information, for example about a product or service.
• register messages and transmit them, however, there may be difficulties if they’re too extensive or complex.
• write dictated texts, provided that the pace is appropriate, and they have time to check what they’re writing.

In educational communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• take notes in a lecture/conference/seminar.
• take notes from written sources, although they may have some difficulties in being sufficiently selective.
• produce texts in the field of educational relations, although they still have difficulties with academic work.

What is the format of the Listening component?

Listening to texts with different formats and contexts. There are items of multiple choice.

What can Portuguese speakers do at this level regarding the Listening component?

In everyday communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can understand:

• routine conversations on a wide range of less predictable topics.
• routine medical advice.
• information and notices made in public places.
• the majority of what people say on a television program with the visual aid and the main points of radio programmes on subjects which are of general interest or well-known.
• the information/explanations of a guide, in a guided tour, without much limitations.

In educational communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• understand the general meaning of a conference/lecture/seminar, provided it is on a familiar topic.

In professional communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• understand conversations about their professional area.
• participate in a meeting, understanding the essentials of what is said, if it concerns their specific area.

What is the format of the Oral Production and Interaction component?

This component takes place, whenever possible, with two candidates at the same time.

Section I: Interaction between the examiners and the candidates on personal identification and characterisation.

Section II: Interaction between the candidates concerning the planning of an activity, or the resolution of an issue involving negotiation between candidates.

Section III: Candidates’ reaction to one or more stimuli given by the examiner before the beginning of this component.

What can Portuguese speakers do at this level regarding the Oral Production and Interaction component?

In everyday communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• interact in most situations likely to occur in service areas related to accommodation, catering and commerce, making requests, for example, for reimbursement or exchange of products, requesting information/clarifications, expressing satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the service, making complaints.
• interact in other communication spaces of the transactional domain, such as those of healthcare, explaining, for example, symptoms concerning a health problem, asking for information about health services provided and procedures involved.
• interact in situations of communication of gregarious relationships (for example, expressing opinions, arguing, etc.), although still with some difficulties.
• ask for complementary information, for example on a guided tour, to which a tour guide is given.
• guide visits, describing places and answering questions about the spaces to be visited.

In professional communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• ask for and give out detailed information on subject areas and participate, albeit with limitations, in meetings.
• register messages and transmit them, although they can have difficulties if they’re very complex.

In educational communicative situations, Portuguese speakers at this level can:

• ask questions in a conference/lecture/seminar on a known or predictable topic, although there may still be some difficulties, depending on the complexity of the exposed text.
• make a simple and short presentation on a familiar topic.

What is the duration for each section?

Reading: 75 minutes

Written Production and Interaction: 75 minutes

Listening: 40 minutes

Oral Production and Interaction: 20 minutes

What is the final score?

If you score between 85% and 100%, you will get a “Very Good”.

Who scores between 70% and 84%, is given a “Good”.

And the grade “Sufficient” is given to the candidates who scores between 55% and 69%.