CASAS Listening Basic Skills Content Standards by Instructional Level

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag

CASAS Listening Basic Skills Content Standards by Instructional Level defines measurable listening competencies across six instructional levels (Beginning Literacy through Advanced). It organizes content into phonology, vocabulary, grammar, general discourse, informational discourse, and learning strategies/critical thinking. For each substandard, it specifies what learners can recognize or comprehend in connected speech, stress and intonation, reduced forms, word sounds, vocabulary types (including homonyms and specialized terms), grammar structures, cohesive signal words, and increasingly complex social and extended conversations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Listening Basic Skills Content Standards by Instructional Level

Categories (L1-L6)

Key to NRS ESL Educational Functioning Levels

Content Standards by Category and Level

CASAS Listening Basic Skills Content Standards by Instructional Level Categories L1 Phonology L2 Vocabulary L3 Grammar L4 General Discourse L5 Informational Discourse L6 Strategies and Critical Thinking Key to NRS ESL Educational Functioning Levels 1 Beginning Literacy 2 Beginning Low 3 Beginning High 4 Intermediate Low 5 Intermediate High 6 Advanced | CS\# | Content Standard | ESL | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | NRS Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | | | | CASAS Level | A | A | A | B | B | C | D | | L1 | Phonology | | | | | | | | | L1.1 | Recognize and distinguish between the various sounds of English (e.g., vowels, consonants, minimal pairs, rhymes) | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | | L1.2 | Recognize words and sounds when they are modified by adjacent sounds (e.g., final “s”: walks [s] vs. plays [z]; final “-ed”: walked [t] vs. played [d]) | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | | L1.3 | Distinguish individual words in connected speech | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | | L1.4 | Distinguish basic stress and intonation patterns in English words and sentences (e.g., rising intonation for yes/no questions, emphasis) | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | | L1.5 | Recognize reduced forms of words and phrases (e.g., gonna, gimme; Did you/Didja, twenty/twenny) | | | | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | L1.6 | Recognize location of stress in multi-syllable words (e.g., My áddress is 312 Date Street. vs. Please addréss this envelope.) | | | | | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | L1.7 | Recognize moods, emotions, and attitudes conveyed by pronunciation and stress patterns (e.g., Stress and intonation can change I don’t believe it! from an expression of skepticism to an exclamation of surprise.) | | | | | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | L2 | Vocabulary | | | | | | | | | L2.1 | Comprehend simple words and phrases in basic communication in familiar contexts (e.g., basic courtesies, personal information, survival, emergency) | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | | L2.2 | Recognize letters of the alphabet, letters in words, and numbers when spelled or dictated | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | | L2.3 | Comprehend high frequency words, phrases, phrasal verbs and simple idioms used in a variety of everyday contexts (e.g., everyday conversations, simple descriptions, directions) | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | L2.4 | Comprehend simple words, phrases, and idioms drawn from functional life skill topics (e.g., shopping, housing, health, transportation, employment) | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | L 2.5 | Comprehend homonyms in context (e.g., There’s a hole in the bag. / Get a whole bag.) | | | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | L2.6 | Comprehend words changed by prefixes, suffixes, etc. (e.g., happy/unhappy; govern, government) | | | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | L2.7 | Comprehend speech that contains unfamiliar vocabulary using contextual clues | | | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | ©2009 CASAS CASAS Listening Basic Skills Content Standards by Level page 1 of 3 CASAS Listening Basic Skills Content Standards by Instructional Level | | NRS Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | CASAS Level | A | A | A | B | B | C | D | | L2.8 | Comprehend a wide range of vocabulary such as synonyms (e.g., doctor vs. physician), precise terminology (e.g., home vs. duplex apartment), phrasal verbs and idioms (e.g., to be late vs. running behind schedule) on a variety of topics | | | | | | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | L2.9 | Comprehend specialized vocabulary (e.g., technical, academic) | | | | | | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | L3 | Grammar | | | | | | | | | L3.1 | Comprehend basic grammar and structures with present tense verbs and modals of high-frequency usage (e.g., to be, to do, to need, to have, can) | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | | L3.2 | Recognize pronouns and follow pronouns across a statement (e.g., Carlos lives with his mother.) | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | | L3.3 | Recognize contracted forms | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | | | | | L3.4 | Recognize imperative constructions | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | 􀁹 | |

FAQs

What instructional levels are covered in the CASAS listening content standards?

The standards map listening skills across six levels: Beginning Literacy, Beginning Low, Beginning High, Intermediate Low, Intermediate High, and Advanced.

Which main categories of listening skills are defined?

They are organized into phonology, vocabulary, grammar, general discourse, informational discourse, and strategies and critical thinking.

What kinds of vocabulary comprehension targets are included?

The document includes basic words and phrases, high-frequency vocabulary and simple idioms, functional life-skill topics, homonyms in context, affix-based word changes, contextual clues for unfamiliar vocabulary, and specialized or precise terminology.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by ahduag