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Title / Negotiate a complex spoken exchange (EL)
Level / 4 / Credits / 5
Purpose / This unit standard is for people for whom English is an additional language.
People credited with this unit standard are able to negotiate a complex spoken exchange (EL).
Classification / Languages > English Language
Available grade / Achieved, Merit, and Excellence
Criteria for Merit / Spoken text is clear, coherent, spontaneous, and generally fluent with some hesitation. Ideas are developed and connected. Negotiation demonstrates the use of a range of language features and conventions.Meaning is conveyed with minor inconsistencies
Criteria for Excellence / Spoken text communicates ideas effectively with minimal hesitation. Ideas are well developed. Negotiation demonstrates the use of awide range of language features and conventions is used. Meaning is conveyed with minimal inconsistencies.
Prerequisites / Unit 28063, Participate in spoken transactions (EL),or demonstrate equivalent knowledge and skills.
Guidance Information
1English Language (EL) refers to the acquisition of English as an additional language.
2This unit standard can be awarded with an Achieved, Merit, or Excellence grade. For the Achieved grade to be awarded, the outcome must be achieved as specified in the outcome statement. For Merit grade to be awarded, the candidate must meet the Achieved and Merit criteria. For Excellence grade to be awarded, the candidate must meet the Achieved, Merit and Excellence criteria.
3This unit standard is at a level comparable to the Common European Framework of Reference B2.
4This unit standard may contribute to the New Zealand Certificate in English Language (Level 4) [Ref:1883] for the general, workplace and academic qualifiers. Assessment of the academic qualifier will also require assessment against English for Academic Purposes Level 4 unit standards, in the subfield Languages. These standards can be accessed at
5All assessment activities must be conducted in English, which must not be the candidate’s first language.
6It is recommended that:
ithe outcomes are assessed as part of an integrated unit of work, relevant to the learning context of the candidate;
iiassessment be conducted in conjunction with assessment against other English Language unit standards at this level.
7Clarification to understand the requirements of the task may be requested by the candidate.
8The interaction may be simulated or an authentic situation. Two candidates may be assessed simultaneously, but each candidate must fulfil the requirements of the unit standard independently.
9For the purposes of moderation, the assessment must be recorded audio-visually. Guidelines for digital visual submissions for moderation can be found at:
10Each exchange:
imust be approximately 6 to 10 minutes in duration;
iimust involve a minimum of two participants, face-to-face;
iiimay include but is not limited to – complex goods or services transaction; negotiation with landlord, education provider, travel agent, employer, service provider.
11Assessment support material for English Language unit standards can be found at
12Definitions
A limited range of language features and conventions refers to the selection and use of language features and conventions appropriate to topic, purpose, participants and context.
A range of language features and vocabulary refers to the selection and use of language features and vocabulary to progress the negotiation.
A wide range of language features and vocabularyrefers to the selection of a variety of language features and general and topic related vocabulary used effectively to progress the negotiations.
Developed refers to information being expanded on or clarified by adding detail with explanations, examples and/or evidence.
Well-developed ideasrefer to the linking and explaining of additional details.
Coherent refers to the presentation of ideas in a clear and comprehensible manner.
Complex exchangerefers to an interaction with a negotiated outcome.
Conventionsrefer to verbal and non-verbal strategies such as, negotiating, clarifying, confirming, asking for repetition, giving or responding to feedback, assertive strategies; and behaviour and register appropriate to the context.
Errors refer to systematic use of incorrect language features.
Fluent refers to a smooth flow of language with few unnatural pauses.
Inconsistencies refer to a lack of control in language features, where the candidate can self-correct, if necessary.
Spontaneous refers to responses that are natural and unrehearsed. It may include the candidate adjusting learnt language patterns to suit the negotiation.
Outcomes and Performance criteria
Outcome 1
Negotiate a complex spoken exchange (EL).
Rangemust include a minimum of two people, each person contributing aminimum of ten turns.
Performance criteria
1.1Spoken text is generally clear, coherent and spontaneous. Ideas are relevant to the topic, purpose, and context. A limited range of language features and conventions is used with control. Spoken exchange may contain errors and inconsistencies, but these do not interfere with meaning.
Rangelanguage features include – grammatical, lexical and phonological features;
grammatical features may include but are not limited to – tense, modality, question forms, connectives, response forms to support communication;
lexical features may include but are not limited to – word choice, grammatical form of words, collocation, register;
phonological features include – pronunciation, intonation, stress, pace, audibility, rhythm.
Replacement information / This unit standard was replaced by unit standard 31018.This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 17 October 2013 / 31 December 2019
Rollover and Revision / 2 / 21 May 2015 / 31 December 2019
Review / 3 / 29 March 2018 / 31 December 2019
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0226
This CMR can be accessed at
NZQA National Qualifications ServicesSSB Code 130301 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut