Longman Dictionary of

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international language n
a language in widespread use as a FOREIGN LANGUAGE OR SECOND LAN-
GUAGE, i.e. as a language of international communication. English is the
most widely used international language.
International Phonetic Alphabet n
also IPA
a system of symbols designed by the International Phonetic Association to
be used to represent the sounds of all human languages in accordance
with a set of common principles. The symbols consist of letters and DIA-
CRITICS. Some letters are taken from the Roman alphabet, while others are
special symbols, e.g. /‹/, /°/, and /Á/ as in the English word /‹°Á/ show.
International English Language Testing System n
also IELTS
a test of English for academic purposes, used widely to measure the
English language proficiency of international students whose native languages
are not English and who intend to enter universities in Australia,
Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
International Second Language Proficiency Ratings n
also ISLPR
formerly known as the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings
(ASLPR), the ISLPR is a proficiency scale that assesses the four language
skills, ranging from “0” (no proficiency) to “5” (native-like proficiency)
with 12 levels, each of which describes how a test taker at each level can
perform using which language forms.
see also FOREIGN SERVICE ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEW
Internet Relay Chat n
see IRC
interpersonal function n
see FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE 2
interpretation
interpretation n
also interpreting
the act of rendering oral language that is spoken in one language (SOURCE
LANGUAGE 2 ) into another language (TARGET LANGUAGE 2 ) for the benefit of
listeners who do not understand (or who understand imperfectly) the
source language. Oral translation after a speaker has finished speaking or
pauses for interpretation is known as consecutive interpretation. If the
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