Can LILATE assess a single language skill, such as speaking alone?

This is a question many candidates ask themselves, particularly those who use English (or another language) mainly for speaking in their professional life.
The answer is: no, LILATE does not assess a single, isolated language skill, such as speaking alone.

Why doesn't LILATE assess just one skill ?

LILATE is a professional certification.
Its purpose is to measure a candidate's ability to work effectively in a language, in a real professional context.
In practice, this involves several skills that can't be separated:

• understanding a situation or a conversation partner,
• interacting orally in a clear and appropriate way,
• using the language consistently in a professional setting.

What role does speaking play in LILATE ?

Speaking plays a central role in LILATE, and this is a deliberate choice.
In professional life, the ultimate purpose of mastering a language is very often spoken communication: talking with a client, participating in a meeting, understanding instructions, handling an unexpected situation, defending a point of view. Speaking is generally where language skills are most exposed and most decisive.
In addition, usage is evolving. Technology increasingly supports written production: spell-checkers, translators, writing assistance tools, generative AI. On the other hand, the ability to interact orally in real time remains difficult to compensate for. It reflects a candidate's actual level far more accurately.

This is why LILATE relies on a video call with a human examiner, through professional role-play scenarios. The assessment focuses in particular on:

• listening comprehension,
• fluency and clarity of expression,
• adaptation to the professional context,
• ability to interact naturally.

Even though speaking is predominant, it's always part of a comprehensive, coherent assessment, in line with the requirements of a professional certification.

What if I only need to assess speaking or writing ?

In certain contexts, particularly within a company, it can be useful to assess one specific skill: speaking only, writing only, or simply to determine a general level.
In that case, it's possible to set up a custom positioning test via FlashLevel:

• targeted assessment of a specific skill,
• quick format,
• content tailored to the company's needs.

⚠️ Note: FlashLevel is not a certification.
It is a positioning tool, not a certifying test like LILATE.

In summary

• LILATE does not assess a single, isolated language skill
• It measures the ability to work in a language as a whole
• Speaking is central but part of a complete assessment
• For a targeted need, a custom positioning test is possible, but is not certifying

Updated on: 03/09/2026