for; considering it's

にしては means that, judging by a standard, the result is surprising (good for a beginner). Attach it to a plain-form verb or a noun. Unlike わりに, the standard before it is a specific, concrete benchmark.

Examples

• 初はじめてにしては、よくできました。

  Hajimete ni shite wa, yoku dekimashita.

  For a first try, you did well.

• 外国人がいこくじんにしては、日本語にほんごが上手じょうずだ。

  Gaikokujin ni shite wa, nihongo ga jouzu da.

  For a foreigner, his Japanese is good.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 初めて for the first time
• する to do
• よく often; well
• できる to be able to do
• 外国人 foreigner
• 日本語 Japanese language

Related patterns · Contrast and concession

• 〜反面 on the other hand; while
• 〜一方で while; on the other hand
• 〜わりに considering; for (despite expectation)
• 〜どころか far from; let alone
• 〜からといって just because... doesn't mean
• 〜にもかかわらず despite; in spite of