Tasks & Topics

AAPPL Tasks

ACTFL’s Assessment of Performance towards Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) brings the 5 C’s of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages into a modern proficiency and performance-assessment environment. To that end, students are presented with a series of tasks in each communication mode. These tasks are informed by the functions described in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.

AAPPL Topics

To facilitate your curriculum planning, we provide an overview of the topics addressed on the AAPPL. The list of topics represents broad, general categories, which can be applied across Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels of proficiency. Click this link to the see the AAPPL General Topics for Forms A and B. The Topics for Form E can be found here.

Note: While these topics reflect the content areas for the AAPPL, ACTFL encourages educators to work across a wide variety of content domains to encourage the development of communicative abilities across the broad contexts experienced outside of the classroom. This is key to taking an overall proficiency-oriented approach. A table of tasks for each communication mode by proficiency level can be found here. For more complete information on how to incorporate tasks with the topics, please refer to the ACTFL Performance Descriptors for Language Learners.

AAPPL Test Forms for non-Seal of Biliteracy testing

When ordering AAPPL for reasons other than the Seal of Biliteracy, the selection of test forms (A or B) should be based on your overall proficiency target for the course. If you have multiple proficiency goals within a mixed-level course, you should select the form which captures the full range of the proficiency goals for the course.

For example,

• if your course goals include the Novice to Intermediate Low levels of proficiency, Form A will help you see progress across all your learners.
• if your course goals are consistent with the Intermediate range, Form B will capture the range of proficiency you expect to see in learners.

Selecting the form following these guidelines will also help you to plan ways to help all your students gain in their proficiency.

In summary, you should think about the range of your course goals to make sure that the form you select will provide information across all the levels in your course-- especially your targeted proficiency goals.

AAPPL Test Forms for Seal of Biliteracy testing

If ordering AAPPL tests for Seal of Biliteracy Awards, it is recommended that you order Form B tests.