By Dámaris Mayans, PhD For many heritage speakers of Spanish—those who grew up hearing and speaking the language at home but received most of their formal education in English (Valdés, 2000) —reading and writing in Spanish can feel like uncharted territory. While oral fluency may come naturally, academic writing often does not. So, what happens […]
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The Seal of Biliteracy is an important and meaningful recognition of learners’ achievements in language learning. It celebrates linguistic diversity, honors learners’ heritage languages, and promotes the value of multilingualism in our schools and communities. But to truly support learners’ futures in college, careers, and beyond, it’s essential to look further than the Seal itself […]
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I have noticed that financial institutions are recognizing more and more each day the importance of language accessibility and cultural fluency in serving their communities. One notable example is the Latino Community Credit Union (LCCU) in North Carolina, which has demonstrated in recent years how implementing multilingual services can lead to increased customer loyalty and […]
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At ACTFL® and Language Testing International® (LTI), we are committed to delivering the best possible assessment experiences for educators and learners. We always innovate, always listen, and always improve. As we kick off the new school year, here’s what’s new and updated with the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL). AAPPL Test […]
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The ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) for American Sign Language (ASL) is launching this fall, bringing the trusted ACTFL® gold standard to ASL for the very first time. The test was developed in collaboration with d/Deaf and hearing ASL experts and educators from across the country, as well as psychometricians and […]
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