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 and focus on what underpins it: the assessment used to demonstrate language proficiency.
The Test Behind the Seal Matters
To earn the Seal of Biliteracy, learners must demonstrate proficiency in English and at least one other language, typically through a standardized test. States may approve a variety of assessments for this purpose, and these assessments serve as a pathway for learners to showcase their skills.
However, not all assessments provide the same long-term value for learners. Some may be limited in scope or recognition beyond the educational setting. Others may not offer a credential that learners can use outside of their high school transcript.
By contrast, ACTFL® assessments, delivered exclusively by Language Testing International® (LTI), offer learners something more: a portable, industry-recognized credential that can support their college and career journeys, whether or not they qualify for the Seal.
ACTFL Scores: More Than Just a Number
Even learners who do not meet the criteria for the Seal of Biliteracy can graduate with an ACTFL score that signals valuable language proficiency. ACTFL assessments measure what learners can actually do with the language in real-world contexts. ACTFL scores are available only by taking an ACTFL test, exclusively administered by LTI. ACTFL scores are recognized by:
- State Seal of Biliteracy programs
- The Global Seal of Biliteracy
- Colleges and universities
- Employers across diverse industries, especially in healthcare, law enforcement, tourism, and financial services
- Government agencies and credentialing organizations
ACTFL scores are also legally defensible, which is important for organizations that require evidence of language ability for safety, compliance, or hiring standards.
Real-World Use of ACTFL Language Credentials
Across a range of industries, ACTFL proficiency scores are used to make informed, often high-stakes decisions. Here’s how language credentialing plays out in three critical fields:
Healthcare
Effective communication in healthcare settings can be a matter of life and death. Hospitals, clinics, medical interpretation programs, and healthcare credentialing agencies rely on ACTFL assessments to:
- Evaluate whether interpreter candidates, nurses, doctors, and other staff can appropriately communicate information in another language
- Ensure compliance with Joint Commission and Title VI standards
- Safeguard patient safety and comfort
Professionals who meet or exceed target proficiency levels on ACTFL tests may qualify for bilingual roles or receive credentials to serve limited-English-proficient patients directly. In some states, the threshold to qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy may be higher than the required proficiency level for certain roles in healthcare settings.
Law Enforcement
Police departments, dispatch centers, and emergency services use ACTFL testing to assess officers’ and responders’ ability to communicate with multilingual populations. Some departments offer incentive pay to personnel who demonstrate a qualifying level of language proficiency.
Language skills are critical in public safety, where clear communication can help de-escalate situations, ensure accurate reporting, preserve the rights of individuals, and protect communities.
Hospitality and Business
In customer-facing industries like hospitality, ACTFL-credentialed language skills are a competitive advantage. Employers use proficiency scores to:
- Hire staff for multilingual positions
- Identify candidates for international roles
- Ensure high quality guest experiences across cultures and languages
Employees with ACTFL credentials bring added value to their teams and have more career mobility, especially in global companies.
A Growing Opportunity for CTE Programs
Over the past year, LTI has worked closely with Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs across the country to highlight the benefits of dual credentialing, providing certification in a technical field and in a language.
More and more schools are now recognizing that language proficiency is a workforce skill that can help learners:
- Stand out in competitive job markets
- Access higher wages or bilingual pay differentials
- Serve multicultural communities more effectively
Regardless of qualifying for the Seal, by pairing ACTFL credentials with CTE certifications, learners graduate not only job-ready but also language-ready, a powerful combination. Only ACTFL credentials provide this powerful opportunity.
Read more: Career Ready in Two Languages
Why It Matters: A Credential Learners Can Carry with Them
While the Seal of Biliteracy is a powerful symbol of achievement and opens many opportunities in the workforce and for postsecondary studies, the assessment used to qualify for the Seal can open even more opportunities. Learners who test with ACTFL assessments walk away with more than recognition; they receive a credential that is portable, recognized, and backed by rigorous research and validation.
This means that even if a learner does not qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy, they can still graduate with a meaningful credential of their language skills, one that holds value far beyond high school.
Aligning Language Skills with Workforce Needs
For organizations with specific language requirements, LTI also offers language needs analyses, sometimes called task analyses. These services help employers determine the minimum level of proficiency needed for a specific role, ensuring that hiring decisions are aligned with job demands and legal standards.
It’s yet another way ACTFL assessments are meeting the real-world needs of today’s learners and workplaces.
Final Thoughts
The Seal of Biliteracy is an important milestone, but it shouldn’t be the finish line. Language proficiency can earn a credential that can follow learners into their futures.
By choosing ACTFL assessments, delivered exclusively by LTI, schools give learners access to a credential that’s aligned to various distinctions, as well as being recognized by colleges, employers, and industries around the world.
Whether or not a student earns the Seal, they can still graduate with a globally respected, career-ready language credential, and that’s a distinction worth celebrating.
Ready to start testing with ACTFL assessments and equip your learners with powerful language credentials? Contact us today.
