Businesses can scale language proficiency testing with a standardized testing framework and consistent proficiency scoring criteria. ACTFL tests evaluate language users on a proficiency scale that ranges from a Novice level to a Superior level. This scoring criteria helps you determine an employee’s precise language capabilities in real-world situations and on a global scale.
A Standardized Testing Framework
The ACTFL testing framework uses a validated metric to evaluate users in these core language skills:
- Listening: The Listening Proficiency Test (LPT) evaluates how well an individual understands spoken language in various real-world contexts, assessing their global listening comprehension skills.
- Speaking: ACTFL’s Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) assesses a person’s ability to speak a language effectively and appropriately in spontaneous, unrehearsed conversations for real-life situations.
- Writing: The Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) measures an individual’s functional writing ability by evaluating their capacity to produce spontaneous written responses for diverse practical, social, and professional contexts.
- Reading: ACTFL’s Reading Proficiency Test (RPT) assesses a person’s global reading comprehension by determining how well they understand written texts across various genres and complexities.
Criteria That Accurately Measure Performance
Trained, ACTFL-certified Testers and Raters measure performance based on the following criteria:
- Types of communication activities
- How correctly an individual uses grammar, vocabulary, and discourse structure
- The range of topics and real-world situations a language user can effectively talk about
- The complexity and length of conversation that an individual can comprehend and produce
What Are the Levels of Language Proficiency?
The levels of the ACTFL language proficiency scale are Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Superior. The ACTFL scale also divides the first three proficiency levels into High, Mid, and Low sublevels.
Novice
Employees who score at the Novice level can use and understand basic words and memorized phrases. Their communication is restricted, and they are limited to using simplified speech or repetition in everyday interactions. They may misunderstand most conversations and fail to relay clear information in the target language.
Intermediate
Individuals who test at the Intermediate level can form their own sentences in the target language, which enables them to answer and ask simple questions. At this level, language users can communicate about familiar topics and manage short, basic conversations.
Advanced
Advanced language users can understand and speak in paragraph-length conversations. At this level, employees can discuss general-interest topics and describe and narrate events in the present, future, and past tense. You can trust employees with Advanced proficiency to handle routine work conversations in their target language without needing assistance from a native language user.
Superior
At the Superior level, a language user can communicate accurately and fluently. They can use the language in complex professional and social conversations, hypothesize, support detailed arguments, and understand most technical or specialized vocabulary.
Why Is Scaling Language Proficiency Testing Important in the Workplace?
Scaled language proficiency testing is important in the workplace because it offers the following advantages:
Accurate Screening of Communication Skills
Language testing is necessary to objectively assess and verify multiple job candidates’ or current employees’ communication skills. With scaled language testing, you can quickly eliminate unqualified candidates who may overstate their language proficiency on an application or resume.
Legally Defensible Hiring Decisions
Scaling your company’s language proficiency testing helps you maintain uniform hiring processes and legally defend your hiring decisions if necessary. For example, rejecting a candidate who tests too low on the proficiency scale proves that your decision is based on genuine skill rather than bias or discrimination.
Reliable Multilingual Operations and Role-Specific Matching
Standardized language proficiency benchmarks help maintain uniform communication across remote teams, international offices, and various customers, which results in more effective global operations. When you use scaled language proficiency testing, you ensure that each employee can use language as required for their role. High-stakes fields, such as medical, financial, and legal sectors, depend on clear communication.
Scale Your Business’s Language Proficiency Testing With Language Testing International
Standardized testing is the most effective way to accurately evaluate employees’ language proficiency. Language Testing International is the exclusive licensee of ACTFL language proficiency tests. Contact our sales team to learn more about assessing your staff and ensuring clear communication across your company.
