Do you wear the same shoes to the beach that you wear to the office or to go mountain climbing? Do you like the same music as you did when you were five years old? Likewise, would you want to use the same test for learners as they enter 7th grade as you would use with university learners completing a major in a world language? When it comes to evaluating language proficiency, one test does not fit all. One way ACTFL ensures test validity – measuring what is intended to be measured – is by offering developmentally appropriate language proficiency assessments for your individual needs.
Here are a few things for you to think about when you are selecting a language proficiency test.
Who are you?
Identifying your testing population matters. What is their age group and learning context? Are you testing your learners or seeking a test for yourself? Here are a few potential populations. Where do your testing needs fit?
- Learners in grades 3-4
- Learners in grades 5-12
- Learners in Higher Education
- Individual adults
- Human Resource personnel in academic, government, or commercial sectors
- Employees in academic, government, or commercial sectors
Why are you testing?
There are many reasons to assess language proficiency. School districts, teachers, individuals, universities, and businesses may evaluate language proficiency for any number of reasons, including:
- Student placement
- Student evaluation
- Progress monitoring
- Credit by exam (offering high school or college credit for coursework based on an exam result)
- Program evaluation
- Qualification for Seal of Biliteracy
- Program exit exam (e.g., minors, majors, study abroad)
- Fulfilment of state or other program requirements
- Career advancement or hiring requirements
- Research into efficacy of instruction and curriculum and washback effects of assessment
- Personal satisfaction
What are you testing?
Do you wish to find out how well a job candidate can correspond with customers in writing using the formal register? Or are you more interested in determining whether they can answer simple questions over the phone? In order to select the most appropriate test for your needs, consider the mode of communication (interpretive, presentational, interpersonal) and skill (reading, writing, listening, speaking) you wish to assess.
- Interpretive Reading
- Interpretive Listening
- Presentational Writing
- Interpersonal Speaking
ACTFL has many test options!
ACTFL offers a wide array of assessment options, for young learners at the novice level of proficiency all the way to experienced jurists at the superior level. Each skill and mode can be assessed separately, so you can truly see what a test candidate can do with language. For example, even if someone’s literacy is low, they may still be able to communicate effectively in an interpersonal conversation.
A few widely used ACTFL tests are listed below:
K-12 Assessments:
- The ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) is available in 11 commonly taught languages from Arabic to Spanish. ACTFL has also approved the AAPPL for placement use in higher education. The AAPPL results range from Novice through Advanced Low. The four components of the AAPPL may be taken together or separately:
- Interpersonal Listening & Speaking
- Forms E, A, and B
- Presentational Writing
- Forms A and B
- Interpretive Reading
- Forms A and B
- Interpretive Listening
- Forms A and B
- The ACTFL Latin Interpretive Reading Assessment (ALIRA) is a computer-adaptive assessment of Latin reading comprehension for use in secondary and post-secondary institutions. The ALIRA results range from Novice through Advanced Low.
- OPI & WPT for the Seal of Biliteracy is a test bundle designed for high school juniors and seniors seeking to qualify for the Seal of Biliteracy and is available in 24 additional languages.
Postsecondary Assessments:
- The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is a telephonic interview with an ACTFL certified rater and is considered the gold standard in language proficiency testing. The OPI results are available on the full range of the ACTFL scale.
- The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview – Computer (OPIc) is an internet-delivered assessment which consists of a simulated conversation with an avatar. The OPIc results are available on the full range of the ACTFL scale, with different test forms available to assess specific proficiency ranges.
- The ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) provides a series of writing prompts dealing with practical, social, and professional topics typically encountered in both formal and informal contexts. The WPT results are available on the full range of the ACTFL scale, with different test forms available to assess specific proficiency ranges.
- The ACTFL Listening Proficiency Test (LPT) assesses the ability to understand spoken language on a range of real-life topics. The LPT results are available on the full range of the ACTFL scale, with different test forms available to assess specific proficiency ranges.
- The ACTFL Reading Proficiency Test (RPT) measures how well a person understands written language without access to dictionaries, reference grammars, or other language resources. The RPT results are available on the full range of the ACTFL scale, with different test forms available to assess specific proficiency ranges.
- The ACTFL Test of English Proficiency (TEP) is a test of English proficiency, assessing all four skills in English. It consists of three sections: WPT, OPIc, and the Listening and Reading Computer Adaptive Test (L&Rcat).
- The ACTFL Proficiency Placement Test (APPT) is a non-proctored test of interpretive reading and listening available in French and Spanish.
- As noted above, the AAPPL is an approved assessment for placement use in higher education. This means postsecondary institutions now have access to a standardized 4-skills assessment to help them quickly and accurately place students, saving time and effort.
Postsecondary tests of productive skills (speaking and writing) include a background survey. This ensures test prompts cover subjects that are familiar or of interest to test takers and will elicit responses that highlight what test takers can do with language.
What does an official score mean?
An official ACTFL test is administered in a proctored setting and scored according to ACTFL rating protocols; results come on an official ACTFL certificate. Official ACTFL assessments of productive skills are double rated according to industry standards. ACTFL takes care to select, prepare, certify, and regularly re-norm raters to ensure reliability and consistency of ratings. And, in cases of discrepancy, a third rater may be brought in to rate a sample. The interpretive skills of reading and listening are machine scored.
Most importantly, official ACTFL tests, administered by ACTFL’s exclusive licensee, Language Testing International (LTI), are the ONLY assessments that can provide official ACTFL ratings. For more information, you may access the ACTFL website here.
That includes the AAPPL, which also provides a score report that shows students, parents, and teachers precisely what a student can do with language for each skill and mode of communication. Using the terminology from the ACTFL Performance Descriptors, aligned to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024, the score reports show what a student can do and offer strategies for improvement that are concrete and attainable. Perfect for developing an individual learning pathway or for preventing summer slide! And unlike other K12 tests, all AAPPL productive skills are rated by ACTFL certified raters. Further, AAPPL has been demonstrated to be both valid and reliable by external research.
Official ACTFL certificates are recognized world-wide in many sectors, including academic, commercial, military, and government. An official ACTFL certificate may lead to incentive pay, opportunities for advancement, and special recognition. Most ACTFL assessments are ACE accredited for college credit, so students can potentially save tuition money with their official ACTFL score as well.
Select the size that fits!
One size may not fit all, but ACTFL’s full range of language proficiency assessments can help you use the test that fits your needs. Follow the simple steps to select the right test for who you are, why you are testing, and what you are testing. Contact your LTI representative today to learn how you can choose the right fit for you!
