As world language educators, we often talk about the distinction between performance and proficiency. Most of us can explain that the former is language that focuses on familiar contexts and has been practiced, whereas the latter is overarching, encompassing authentic tasks in a real-world context. A simple way of conceptualizing this distinction is that performance occurs in the classroom, but proficiency is real life.
The United States is now the most diverse and multicultural it has ever been, and the need for bilingual staff in the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the broader transportation sector is more than a matter of convenience—it’s a strategic imperative. With a multilingual population, language proficiency directly impacts service quality, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. For organizations like the DMV, effective communication is crucial, and certifying the language skills of bilingual employees is a key step toward ensuring these goals are met.
Contact Us Today to Bring Language Proficiency Testing to Your Organization
Parental involvement is a cornerstone of a child’s academic success. This is particularly true for English Language Learning (ELL) students. To tap into the full potential of parental engagement, schools need educators who can bridge the language gap between home and school. Bilingual teachers are crucial in ensuring that ELL students and their families are engaged, informed, and empowered throughout the educational journey.
Law schools, Business Schools, Schools of International Affairs and Diplomacy – they are all united by a mission to develop tomorrow’s global business leaders. In an increasingly global economy, well-prepared leaders are needed now more than ever.
Alpine School District, Utah’s largest with over 85,000 students, faced a significant challenge in its Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program: the lack of a reliable assessment to gauge student language proficiency. Teachers relied on informal observations, leading to inconsistent evaluations and difficulty in addressing individual learning needs. Additionally, the district required a solution that was both affordable and scalable to accommodate its growing DLI program in four languages: Chinese, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Today, the ability to communicate in more than one language is not just an asset—it’s a necessity. For schools, investing in bilingualism and language proficiency is becoming a critical marker of success, as it prepares students for a globalized future. Understanding the immense benefits of second language acquisition and the importance of assessing language growth can transform educational institutions into hubs of cultural understanding, cognitive development, and future career readiness.
Contact Us Today to Bring Language Proficiency Testing to Your Organization
In the global retail market, efficient communication with suppliers from diverse countries is crucial. As stated in a survey conducted for ACTFL, midsize employers highlight a greater demand for bilingual or multilingual employees compared to their counterparts on a smaller or larger scale. Let’s illustrate how multilingual proficiency can be pivotal in maintaining the smooth operation of a retail company’s supply chain.
Integrating bilingual teachers and counselors is vital for meeting the needs and demands of an increasingly diverse student population in the United States. As the education sector faces significant shifts and challenges related to teacher shortages and rising immigration, strategic recruitment and retention of bilingual educators must be a top priority.
Contact Us Today to Bring Language Proficiency Testing to Your Organization
Validity and Reliability are undoubtedly the two pillars of assessment theory. As an adjunct professor of Assessment, I have had to define these concepts and explain their significance to teacher candidates in all content areas. Often, they confuse the two, so I had to develop a few memorable examples that would stick in their minds, long after they earned their teaching license.
In the fast-paced, retail work environment, customer service is the cornerstone of a company’s reputation and success. Effective communication is essential, especially when handling dissatisfied customers. A bilingual customer service representative can become the hero without a cape when it comes to de-escalating a tense situation, particularly in the United States’ multilingual economy, where over half (52 percent) of employers’ customer service departments require foreign language skills, according to a survey conducted for ACTFL.