It may have been a few years since your language department implemented an ACTFL assessment in the effort to better understand your students’ language ability. As a teacher whose school has just completed its pilot year of offering the AAPPL to our students, we are definitely still learning about how this new tool will affect […]
Continue readingLeading the Future: Why Language Education Belongs at the Center of College and Career Readiness
Superintendents and school leaders today are asked to do more than simply manage systems. They are expected to make students future-ready, align learning to real-world demands, and ensure every graduating student is prepared for what comes next. In this work of future-proofing education, where does language fit? In fact, language education is one of the […]
Continue readingAssignments in the Real World
At Back to School Night and during Parent Teacher Conferences, the single most asked question that I am asked is some iteration of the following: “How can my child become fluent in the language they’re studying? What else can they do?” My instinct is always to horrify them by suggesting their son or daughter should […]
Continue readingFrom Elective to Essential: How AAPPL Testing Elevates World Languages
For years, world language teachers have lived on the fringes of data-driven education. In most schools, English, math, and science departments shape their instruction around benchmark testing while elective departments like ours are left out of the conversation. But that doesn’t mean our classrooms are any less rigorous or our instruction any less important. World […]
Continue readingStrategies Considering DLE Standards and ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
Have you ever wondered how you can integrate the information in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – 2024 (Guidelines) and the ACTFL Performance Descriptors into your Dual Language Education (DLE) or Dual Language Immersion (DLI) curriculum? Are you trying to meet DLE standards and also want to ensure you’re targeting performance descriptors at specific language proficiency […]
Continue readingBeyond Chatbots: Ethical Machine Scoring Innovation for the Spanish AAPPL PW
What is the difference between machine scoring systems and chatbots? The term Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword used in various businesses, organizations, and media in general. Many have warned about the dangers of using such a phrase as a blanket term to describe technologies that are not truly AI, as it tends to […]
Continue readingPreparing Learners for the AAPPL
Should I teach to the test? That sounds like the wrong approach, at least wrong if the test is not the right evidence of learners reaching the learning goals. But what if the test is the right test? What if the test accurately represents your learning targets, that is, what you want learners to be […]
Continue readingWhat’s New with AAPPL for 2025–2026
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 […]
Continue readingASL AAPPL: A Groundbreaking ACTFL Assessment for American Sign Language – LTI Blog
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 […]
Continue readingTop Tips for Successful Testing with the AAPPL and ALIRA
The spring testing is upon us. We have prepared useful tips as you plan for testing with the AAPPL and ALIRA. Contact Us Today to Bring Language Proficiency Testing to Your Organization
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