Did you know that the ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL), sounds like 🍎, was recently approved by ACTFL for placement testing in higher education? It is true, and it may just be the solution you have been looking for to improve your postsecondary world language program.
Why the AAPPL?
The AAPPL is a four skills test of reading, writing, listening, and speaking across the three modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational). Created for students in grades 3-12, the AAPPL rates proficiency from Novice Low all the way to Advanced Low, which is ideal for placement in postsecondary language programs.
In fact, the AAPPL is uniformly accepted as evidence of proficiency for the Seal of Biliteracy (SOBL) across the country. And AAPPL scores are increasingly used by postsecondary institutions for placement.
Take a bite from the AAPPL!
The AAPPL is unique in that each skill and mode may be administered separately, depending on your program’s needs. Divided into Interpretive Reading, Interpretive Listening, Presentational Writing, Interpersonal Listening & Speaking (which involves a simulated conversation with a video chat partner), the AAPPL is a powerful tool that allows for flexibility at a very affordable price.
To get a quick sense of whether a student is prepared for a 200-level course, try just the Interpretive Reading and Listening sections. For a medical interpretation course, you may wish to just test Interpersonal Listening & Speaking.
Each section of the AAPPL takes about 30 minutes to administer; and the full AAPPL can be taken in one two-hour sitting or divided into sections. Interpretive sections are machine scored, providing results in a day or two, and productive skills are human rated, with scores returned within 10 business days. This gives you time before the semester starts to ensure students are accurately placed.
Make it official!
The AAPPL is an official ACTFL assessment, so even though you may use it for placement, the test taker still receives an official ACTFL score that is recognized the world over. Learners can leverage their score as they seek opportunities in academic, business, government, and military sectors. Indeed, learners are often in the workforce part-time or full-time as they pursue their studies, allowing them to reap the benefit of an official ACTFL score immediately!
Why spend your time creating and scoring an achievement test to place your students, when you can use an official ACTFL test? Language Testing International (LTI), the exclusive licensee of ACTFL, administers over one million tests per year, delivering reliable scores along with peace of mind. With the AAPPL, you can be assured that the productive skills of speaking and writing are scored by trained ACTFL raters.
What next?
Now that you are convinced that the AAPPL is the best placement test for your post-secondary students, what will you use to measure growth and/or to evaluate your students at the end of your course or minor/major programming? An official ACTFL test, of course!
For example, the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is a telephonic interview with a trained ACTFL rater. The OPI is considered the gold standard in language testing and is often used for exiting majors and teacher licensure. If scheduling is difficult, the Oral Proficiency Interview – Computer (OPIc) is a simulated conversation with an avatar rated by trained ACTFL raters and may be a viable option.
And if you wish to test other skills and modes of communication, the full suite of ACTFL assessments allows you to mix and match to meet your program’s needs. From the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) to the Reading Proficiency Test (RPT) and the Listening Proficiency Test (LPT), ACTFL assessments delivered by LTI are proven valid and reliable, year after year, test after test.
Start with the AAPPL!
Start your semester off with the AAPPL and set the tone that your language courses are focused on proficiency. Once you know where learners have started, layer on a higher ed ACTFL test like the OPI, OPIc, WPT, LPT, and/or RPT to evaluate them summatively. You may also gain rich data about the efficacy of your program, curriculum, and instruction. Learners will benefit from an ACE accredited ACTFL test with an official ACTFL rating, an employability asset in any field they choose to pursue.
For more information about adding ACTFL assessments to your testing program, contact LTI at https://www.languagetesting.com/contact-us/sales
