{"id":4940,"date":"2025-09-22T09:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T09:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.languagetesting.com\/blog\/?p=4940"},"modified":"2026-02-03T23:01:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T23:01:25","slug":"implementing-actfl-writing-proficiency-test-a-tool-for-research-and-assessment-of-biliteracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.languagetesting.com\/blog\/implementing-actfl-writing-proficiency-test-a-tool-for-research-and-assessment-of-biliteracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Implementing ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test: A Tool for Research and Assessment of Biliteracy – LTI Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

By D\u00e1maris Mayans, PhD<\/strong><\/p>\n

For many heritage speakers of Spanish\u2014those who grew up hearing and speaking the language at home but received most of their formal education in English (Vald\u00e9s, 2000) \u2014reading and writing in Spanish can feel like uncharted territory. While oral fluency may come naturally, academic writing often does not. So, what happens when you give these students just one semester of targeted instruction focused on academic writing in Spanish? Our recent study set out to answer exactly that\u2014and the results are both hopeful and illuminating.<\/p>\n

How Much Can One Semester Do? ACTFL Results Reveal Growth in Spanish Heritage Learners\u2019 Writing Proficiency<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In a world where heritage language learners often navigate complex bilingual realities, the classroom can be a powerful space for transformation. A recent study conducted at Colby College set out to measure that transformation\u2014specifically, the growth in academic writing among Spanish heritage learners after just one semester of formal instruction. The findings, drawn from ACTFL\u2019s Writing Proficiency Test (WPT)<\/a>, offer a compelling look at the measurable gains possible with a thoughtfully designed curriculum.<\/p>\n

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Why ACTFL Matters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The ACTFL WPT is a nationally recognized assessment tool that measures writing proficiency based on real-world communicative tasks. It evaluates writing based on function, context, and text type\u2014from simple lists and phrases at the Novice level to structured academic argumentation at the Advanced level. By using this tool pre- and post-instruction, the study aimed to track progress in a concrete, standardized way.<\/p>\n

The Participants<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Twenty-eight heritage learners of Spanish participated in the study. Most had grown up in the United States, and nearly 80% reported higher comfort with English than Spanish. Many of them identified writing in Spanish as their weakest skill. Participants were grouped by prior Spanish instruction into three categories:<\/p>\n