Assessment of Language Proficiency in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening

Languages and Intercultural Studies

This project will enable students in the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies to identify where they rank on the ACTFL proficiency scale in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian or Spanish. Students are given individual proficiency ratings in all four skill areas. These include explanations of how the rankings correspond to the ability to complete specific tasks and utilize the language in specific contexts (e.g. home, school, work). Students will be tested upon completion of the intermediate language sequence, which will allow them to formulate a personal plan of improvement that responds to the areas of strength and weakness identified by the STAMP exam. Students will take the exam again immediately prior to graduation, which will allow the LIS Department to assess the effectiveness of curricular and co-curricular programming in facilitating the improvement in students’ language proficiency. The test results can also be submitted by graduates to prospective employers and/or graduate schools as evidence of their ability to communicate with speakers of languages other than English