--- Forwarded Message from 15.5 ---

>From: "Dartmouth College LISTSERV Server (15.5)" <[log in to unmask]>
>Date:         Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:07:41 -0400
>Subject: LLTI: approval required (E40461D7)
>To: [log in to unmask]

Hi everyone,

Is there anyone out there who incorporates standardized testing of proficiency  
according to recognized scales into the curriculum? By this I do not mean merely  
using OPI techniques, but rather mean routinely testing and ranking students according  
to a recognized scale? And which scale do you use, e.g.  Common European Framework  
of Reference for Languages,  the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language,  
the Interagency Language Roundtable?

In other words, do your students leave the university with some sort of ranking  
or certificate that means something more than "I took two years of language" or  
even more than saying "minored" or "majored," i.e., that carries more than what  
ever weight the name of your institution might lend it. We all know that saying  
"two years" of 3 hours a week Spanish is different than a 5 hour a week program;  
two years of French is different than two of German, or Russian, or Arabic, or  
Chinese, etc. And between institutions there are other disparities ... Also students  
are more mobile than ever now, taking especially core courses sometimes at a number  
of institutions.

For instance, in German, the Goethe Institut has adjusted its language tests to  
match the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. One way to incorporate  
proficiency ratings into the curriculum would be to have all students take a Goethe  
test (which, however, costs money) after the 4th or 6th or 8th semester, depending  
on which levels you want to test. We in German at TCU are moving towards doing  
just such a thing. We are a test center for the Goethe exams and have been offering  
the exams on a voluntary bases to our majors and minors, strongly encouraging  
them to take the exam and subsidizing the costs (perhaps one of the only advantages  
of having a small program). We are budgeting to do a pilot next year with students  
after their fourth semester as well.

Who else out there uses or has tried a similar model in any language?

Thanking you all in anticipation

Scott
--
Scott G. Williams, Ph.D.
Associate Prof. of German
Director, Language Media Center
Dept. of Modern Language Studies
Box 297210
Texas Christian University
Ft. Worth, Texas 76129

Tel: Office (817) 257-7163
email: [log in to unmask]

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