Glastonbury Public Schools World Language
External Assessments
Glastonbury's world language program uses several external tools to assess student progress towards proficiency in languages. Glastonbury also regularly participates in testing opportunities for research purposes (see RFJ test information below).
Below are several external assessment instruments currently being used in the district, and administered in the Language Lab. Many of the listed assessments are used to qualify students for the Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy. Click on each one for a demonstration of the assessment.
The Oral Proficiency Interview by computer (OPIc) is an internet delivered test which provides valid and reliable oral proficiency testing in the target language. It was developed in response to increased worldwide demand for the testing of oral language proficiency. The computer delivered assessment emulates the ‘live’ Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), but the delivery of questions is through a carefully designed computer program via a virtual avatar. The test can be taken on demand at a convenient time for candidate and proctor.
The Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) is an assessment to measure how well a person spontaneously writes in a language (without access to revisions and/or editing tools) by comparing his/her performance of specific writing tasks with the criteria stated in the Foreign Language Writing Proficiency Guidelines 2012.
The ACTFL Assessment of Performance Towards Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) assesses Interpersonal Listening/Speaking (ILS), Interpretive Reading or Listening, and Presentational Writing in an online format. AAPPL assesses the language that students have learned and practiced within a classroom setting and provides evidence of the learner’s proficiency level. The AAPPL is about bringing the 5 C’s of the National Standards (Communication, Connections, Cultures, Communities, Comparisons) into a modern performance assessment environment.
In Glastonbury, we typically offer the ILS to students, and may, at times, offer the presentational writing to small cohorts.
AAPPL FAQ
What is AAPPL and what does it stand for?
AAPPL, the ACTFL Assessment of Performance Toward Proficiency in Languages, is a new series of language tests from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
What skills does it assess?
AAPPL assesses Interpersonal Listening/Speaking, Interpretive Reading, Interpretive Listening, and Presentational Writing. However, we will administer only the Interpersonal Listening/Speaking module.
What will the students’ experience be like?
The AAPPL Interpersonal Speaking and Listening is a role-play. Students participate in a virtual video chat with someone in a country where their language of study is spoken.
Students sit at a computer and put on a headset with a microphone. Once they begin they are greeted by the language lab manager who explains to them that they’ll be participating via video chat with a young person who will be coming to the United States and would like to ask some questions about school and life in the US. Students speak directly to them in the foreign language. Students can have the person with whom they are speaking repeat their question one time by clicking on the “Say again” button.
Do the questions get harder as you progress?
Yes. The tasks are leveled to the ACTFL Guidelines for K-12 Learners. They start at the Novice Level, which include introductions and basic personal information, and eventually progress to the Intermediate and Advanced Levels, depending on the testing level.
What are some of the topics that students will be asked about?
Let’s premise this response by pointing out that this is a performance test, which means that it is within the rules of testing that the students have a fairly full understanding of what will be covered. The topics will include art and literature, daily life, food, pets and animals, technology, and more. There are a list of topics found here.
How long should each test take?
This will vary, but typically around thirty minutes.
The ACTFL Latin Interpretive Reading Assessment (ALIRA) is a computer-adaptive assessment of Latin students’ ability to read for comprehension a variety of Latin-language texts that typify those used in an instructional setting. One or two multiple-choice questions accompany each text and gather evidence of understanding of main ideas, supporting details, point-of-view, inferences, or text purpose.