Washington and Lee University
Ten Romance Language majors recently participated in an important exercise to assess their oral language skills. Conducted by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the standard Oral Proficiency Interview--or OPI-serves as the most widely recognized assessment of one's oral language abilities in our profession. A number of organizations, including the State Department, use the OPI as one means of rating one's fluency and capacity for language acquisition.
The W&L students shown here took a modified version of the Spanish and French exam. Their twenty minute oral interview placed them in a wide variety of circumstances, many of which required specialized vocabulary or situational strategies for communication. In the end, each student received a score or ranking that placed them in a general category, such as "Advanced Intermediate High". As part of the pilot program, their scores will now be used by ACTFL to help determine the future standardization of the modified exam.
A very hearty congratulations to our students for their role in this important assessment and to Professor Kuettner for coordinating their involvement through the Virginia Department of Education and the Foreign Language Association of Virginia's professional development initiative on oral assessment!
Students pictured here from left to right are Joana Traykova, Chelsea Stevenson, Kendre Barnes, Noel Price, Bethany Reynolds, Kayla Welch, Michael McGuire, and Zachery Cylinder. Not pictured are Max Vernier and Tilden Bowditch.