ERIC Number: EJ1219446
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Jul
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0265-5322
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Using the ACTFL OPIc to Assess Proficiency and Monitor Progress in a Tertiary Foreign Languages Program
Isbell, Daniel R.; Winke, Paula; Gass, Susan M.
Language Testing, v36 n3 p439-465 Jul 2019
Language tests are useful for many purposes, including monitoring language learning progress and evaluating language programs. This study investigated the interpretations and usefulness of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview -- Computer (OPIc) scores across four languages at a large US public university, focusing on (1) the influence of learner backgrounds on oral proficiency variation and growth and (2) patterns in growth across languages. Two years of OPIc score data from 814 students studying Chinese (n = 143), French (n = 251), Spanish (n = 374), and Russian (n = 46) were collected, together with survey data on language learning experiences and motivation. Each participant had two to four OPIc scores. A growth curve analysis using mixed-effect modeling revealed that language learning experience and motivation explained approximately 43% of variation in initial proficiency and 23% of variation in rates of change over time. The target language had no unique effects on initial proficiency or change over time. On average, learners gained roughly one-third of an ACTFL sublevel per semester of study (while controlling for differences in their backgrounds). Findings are informative for appropriate interpretations and uses of OPIc scores in tertiary educational settings, but also question individual growth-tracking suitability on a semester-by-semester basis.
Descriptors: Oral Language, Language Proficiency, Second Language Learning, Language Tests, French, Spanish, Russian, Learning Experience, Learning Motivation, Chinese, Second Language Instruction, Scores, Computer Assisted Testing, Student Characteristics, Longitudinal Studies, College Students, Program Evaluation
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Security Education Program (NSEP)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview
Grant or Contract Numbers: 0054MSU22PI280PO2
Author Affiliations: N/A