Course

Course Summary

Credit Type:

Exam

ACE ID:

ACTF-0028

Organization:

ACTFL

Dates Offered:

Credit Recommendation & Competencies

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 2 semester hours in Foreign Language (Novice High/Intermediate Low); Or in the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 4 semester hours(Intermediate Mid); Or in the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 6 semester hours (Intermediate High/Advanced Low); Or in the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours and in the upper division degree category, 2 semester hours (Advanced Mid); Or in the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 8 semester hours and in the upper division degree category 4 semester hours (Advanced High/Superior).

Description

Objective:

The ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test is an assessment of functional writing ability that measures how well a person spontaneously writes in the target language in response to four carefully constructed prompts dealing with practical, social, and professional topics that are encountered in true-to-life informal and formal contexts. The individual whose writing proficiency is being evaluated is presented with tasks and contexts that represent the range of proficiency levels from Novice to Superior. All instructions and prompts are written in English; responses are written in the target language. The WPT can be administered in booklet form or via the Internet and lasts for 80 minutes. The elicited writing sample is then compared to the descriptors contained in the ACTFL guidelines, and a rating is assigned. Each test is rated by a minimum of two ACTFL Certified WPT Raters. The two ratings must agree on the level in order for a final rating to be assigned. Any rating discrepancy is arbitrated by a third rater. Upward of 5,000 WPTs, in more than 18 languages, are conducted annually.

Skills Measured:

The WPT is a global assessment that measures language holistically by determining patterns of strengths and weaknesses, establishing a writer's level of consistent functional ability as well as the clear upper limits of that ability, and compared to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines-Writing (Revised 2001). Though holistically rated, there are four major categories of assessment criteria on which ratings are focused-the global tasks/functions performed with the language, the social context and content areas in which the language can be used, the accuracy features which define how well the speaker performs the task pertinent to those contexts and content areas, and the written text type (from individual words to extended discourse) produced.

Instruction & Assessment