Oral Proficiency Standards and Foreign Language Teacher Candidates: Current Findings and Future Research Directions

Abstract

The renewed national focus on teacher quality and effectiveness has resulted in more rigorous standards that describe the knowledge and skills required of teacher candidates across all disciplines. In the area of foreign languages, three sets of professional standards address the oral proficiency of teachers in the target languages they teach across the career continuum. For teacher candidates, the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (2002) establish minimum oral proficiency levels based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines-Speaking (2012). Utilizing ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) data, this study examines to what extent candidates are attaining the ACTFL/NCATE Oral Proficiency Standard of Advanced Low in most languages or Intermediate High in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Findings indicate that 54.8% of candidates attained the required standard between 2006 and 2012 and that significant differences emerged for language, year tested, and university program results. Further research that takes into account additional contextual information about candidates and programs will inform continuing professional dialogue about the oral proficiency of teacher candidates entering the profession.

The Impact of the Oral Proficiency Interview on One Foreign Language Teacher Education Program

“…The presence of native speakers of the foreign language was mentioned in a large‐scale study by Swender, Surface, and Hamlyn () that reported slightly higher results. In that study, 59.5% of the teacher candidates achieved the ACTFL requirement of Advanced Low (information available in Glisan et al, , p. 70). More recent research has continued to demonstrate that approximately half of foreign language teacher candidates are able to successfully reach oral proficiency expectations determined by the ACTFL.…”

From Praxis to Program Development

“…In general, Spanish candidates are required to obtain higher scores than their French and German colleagues. This is particularly interesting given the findings of Glisan, Swender, and Surface () noting that fewer Spanish candidates attained the Advanced‐Low level on the OPI when compared to French candidates.…”

Achieving Independent Language Learning through the Mobilization of Ubiquitous Instructional Technology Resources

“…1 Google+ and the student module of Schoolshape can be operated on handheld mobile devices, but what is of greater importance is the fact that students can access course resources on whatever tablet, laptop, or desktop computer happens to be at hand, anywhere there is a broadband Internet connection. Together, Google+ and Schoolshape provide the means to extend learning out of the classroom into the real world, to free it from time constraints, to store, access and share information for collaborative tasks and, most importantly, to scaffold pedagogical exercises.…”

“…Even in well-endowed educational systems such as those in American universities, the range of foreign language competency among graduating language majors can be judged by the fact that nearly half (46%) score below Advanced-low according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages scale in teacher certification exams [1]. Moreover, median scores on competency level tests over the past 50 years in the US mask a pervasive inconsistency in foreign language competency that ranges "from abysmally poor to superior performance" [2] (p. 134).…”