Image by ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 from https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/actfl-proficiency-guidelines
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) defines language proficiency levels according to the guidelines outlined in the "Proficiency Guidelines" and the "Can-Do Statements." These levels provide a detailed description of what learners can do at each stage of language proficiency. Here's an introduction to each language level as defined by ACTFL:
1. Novice
Novice Low: Learners at this level can understand and use familiar, memorized words and phrases in simple contexts. They can respond to basic questions and communicate basic information about themselves.
Novice Mid: Learners can handle a limited variety of everyday situations using learned phrases and sentences. They understand and produce simple sentences related to basic needs and topics.
★ Listeners: Individuals can comprehend common phrases and specific words used in specific contexts, such as introductions. They often need repetitive or slower speech to understand and are better at grasping the content when they can predict the subject.
★ Writers: People can replicate or recall (複製或回憶) elementary vocabulary or phrases. They are capable of sharing basic personal information and might manage to generate a small set of words or phrases from memory.
☆ Activity 1 "Greetings Bingo": Create bingo cards with different greetings in the target language. Learners interact with each other, trying to find someone who can greet them using the phrases on their bingo card.
☆ Activity2 "Self-Introduction Poster": Learners create a poster with basic personal information (name, age, nationality, hobbies) using images and simple sentences in the target language. They present their posters to the class and answer questions about themselves.
2. Intermediate
Intermediate Low: Learners can engage in conversations and handle a range of topics using sentences and series of sentences. They can narrate and describe events in various time frames and can understand main ideas in simple texts. ＊Abridge narratives(簡略敘述) of classic works from the target culture. * Understand familiar topics, but can paraphrasing unfamiliar vocabularies on Intermediate High level.
Intermediate Mid: Learners are able to handle a variety of communicative tasks and social situations. They can discuss concrete topics (具體話題), express opinions, and provide explanations (提供解釋).
Intermediate High: Learners at this level can communicate effectively on a wide range of topics. They can narrate and describe with some detail and handle many social situations, although they may still struggle with more complex language use. Can paraphrasing unfamiliar vocabularies.
★ Intermediate-level listeners can grasp straightforward daily speech, understanding one utterance(發聲) at a time during conversations or tasks.
★ Intermediate readers extract information from context clues in predictable texts, comprehending basic messages in everyday situations.
★ Intermediate writers meet functional writing needs, like crafting simple messages and answering basic questions. They use connected sentences to communicate facts and ideas in the present tense.
☆ Activity: "Travel Dialogue": Provide learners with a travel scenario. They work in pairs to plan a trip using the target language. They discuss transportation, accommodations, and activities, using more complex sentences and vocabulary.
☆ Activity: "Cultural Comparisons": Provide learners with information about a cultural aspect from the target language region (e.g., holidays, celebrations). In pairs, they compare this cultural aspect with their own culture, discussing similarities and differences.
3. Advanced
Advanced Low: Learners can engage in extended conversations and discussions on familiar and unfamiliar topics. They can express themselves creatively and discuss abstract concepts with some level of accuracy.
Advanced Mid: Learners can participate in discussions, and they understand and use more complex language structures. They can express ideas clearly and confidently on various topics.
Advanced High: Learners have a strong command of the language. They can discuss abstract concepts and use precise and nuanced language (討論抽象概念並使用精確細緻的語言)in various contexts. They can understand and produce complex texts. Making minimal supposition (假設).
★Advanced-level speakers can deal with unexpected complications in social situations and narrate and describe past, present, and future events.
☆Advanced Low:
Activity: "Cultural Interview": Assign each learner a partner. They conduct an interview with their partner about their cultural background, traditions, and experiences. They share their findings with the class using a mix of prepared questions and follow-up inquiries.
Activity: "Restaurant Role Play": Learners role-play a scenario where they visit a restaurant in a target language-speaking country. One plays the customer and the other the waiter. They order food, ask for recommendations, and interact in a realistic dining setting.
☆Advanced High:
Activity: "Debate on Current Issues": Divide the class into groups. Assign each group a current social or political issue. They prepare arguments and counterarguments in the target language and engage in a structured debate.
Activity: "News Analysis": Share a news article in the target language with complex content. Learners read the article, summarize its main points, and present their analysis to the class. They discuss the implications of the news in the context of their own lives.
4. Superior
Superior: Learners at this level can participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations. They can understand and use idiomatic expressions and handle a wide range of tasks and situations, including those that require a high level of accuracy. ＊Should be assigned to make inferences about the text provided. Discussion and debates. Support arguments and exploring hypothesis. (Abstract)
☆Speakers at a Superior proficiency level can accurately and fluently communicate to participate in conversations on various topics. Superior speakers can present their opinions, use extended discourse without unnaturally long hesitations and provide structured arguments.
★ Activity: "Critical Analysis of Media": Provide learners with a complex news article or opinion piece in the target language. They read and analyze the text, discussing the author's perspective, bias, and cultural implications in a written or spoken response.
5. Distinguished
Distinguished: Learners are able to use the language with near-native fluency. They can understand and produce complex and nuanced language, adapting to various contexts and social dynamics with ease.
Summarize
These levels provide a comprehensive framework for understanding language proficiency from basic communication skills to near-native fluency. They serve as a guide for language educators to design curricula and assessments that support learners' progression through these stages. Keep in mind that ACTFL's descriptions provide a detailed and specific understanding of what learners can do at each level, facilitating more effective language teaching and learning.
1. Novice:
Language Proficiency: Limited vocabulary and basic grammatical structures.
Activities: Understanding and using simple words, phrases, and sentences. Engaging in basic greetings, introductions, and asking simple questions. Listening and understanding short, straightforward conversations.
Vocabulary:
Basic greetings: hello, goodbye, please, thank you
Numbers: one, two, three, etc.
Common nouns: cat, dog, book, car, house
Action verbs: eat, drink, run, sleep
Simple adjectives: big, small, happy, sad
Time expressions: now, later, today, yesterday
Basic question words: who, what, where, when
Family member names: mom, dad, sister, brother
2. Intermediate:
Language Proficiency: Expanded vocabulary and improved grasp of grammar.
Activities: Engaging in more complex conversations, sharing personal experiences, and expressing opinions. Writing paragraphs or short essays on familiar topics. Participating in casual discussions and giving short presentations.
Vocabulary:
Extended verbs: discuss, explain, describe, analyze
Adverbs of frequency: often, sometimes, rarely
Emotions and feelings: excited, surprised, frustrated
Complex adjectives: adventurous, confident, responsible
Connectors and transitions: however, therefore, in addition
Time expressions: in the meantime, eventually, recently
Descriptive phrases: to some extent, as a result, in comparison
Common idiomatic expressions: piece of cake, break a leg, hit the hay
Intermediate-Mid to Intermediate-High:
Aural: Longer conversations on familiar topics, interviews, discussions on familiar subjects.
Written: Short paragraphs, personal emails, descriptions of events and experiences.
3. Advanced:
Language Proficiency: Rich vocabulary, strong grammatical skills, and nuanced language use.
Activities: Engaging in discussions and debates on a wide range of topics. Writing longer essays or reports with well-structured arguments. Delivering presentations to inform or persuade others. Participating in academic or professional conversations, showcasing critical thinking and in-depth analysis.
Vocabulary:
Advanced verbs: hypothesize, extrapolate, conceptualize
Technical vocabulary: scientific terms, specialized jargon
Precise adverbs: meticulously, intricately, profoundly
Nuanced adjectives: enigmatic, formidable, profound
Sophisticated connectors: notwithstanding, conversely, henceforth
Complex time expressions: in the context of, over the course of
Academic phrases: it is worth noting, from a broader perspective
Cultural idioms: a penny for your thoughts, the ball is in your court
Advanced-Low to Advanced-Mid:
Aural: Discussions on various topics, lectures, radio broadcasts, conversations with native speakers.
Written: Longer emails, short essays, summaries of articles or texts, descriptions of experiences.
Other:
**Authentic stimulus (刺激) : Guiding beginning and intermediate students through an authentic stimulus by using tactics like skimming for basic information and asking basic comprehension questions makes the stimulus more effective.
Resource:
What are appropriate for students of differing ages and proficiency levels?
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 https://www.actfl.org/educator-resources/actfl-proficiency-guidelines
ACTFL Proficiency Scale https://www.languagetesting.com/actfl-proficiency-scale#:~:text=The%20ACTFL%20proficiency%20scale%20has,a%20specific%20range%20of%20abilities.
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