The Rationale for Defining and Measuring Foreign Language Proficiency in Programs for Business PDF Free Download
1 / 4/4
100%
a-!
-! i' i
,1
RSTEIC I Th t \ paper sutnrtdn.?r o rc.tuta tiai
.lat the t98J Ct)nfa.n.e an larcis, L(nNuases.fol
Busines ahd the Prclassions
at Ldstenl Mi.higon
Unirereit! The authots discu$ the arisih .I
lansuasc
prali.ienc! ascsere nt
sowrrnent, its
adaptationJar use in acadcthit Lonlext.t,
atul oh?
e\drlptc ol the p o I e n lia la f p r a
I i. i e n. r baed leant
ihg dnd its dppli.atians in dn ihtetnutnMl car
A Chllleng€: Iroreign
Lrngu.ge
Job Rcquiremenls
''Applicanr
should be nuenr in
one or moE of
Ihe follo$ins languae.s..."
"...nusL bc
Jully
bi
l1ngLal. "llnoslcdse of I'o.rusucsc
Drcfered.
'
"E\cellent
skilh in borh German/ln8lish
a.e
ne.essa.y.ii i Workjrg knorvlcdgc of
Arabic/Hebre* .equi,cd." Whar doe\ rhc
cmployer really mean \vhen
speciftirg sLch re
quirclrenrs?
Ho\v do applicanrs
inlerprel rheml
Whal !ro\isions
is
lhc loreigD ladguagc
profcsio!
mlkine ro.la.if! Lhi\
tob
narker shorthand?
This airide di\{ars th. oricns ud urs of
proiicieDc,v
bafd \)srems
in go\ernrbenL
ard
educarion,
an iditial applicrrion
of prolciency
I sr,rr rlrrd) \ f!,rto: Buri
oriid I thrr'ltt D
rtucK Language
Jervtces
ACTFL Project Director
based
oral 5kil15 ascsnreDr in one corpofate ser,
ti.g, and lhe $ide range
ofporcrtial applicalions
ol proliciency
based stslens lor busiDcss. indusr.y,
and the proicssions iD general.
With regard
to ibrcign language
proliciency, lhc
nodern corporation (or ind i!idral nem bcn ol dre
busnre$ indunrial connnunity and rhe
ptufcssiont
r.sembles borh ihe gorernme.r and the educario!
conlmuniLre!.
It rcscnbles
go\ernment
in thc im
mediacy aid lundion!1 nature of Lhe need,
and
jt
resembhs
.ducalion in thal ihc inirial focus nusr
often bc on instruclior rarhe.lhan
applicarior. Il
b lhercfolc nol su.prising
lhat uscs of dre
nrofi-
crcncysysled nnF.tant 1o ed., of rhe olhe. groups
$ill also be significanl in the busiDe$ ard prcics
kofici€nct Rating in Gov.rnmenl !nd Educrtion
A nandardired, prolici.ncy based dfproach ro
io.eisn lansuage skills assrrsmcnr
h.s efolved in
dt cole.nntnr and is beine adaprcd lor academi.
use by the Anerican Council or lhe Teachire of
Foreis! Lansuases
(ACTFL) and rhe Educational
Tesrine Se.vice
(ETS). Proficie.cy resrine difics
nrarle.tlr fton achieicnrnr lestiDe, rhe cla\!oom
tradirion.
The laller lerds ro bc brscd
on a limilcd
body
ol rccenrl,v taughl naleri.l, r'hil. profioen
r] r.ning
cn.ompa$es flr.rjoiaLusr oJ rhctoralitt
ol thc krguigc compered lo rhar oi rn cducalcd
Allhou8h sontc fom of ioreisn languaec
profi
c'cnc) mcasuredren( ha! been urilized nr eove.n,
The Rationale
for Defining
and Measuring
Foreign
Language
Proficiency
in Programs
for Business
Kathryn Buck,
David V. Hiple,
J25
il6
mcnr lor.!.r nvenrt-live
lears, (he
elo[nion ol'
rifoliocnc! ralins scaler
has hecn
!radual h 1955
rh. Ioreien S.ryice
ln\titrrc (!SI) iniL'a(€d a P,o-
jecr
ro d.fiic rhc
loeign laneuage
skills ofits Pt.
so.nel. The r*ujring skills dc\c.iPrionj
grc\r nl
sophisticati()n
durine rhc.n{Lire decadc
r.d {ere
adopl.d bt olher
govctnme.(
aeorcics.
indudnrg
rhc Ccntral
lnlclli!cnc Agenc! Langua!e
School,
the Dcfun!. Lansurge ttsIilLrIc, and rhe Peacc
Corp!. Ir l96E agcnct
retr
d.rdize rhese
f rof,citn.y-bascd
l$.1 delinilions.
Thc.c\Ltrrnr sc.1c e\rcnd( nonr Lcrcl0 (lo' no
rra.tical!rcfi.ien.\) ro I e\cl5 (lor pcrfolmancc
eq!ilalenr Lo rhal ol an ed!..1.d nali\e spe.kcr)
and jucludes phs" le\els ar ransct
0 Lh.olgh'1
for pcr!ooraDcc
mor. rhan hal1
\ra-'. ro lhc !cxr
lelel, r.nntins nr dc\cn.aree disrincl,.ns NoN
kroNn r\ (he lfl.rr!!ncr L.nguaec Rorrdliblc
(ll R) I)elinnidrj, rhi\ s.ale is lhc nrndard lo.
lan!Lr.!e proti.r.ncr ralin!s rn .ro\cfunrcnl
To drre, oral fioriciticr .YalLraled
b! mcans
ol rn inrtr\ie\ ha! recei\ed lhcgrclle( altcDlion.
Thc o.!l i erlic\ b "r Iacc 1o lacc
tc\l ol a crD
didare'{
stc!\ing abihr \!h.n lalLmg
1o nto lranr
cd rslcs" (in lhc etrd.mic conte\I, unraLLy
one
Lrai,red tcsrc,)
'ln. a
rsiod oi ren ro fo v Dlnutes
Thc r+ulirj, srclch \rn,rlc js
rhcn..Led or (rhe
rri.r..-ll. J ..'i ..
e.r sc,c l.diilirr giLh llt oral inlenics and
" ,.. ,dli L '; \J T ' o('l o'
ns uic in d(ademic
ii\Lnurions.
In l9l9 rhc
tsduc.
i,, l ,r9'r ''..1 | 'Jn l r'
ntd r f '.,i. o' g/.
. .,nl' ,,r . ' .' .',i o 'rJ "r _. I
' l " ll r
the don !o\ cri.i.nl a.!drnic ctrir odilenI. r\llet
''Irrri \"eto. J.:rrl'Ur'
. I op. \ -rJ lrl" o
.Jr'''o 1.. ' r',,1
\crl. \rrs adrisabh. lr \as 1ur'hcr
de.idcd arx
ronc adint.Iion ol Ih. II R s.al. sould tre
ne.es!!! il ir \.rc ro Ii.!e D.aningluLacldcmt
p.. 1..
l rr' l o \ Li'r
L.l\ '' B.'., ,J .J| rr'
ar.(gc frofi.icncr oi gladuarilrg for.lgn !angr.gc
nrrjor5
in U.S. colle.ses
an(1 unncAirics
ua\ Le\el
:r .', , 'r o i _ l
ass-ii.nr of forcign l.n!ur!. |c!\i.r.l 'on
d!.rcd tt IrSI .l.l..nrnrcd rhal no!r fILrf..'ion.l
ladgurgc
n.cd\ (ul(L bt srlislie.l
b) I d.L -r
o
. J r" .r'.
FOREICN Lr\N(;UAGE ANNALS
dininguish
bc(scer Lclcls 0lhroueh I Lhar bc
t$.cD I elels l+ throlgh 5 As a r.suh. aD
academic
scalc
\as proposcd \vhich.ddr.$ed Ilrer
difl..cr..s, lcL
conlorNcd to the sr.ucrdre
ol rhc
ILR scalc.
The relarion\hip
b.l\rctn gorernmenl
!nd r.addnrc proficieDc! sca!es
!s
lrcsenled bclo$
.i
,\ppli.riions oi l'roiicicncr Ralnrg\:
Golernnrenl
!nd Busincss
Profrcicnq ,arings ar rorlinel) !s.d lbr job
.la$jncilior ud langua!. r.lat.d assgnnrcnrs
i.
go\cnrnen(, !fd n' $nre.ises. s.larl urcrenrenl5
arc liDkcd ro
f.oli.ienc-r
ralines. By dclining
a
job
'.1.''
ocToEraR
1981
as requiriDe Level 2 (Adrrureed) oral Frolicier.y
(or readine, sririnc. or lislcning
prollcienc!)
lhe
!agnenc$ i!d enfu\ion rc$lline froD Ore
use ol
su.h 1.rms as
"iltrerl." 'bilingual, and \vork
ing
F.olitierct," arc climinatcd.
ln addirion io be_
ins us.lui Lo th. enrp!o)... Lhele
profi.ienci scale\
a,c rl\o usefLrl lo rh. iob applicanl. $ho
unlcAlands ffonr rhc
ouLsel {hal is expcclcd
and
r.i bc1L.r
ases $hclhcr hc or she
tossesscs
tlre
requircd
prolicrcn.l
civcn thr jnmddiarc,lasl o.ienLtd
larguagc
per
la.nrance requirenrcnl! 1!f
ii)trrg bolh golcr
nnrent
ard busin$s, ho\L mieht largtr.ec proliciency
ralirgr serlc
Lhc
pri\atc scclo
? Suppose a
job aP-
plicanl \cr€ to prcs.nl a Doicnrial t plo,v.r \rith
. docun.nt.er{jl!ing I .\cl 2
(Adlanced) or.l pro
li.i.nc) in a Lx.s.l langLage B! rcJcrrng
Io lhe
r.Liig dcriritidr. Ihc cn,p1o!- coul{l
confjrMlur
3 Le\.1
2
(/\drar.td) spcak{ .aD stlist.r 5u.rnal.
soei!1,0d Lirtri(ed
ro l: .e.tuiJ enr.nls
and P.rlonn
rhe lilguinlt iunclion\ oi rrrnation ard descrip
rlon,
e\jr..$id: ta(, p.e\ern,
aDd
lulure rimc
wilh
r.hrnc ar.uac! \\ ilh lhis lv|c ol inlitdalion lbl
...h ol Lhe !k ill !,ca\. rht.Dplot.. \ou1d bc bcr
rc' rb[ (o judgc ]ltrlifl r tob aPplicul is abl.
ro \ellDicroconrPul.s in N1c\ito, bc fcslonsibk
.I . '.1 ..r..I'p.'.'. nof. \.rP.
,. J \tt , r,.Jj t,,.T,
I I rri '1.. . ' ri,u . o,ro .
'l4ci '
I h r" r
'n 1 'dcr''i'l in
Busin$s ulililt: ^n EudPle
\\ l .re l . .,r
r,\. i ,. ! u.ul i-
D,ojccrs lor lrnsuag. n8o\l.tjon aad usa ;o
.r. nJ' I .c lool Jr hJ{ |l
\, lll. j . 'rri'i d,'o,cb .
u.rr ,rfr ". Ic.r 'r'r'lcdq r...'
\r' .r...r' _loe
r' ' I i 'r;vr' sorr.cr\ill \.{
I rl- |\ ..l di ul Ir'P.hJ Al
l\rFrlrRp,,rul l, rr "\l _1..14o Jr'
I.Jr' r' ' o\il. I n.rI'.rio il
J nj r' g .!.1 | I oer. rr. cr" .
Ianguage.nd Nhural lraini|g l.ilorcd
to indi!idual
'' . 1
ft ng lrtru.Dn.f ltrrord. Asidei.nn apfhcalions
'i ,.,.\l\. J ,o' 'or'J... 'r
'i r. . rr. r " ' o r'e 1..1.
r^r LJ
'o. i .,. r'F... c.cr. .1^ i. J.
busine$ conrcxA,
and .u,t.nl cvcnls-rhar is, for
lansuag. ol $idd utilily lhan lhe job specific
521
To datc. oral proficiency intcrvicss conduded
in rhe
prosram
illunrate rhe
!alucoilhe inter!ie$
proces in cvlluating areas of lireuini. and con
rcxrual nrenglh and {ealne$. iD molnaLing
lea.ne.s
1o o!ercom. he!iration and lingujnic
phteau\, ard in assessing
proeram eflcclilcnes\
ln rhe oral irler view. cach
queslion
has a spccilic
lircuislicand contexrual
purposc,
and uhidarcly,
tlrc inrerlieser Deeds lo iind the candidalc's lelel
of "linguntic breakdosn, Lhe levelal which the
candidare
can no longer naintain linguislicall! ac
cu.are and.ulturally approp.iaLe
pelfornrance The
oralinLei\ie{ has iour basic
phascs: 1) tht \rxrn
up. during which thc candidare is pur ar eat and
allo*ed ro reenrer tbe Iargct languagei l) the level
.hr.k. durire whjch rhc intcr!rc$cr.he.k: the
validirr'
of rhc rariDg $hich he or slre senses
reprcscnrs lh. sPedker's
proficiency
bascd on D(
fonnanccdurjngthe$arn-!pil)theprobcs,dur
iDe
\iich the
inrcrvieser as.flran$ drc.aDdidarc'5
abilit! to perform al thc nexr
highcr lc\cli dnd
.1)
Lh. \inddo\n, dunDE shich the nrttr\retrer
krurns ro Dore faniliar slnrclures and loirlcs in
.n eliorl to end thc
inlc.vicr $nh a licliis of$rc
ccs on rhe parr
or lhc candidare. Duri're Ihe it
re^ieu, ar inrc,\ic\.. a) ulilize
frefarcd roic
play
siluarions as 'lerelchecks" or as trobes."
Thcse ranCc Iom basic surlival sirualions, Io snra
rbns \irh a conrdicalioD, lo
dill,cuLr siLuatio.s r.d
ab\r.acl Uneuinic lasks.
lrr lhc HoechsL
program, parlicitanls nrlerue$ed
ro dare feporl ileling aI ear *ilh lhc oral inler
liew proce$, and citc lhe idporlancc ol Lhe op
po.runiry
lor c\tcnded indi!idLal con\eAaLbi n,
build'nB conlidcncc, $pccially
*hcn thc
jrrcrvi.sci
is nol thcir cLa$rood iNtruclor. In lratenah
desisD,Ihis sad€ de\ ice oifers the busnres
prosram
a valLrablc
oppo.Lunny io define and locus leanr
iie on the basis ol panicipanl5'innediale nced5
and pan experierce.
ParIic'panr5
in rhe Ho.chn
progran have becomc inlcreited
ln.reallrg and
practicing
role pla,! sjluarions
based oD thcir work
and business
travel cxperience.
Thus drc jDstruc
ror cln mot eflicrively desisn curriculud and plan
da,! to day insfnction, and partrcipa.ts.an morc
.eadily undentand and take pafi 1n Ihc slructur-
ine oi the naterials and aclivilies.
Thcrc are
addi'
(ionalberefits
lo lhe iraineFi.srntrIor. The oral
intcnie* can funclion as an a$e$menl lool fo.
placenent and lor the cvalualtun
ofad nrdiYidual s
proercss.
And ir can be uscd in evaluarine objec
Iilcs and ov{allprocram cffectivenes, nr orlanrz
528
ing progran desiSn, and in selecting
materials and
The impact on cuniculum, m€thods, and
malerials is signiftcant. For the participant-ledner,
proficiency-bas.d instruction lcads to a more effi_
cient, struciured curriculum, as
well as to incred-
ed understandins
of and participation in the leam-
ing process.
For example,
in addition to using the
oral interyiew as a rating Procedure,
the trainer can
use th€ taped
iftedew to analyze
and discuss
pe._
formance with the learner, ass€ssing
strengths
and
weaknesses.
This enables
both learne. ard train€r
ro €valuate
plogress
and to establish obj€ctive, for
further traininS.
Imm€diate benef$ to a corporation include the
ability to quanlify both th€ individual pdticipantt
pro8ress
and the effectivetress
of the trarning prc-
gram. Potential long{atrge corporat€ aPplietions
include th€ us€ of proficiency-based c.iteria in job
descnptions
ed advertisements,
hiring pro€edur.s,
perf
ormance appraj$I, international
relocation and
project planning, and nanag€mmt education and
orsa zational prod$ctivity. The goal of the coF
ponte language
traininS prograE is, of course, to
make personnel nore proficient in the target
lansuage and therefore more successful
m then
foreign languagc-related
tasks. A natural applica'
.ion of the ACTFL Proficiency Proj€cts, and of
the oral proficrency interview in particular, is to
facilitate effective, appropriat€ languaS€ training
and skills ass€ssm€nt
in busin$s ard the
There
is no way to quantrfy the compeiitive
€dge
and the respect accorded
the businessperson
able
and willing to conv€rse
with foreiSn counterparts
in thei. native language.
Yet while Proficiency in
a foreisn language
is derirable, it alone does not
guarantee
succ€ss
in international business. In Ne,
Facts About Japanese
and Anericans, }{oward
Vatr Zedt states that for int€mational burin€sspec
pl€, accomplishme s and p€rsoral contentment
"are in direct proponion to the amount of tim€
rhey Sive
to the studying of th€ foreign country in
which they work. The ambitious on€s, therefor€,
devote a substantial pan of their spare time to
learninS about the history, geography,
language,
politics, economy, customs, and manners ot th€
A significant conc€pt validated in lhe ACTFL
Proliciency
Projecrs is $at knowl€dgeol Oeolbe;
cuhure is a legidmate skiu atea ln lhis conle,{ , lbe
oral proficiency
'nterview
is not only an exercise
wirh linguhric
value,
but also one wilh cultural
value. If rh€ simulat€d situations are vehicl€s
fot
pradicins appropriale
slrategiet for inleracLing
)bs\-\
'
FOREION LANGUACE ANNALS
with speakers of the tarSet languag€,
and if, a! in
thc Ho€chst
proglaIn, the oml intervi€w encouraA€s
Ianguage
users to corveree more readily and con-
fidcntly with naaive
speakers, we can assume
that
not only vil for€igr lan€uag€
proficien€a
increase,
but that gr€ater
r€ceptiviay to forelgn cultures and
great!.i&ility to acl app.opriately in these
culturG
ConclusioD
The profcssion is fortunate to be able to build
on extcNive government experience
in measuring
lansuage
proficietrcy. By taking advantage
of this
€xperience,
w€ will be able to articulate the learn_
itrg process
for langpag. teameN/users ttuoughout
th€ir academic
and Fof€ssioml careers. Only by
quartifyins in a useful way th€ actual language
needs of ftese learnere
and bv providing €ffective
for€ign language instruction will we be able to
credibly mark€t foreign latrsuage skills nol onlv
within acad€mia,
but to "end users"
in business'
industry, and the professions. when skills and skills
requirements are nore precisely defined and
evaluated, and when curricula and nateriars €n
be desisned
accordinsly, based on a recognized
(in-
ter)national standard, the job adveiisemcnts cited
above
might read like this:
"Applicant should have Superior/Level 3
(ACTFL/ILR)oral proticiency
in one or more of
the followinS
lansuages."
"Must have ILR l.vel
5 skills in allaeas." "writinS and lislening
com
prehension
in PonuSues€
aI Level 2/Advancld
(ILR/ACTFL) preferred.
' ILR Level4
skills in
borh German/English necessary." "l-€vel In
term€diare Hish/l+ (ACTFL/ILR) oral and
reading skils in Arabic/Hebrew requir€d."
Ir is tjne we learn ro speak
a sinele lanErrage
about foreiSn language
proficiency.
NOTES
'Par<I.. Lowc, !r,, M.nual Jor LS ln@iew
,/o.k ,pr (Washinston, DC: CL{ Lansuase School,
1980),
pp. 14.
2john B. Carroll, "For.isn L.nsuas€ Profici€ncy
Ld€ls Atained by Languag€ Majoa Ned Graduation
from Coue8c," Foreien LoiewEe AINI' | (1961),
l3l-51.
lMariannc L€hr A<lans, "Five concufting Facrors it
Spcaking Proficiency," ir Medrnng Spoken Ldaewge
Prcfoiq.r, .n. Jd6 R. Frith (Washinsion, DC:
Ceoryetown Univ. Pr6s, 1980).
pp. l-6.
rHow.rd Van Zlndt, N€v Frcrs About Japatu and
,,lr?rcars (Tokyo: Charl6 E. T!ltle), pp, 5-6.
