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

• Published in: Foreign language annals Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 264 - 289
• Main Authors: Glisan, Eileen W., Swender, Elvira, Surface, Eric A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2013; Wiley-Blackwell; American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
• Subjects: ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview; Advanced Low; Arabic language; Beginning Teachers; Chinese languages; Classification; College Second Language Programs; Context Effect; Foreign language learning; Guidelines; Interviews; Japanese language; Korean language; Language; Language Proficiency; Language Teachers; Language Tests; Meetings; NCATE; No Child Left Behind Act 2001-US; Oral Language; Physical Education; Professional Associations; proficiency; Regression (Statistics); Scores; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Second language teachers; Second Languages; Success; Teacher Certification; Teacher Education; Teacher Education Programs; Teacher Effectiveness; teacher preparation; Teaching; North Carolina; Indiana; United States > US
• ISSN: 0015-718X; 1944-9720
• DOI: 10.1111/flan.12030

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.