Assessment of study abroad programs

[Thomas R. Jr. Beyer]

It appears that there is considerable interest in this topic of
assessment.  The ACTFL oral proficiency interview is to my knowledge the
only "objective" standard for testing currently available.  The ETS
reading, lsitening and writing exams are no longer available as far as I
know, but I would be eager to hear otherwise.  The OPI has several
disadvantages: time and money.  They require approximately twenty minutes
per testee (if not more) and they are expensive-I believe it now costs
$70 for an exam that has been scored by two testers.
The alternative, however, to do the testing on your own has no validity
or comparability across programs or institutions.  It would be useful if
AATSEEL or individuals in the profession could obtain permission from ETS
to use the existing materials.

On Mon, 16 Oct 1995, Karen Robblee wrote:

> Dear Colleagues,
>
> In order to assess the success of our summer study abroad program in
> Russia, our dean has recently asked us to implement pre- and
> post-testing of students who participate.  I am familiar with the ACTFL
> oral proficiency examination as a means of testing.  It is my
> understanding, however, that it can only be conducted by certified
> testers in person.  Are there other types of tests available?  What do
> other colleges and universities used to assess their language programs
> abroad.
>
> Please respond to me personally.  If there is an interest, I will post a
> summary of responses to the list.
>
> Sincerely,
> Karen Robblee
>