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Observe student’s academic performance and behavior. Note any consistent areas of struggle.

Document specific struggles (e.g., difficulty in reading, writing, following instructions).

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Compare the student's performance data with their peers to identify specific academic or behavioral issues.

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Discuss the student's difficulties with colleagues to get input on possible underlying issues.

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Use language assessment tools to determine if the student's struggles are due to a language barrier.

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Measuring language proficiency is a complex process that necessitates the use of valid and reliable language testing tools. Language assessments take various forms depending on the skill or proficiency level being tested. In this post, we'll describe and define different types of language testing so you can better understand the ways you, your students, or your employees can accurately measure their language proficiency.

What Is Language Testing?

Language testing is a broad category of testing that assesses aspects of a person's ability to understand or communicate in a particular language. Language testing is used for a variety of purposes. In academic settings, language testing can assess a student's current abilities or progress for the purposes of academic placement. In professional settings, language testing can determine whether a candidate has the language skills needed for a job. Whatever the context, language assessments can effectively measure a person's language abilities.

Forms of Language Testing

There are five main types of language assessments - aptitude, diagnostic, placement, achievement, and proficiency tests.

1. Aptitude Tests

Aptitude refers to a person's capacity for learning something. Language aptitude tests assess a person's ability to acquire new language skills. Because of the nature of these tests, they are more general than most other language tests and don't focus on a particular language. Instead, they assess how quickly and effectively a person is able to learn new language skills.

An employer might use an aptitude test to select the best employees to take language courses so they can aid in the setup of a new international branch or provide bilingual customer service.

2. Diagnostic Tests

Diagnostic tests are aimed at diagnosing the state of a person's abilities in a certain area - in this case, their language abilities. In contrast to achievement and proficiency tests, diagnostic tests are typically given at the start of a language learning course or program.

On a diagnostic test, most test-takers encounter questions or tasks that are outside the scope of their abilities and the material they're familiar with. The results of the test reveal the strengths and weaknesses in one's language abilities. Having a student's diagnostic test results can help teachers formulate lesson plans that fill the gaps in the student's current capabilities. Students can also use diagnostic tests to determine which areas they need to work on in order to reach a higher level of proficiency.

3. Placement Tests

Placement tests share some similarities with diagnostic tests. They are used for educational purposes and are administered before a course or program of study begins. In this case, the application is a bit different. Educators and administrators use placement tests to group language learners into classes or study groups according to their ability levels.

A university may give a placement test to determine whether a new French major needs to take introductory French courses or skip over some courses and begin with more advanced classes. Placement tests are also an important type of test in English language teaching at the university level, since international students typically come in with different English-learning backgrounds and proficiency levels.

4. Achievement Tests

An achievement test evaluates a student's language knowledge to show how their learning has progressed. Unlike diagnostic, aptitude, and placement tests, achievement tests only cover information the student should have been exposed to in their studies thus far.

Achievement tests are typically given after a class completes a certain chapter or unit or at the conclusion of the course. A language teacher may give a final exam at the end of the semester to see how well a student has retained the information they were taught over the course of the semester. Achievement tests are typically graded and are meant to reflect how well the language tester is performing in their language learning studies.

5. Proficiency Tests

Proficiency refers to a person's competency in using a particular skill. Language proficiency tests assess a person's practical language skills. Proficiency tests share some similarities with achievement tests, but rather than focusing on knowledge, proficiency tests focus on the practical application of that knowledge. Proficiency tests measure a language user's comprehension and production against a rating scale such as the ACTFL, ILR, and CEFR scales.

Whereas most of the tests we've looked at are primarily associated with academic contexts, proficiency tests are useful in a variety of settings. Anyone can take a language proficiency test, regardless of how they learned the language and where they believe they are in their level of competency. Proficiency tests accurately measure the candidate's ability to use a language in real-life contexts.

Types of Language Skills

Another way to understand language testing is in terms of language skills. Though you may ask someone whether they "know" a certain language, that general term consists of several distinct skills. The four skills involved in language proficiency are listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

These skills can be categorized by their direction and method of communication. Listening and reading are both ways of receiving language input, whereas speaking and writing are both ways of producing language output. These pairs differ from each other when it comes to the direction of communication. The items within each pair, however, differ by their method of communication. Listening and speaking both involve oral communication while reading and writing involve written communication.

Let's take a closer look at each of the four language skills.

1. Listening

Listening skills in a particular language involve understanding oral communication. When people acquire their first language as babies, listening to their parents and others speaking around them is the initial step toward comprehension and listening ability. Some people also acquire a second language through immersion, with their listening skills developing earliest.

2. Speaking

People often refer to speaking a language in a general way that encompasses multiple ways of using a language. For example, they may say they speak a certain language when a more accurate statement would be that they are able to communicate in it using all four of the communicative skills. Speaking is a specific skill, however, which, along with listening, is required to negotiate meaning in a conversation. Speaking requires communication in real time and may be one of the most challenging to develop yet most valuable of the four skills.

3. Reading

Comprehension of oral language and written language are two very different skills. The reading skill involves understanding the meaning of written language. A person may be able to speak a language with a high level of proficiency but be completely unable to read it, while other may find it easier to read than speak since they can consume and process the language at their own pace.

The degree of difficulty in learning to read in a second language partly depends on how similar or dissimilar the writing system is from that of a person's first language. For example, most European languages use the Latin alphabet, the world's most widely used alphabetic writing system, making letters appear similar on the page. Therefore, a native English speaker may be able to learn to read in Spanish relatively easily. However, a knowledge of the Latin alphabet won't help you understand Arabic script or Chinese characters. Reading tests can help you determine your proficiency in reading a language

4. Writing

Writing comes with the same challenges involved in reading since writing systems vary across languages. Learning to write in a second language that uses a completely different system from the one you're familiar with can be especially challenging. Writing doesn't come as naturally as speech, even in acquiring our first language, so it can be a challenging skill for language learners. This is why students often take writing courses in their first language throughout their educational careers.

Language Proficiency Tests

ACTFL's language proficiency tests are designed to assess a person's abilities in the four skills explained above. Some of the most well-respected tests for assessing the above skills include:

Listening Proficiency Test: The Listening Proficiency Test (LPT) is an internet-based test that measures a person's ability to spontaneously understand spoken language in one of 11 languages available. The test-taker listens to recordings and must answer multiple-choice questions about what they hear. The results report the test-taker's level of proficiency in listening.

Oral Proficiency Interview: The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) evaluates a person's speaking skill in a particular language. An ACTFL-Certified Tester speaks with the test-taker over the phone and gauges their proficiency level against the criteria outlined in one of the proficiency scales. The interview is a useful assessment tool because, though it follows a structure and protocol, it reflects a real-life conversation.

Oral Proficiency Interview-computer: The Oral Proficiency Interview-computer (OPIc) evaluates a person's speaking skill in a particular language. The goal of the OPIc is the same as the OPI: to obtain a ratable sample of speech which a rater can evaluate and compare to the criteria outlined in one of the proficiency scales. The internet-delivered assessment emulates the "live" OPI, but delivery of questions is through a carefully designed program and via a virtual avatar, allowing the test to be taken on demand and at a time convenient to the candidate and proctor.

Reading Proficiency Test: The Reading Proficiency Test (RPT) is an internet-based test during which the candidate reads passages in one of 12 languages and answers multiple-choice questions to demonstrate their reading comprehension in that language. Because of the format of the test, it is machine scored, so results are available immediately upon completion.

Writing Proficiency Test: The Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) is another internet-based test. Rather than answering multiple-choice questions, the test-taker responds in detail to open ended writing prompts. ACTFL-Certified raters assess the candidate's written responses as compared to the guidelines established by one of the proficiency scales. This test is available in a variety of languages.

Through each test, the candidate's results are reported according to one of the following scales to objectively measure proficiency:

The ACTFL scale

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale

The Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale

The Value of Language Testing

Language testing is a valuable tool both in language-learning contexts and in professional ones. Language tests can define where a student is in their current knowledge and reveal the path forward to greater proficiency. Professionals can use language testing to determine whether their skill set meets the criteria of a job or whether they need further training. At the same time, employers can certify their employees' and new hires' levels of language proficiency and ensure that they are able to successfully complete the tasks required of them without creating risk for the organization.

Language is complex and assessing it can be a complicated endeavor. Thankfully, experts have created tests that effectively assess a person's language skills. As an instructor, employer, student, or professional, all you have to do is take advantage of these tests to get a useful measure of language proficiency.

Accredited ACTFL Language Assessments From Language Testing International (LTI)

Since 1967, ACTFL has been a leader in language proficiency testing. ACTFL assessments are used in over 60 countries and test language ability in more than 120 languages.

Language Testing International (LTI) is the exclusive licensee of ACTFL for the delivery of language assessments. Only ACTFL-certified testers and raters score the tests in order to ensure the reliability of test results. Because of LTI and ACTFL's shared reputation for quality testing and accurate results, many government agencies, academic institutions and major corporations recognize the ACTFL certifications obtainable through ACTFL testing as valid credentials for their students and professionals.

To learn more about language testing for yourself, your students, or your job applicants, contact LTI today.

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What is a Language Proficiency Test & How to Get Certified

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As the exclusive test producer for ACTFL, LTI has been producing tests that maintain stringent levels of rigor and validity required for over two decades.

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Assess the student's proficiency in both their native language and English. Look for gaps in understanding.

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Implement differentiated instruction techniques to support the student and see if their performance improves.

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Track the student's progress after implementing language support. If issues persist, consider other factors.

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If language needs are ruled out, proceed with formal assessments to identify potential learning disabilities.

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Assessments as Part of the Teaching Process

The teaching process generally involves assessment, goal selection, instruction, and evaluation of both student performance and instructional strategy. These four steps make up a cycle, not simply a linear process. This dynamic cycle involves repeating and re‑evaluating steps along the way, with each step affecting the others. As a key step in that cycle, assessment can serve not only as the beginning of the teaching process, but also as a bridge from evaluation to consideration of what the next step will be.

Formal Assessments

Formal assessments include standardized measures that are often administered to an entire class, grade level, or group of students. The same assessment is administered to all students at the same time to get a picture of each student's performance in comparison to other students.

Examples

Beginning- and end‑of‑year testing

ELA measures (reading and writing)

Standardized math tests

Informal Assessments

Informal assessments are non‑standardized measures that are often personalized to the student. They can be given flexibly throughout the school year to provide a snapshot of a student's skill in a specific area at any given time.

Examples

Work samples

Portfolios

Observations

Checklists

Comparing Formal and Informal Assessments

Formal Assessments

Provide a Broad View

Schools, districts, and even states use formal assessments to measure student and teacher performance on a broad level. The data generated from these evaluations allow systems to look at trends across months and years at a classroom, school, system, and state level. Educators and administrators use this data not only to evaluate students but also to evaluate their curricula, instruction, and educational systems overall.

Informal Assessments

Provide Detailed Information

What we learn from informal assessments is highly individualized to a student. The information gathered can be directly applied to creating individualized goals and instruction for students with specialized needs. Rather than getting a broad picture of how a student performs with grade‑level content, a teacher can do a deep dive to explore specific skills.

For example, informal assessments can shed light on what a student knows and can apply regarding individual aspects of, say, grammar usage. An informal assessment is also a useful strategy for breaking down a skill, which helps educators figure out which parts of a task to target for instruction.

Formal Assessments

Are Standardized

Because formal assessments are standardized, there's a prescribed way of administering and scoring them. Administering them with fidelity often involves educator training-and typically, they're developed and required by a school, a district, or an entire state. Standardization can take the guesswork out of the process for teachers and can level the playing field by providing a common ground for measuring performance across all students.

Informal Assessments

Offer Flexibility and Insightful Details

Individual teachers often develop informal assessments to meet the specific needs of a student or set of students. Within an informal assessment, a teacher can adjust the next steps based on a student's performance or feedback. If a student is unresponsive to the presentation of a prompt or instruction, these elements can be adjusted as the assessment proceeds. As teachers tweak the administration and instruction along the way, they can gather a wealth of information about the student's learning style that may not be evident in a formal assessment.

One type of informal assessment that can provide deep insights into a student's thinking and problem solving is observation. While seemingly simple, it can provide the educator with an endless amount of information that can't be gathered from a standardized assessment.

How to Use Information from Both Types of Assessments

Formal assessments are useful as a student performance measure, for determining diagnosis, and for placement into specialized programs or small groups in the classroom. They can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of curricula and instruction as well. Individual student performance on a standardized measure can be used to identify areas of need to be targeted on an IEP.

With an informal assessment, an educator can take a deeper dive into areas of need that have been identified on a formal assessment. For example, if grammar has already been identified as a general area of need, an informal assessment can help an educator determine more specific strengths and needs in that area. A focused assessment might be done on pronouns, such as receptive understanding, noun/pronoun agreement, usage in a sentence, different types of pronouns, and so on. After an educator gains knowledge of a student's specific strengths and needs in a more focal area such as this, precise and personalized goals and instructional plans can be made.

The Takeaway

When formal and informal assessment data are combined, the information can be used to develop a meaningful and actionable present level of academic and functional performance ( PLAAFP) to be included on an IEP. Relevant and realistic goals can be built using the student's strengths and areas of need as identified.

Both formal and informal assessments have their benefits and limitations, but when used together, they can provide a wealth of student information that can significantly help educators help their students.

Polaris empowers teams to easily communicate and collaborate, creating the most meaningful IEP for positive student outcomes, while meeting compliance every step of the way.

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About the Author Becky Dees is an Educational Consultant who specializes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has worked as an autism clinician, an educational coach, and a special education trainer. Becky currently works with the autism group in research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Becky received her degree in psychology from UNC‑Chapel Hill.

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Formal and Informal Assessments: What's the Difference? | n2y Blog

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The teaching process generally involves assessment, goal selection, instruction, and evaluation of both student performance and instructional strategy. These four steps make up a cycle, not simply a linear process. This dynamic cycle involves repeating and re‑evaluating steps along the way, with each step affecting the others.

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Work with special education professionals to interpret assessment results and plan appropriate interventions.

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Create a tailored intervention plan based on the assessment outcomes to address the student's needs.

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Continuously monitor the student's progress and adjust the intervention plan as needed for optimal support.

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Talk to previous teachers, if possible.

Review student records for any previous concerns or interventions.

Communicate with parents to gather insights about the student’s behavior at home.