Indiana University of Pennsylvania has a provision for incoming students to earn IUP course credits for their oral proficiency levels in Spanish, French, or German. Incoming students may receive course credit for their oral proficiency levels through the American Council on Education (ACE) Credit Recommendation Service and Language Testing International (LTI), the assessment agency for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
Students who have taken an ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview through LTI, received a proficiency rating from LTI, and received credit recommendation by ACE may receive the following course credits at IUP:
|
ACTFL Oral Proficiency Ratings (rated by LTI) |
ACE Credit Recommendations |
IUP Course Equivalencies |
|---|---|---|
|
Intermediate-Mid |
4 Lower Division credits |
Either 102 or 201, depending on placement on departmental written exam |
|
Intermediate High/Advanced Low |
8 Lower Division credits |
201 + 220 |
|
Advanced Mid |
10 Lower Division credits |
201 + 220 + 350 |
|
Advanced High/Superior |
10 Lower Division credits + 2 Upper Division credits |
201 + 220 + 350 + 450 |
The following is a description of Intermediate-Mid oral proficiency:
Intermediate-Mid level speakers are able to create with the language by combining and recombining known language elements. They generally respond to questions by speaking in discrete sentences on topics that include "personal information related to self, family, home, daily activities, interests and personal preferences, as well as physical and social needs, such as food, shopping, travel, and lodging" (ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines-Speaking - Revised, 2012). They can also ask a variety of questions to obtain information to satisfy basic needs, such as prices, directions, and services.
Intermediate-Mid level speakers are most comfortable in the present-tense time frame, but may occasionally speak in past and future time frames, although with less control.
For a complete description of Intermediate-Mid level and other levels of speaking proficiency, please refer to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines-Speaking - Revised, 2012, which is available under "Publications" on the ACTFL website.
Procedures
Information on seeking credit for Spanish Proficiency
For French and German Proficiency:
To begin the process, students must contact LTI by email (testing@languagetesting.com) to request an ACE College Credit Recommendation by OPI Examination information package and application. There is a fee for the OPI and an ACE application fee. LTI will make arrangements for students to take an OPI by telephone with a certified ACTFL OPI tester. Each interview is recorded, and a preliminary rating is assigned by the tester. OPIs are blind second rated by a certified ACTFL tester, and, when necessary, arbitrated by a third certified ACTFL tester.
For additional information concerning the OPI and the ACE application process, please contact:
Language Testing International (LTI)
95 Church Street, Suite 310
White Plains, NY 10601
1-800-486-8444
914-948-5100
Email: testing@languagetesting.com
Language Testing Website