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Demonstration of language proficiency is one of the requirements for the GHD degree.
It is students’ responsibility to:
Get in touch with the appropriate language department prior to arrival at Georgetown to indicate your interest in studying that language at Georgetown, and see which level might be most appropriate.
All students who have prior background in a non-native language MUST send the results of a Georgetown language placement exam to Kristen no later than the first day of orientation.
Ensure that you understand the process for registering for your language courses. This process differs by department.
Speak with the language department about whether or not it will be feasible for you to take the language proficiency exam through Georgetown, given your starting point. If not, self-study, tutoring, and other enrichment activities will be necessary, in addition to intensive language courses at Georgetown, as proficiency exams are designed for students who have taken a total of four years’ worth of formal language courses.
Pay attention to registration timelines for the departmental proficiency exam and ensure that you are following the department’s regulations on who may sit for the exam. GHD cannot help you if you do not adhere to departmental rules, and failure to adhere may result in students’ inability to graduate on time.
There are four ways in which students can obtain proficiency:
International students may take their proficiency exam in English, if it is not their first language
Students may choose to take their language proficiency exam either through Georgetown or through an ACTFL-OPIc (Oral Proficiency Interview) exam, regardless of whether courses in the language are offered at Georgetown. The required minimum score for the ACTFL-OPIc is Intermediate, and, for the Georgetown test, is "Good." Students may also identify outside proctors (e.g. Peace Corps language instructors, consular staff, etc.) who are native speakers, with GHD's approval.
If a student passed an ACTFL or other accredited language exam within a year of enrolling in GHD (for example, an exam proctored by a Peace Corps language instructor at the conclusion of service), you may use that exam to indicate proficiency. However, you will not be able to take any additional language courses at Georgetown if you pursue this option.
For Category III and IV languages only (as defined by the U.S. Department of State): By completing 4 semesters of sequential Georgetown courses in a single language at a 3.0 Grade Point Average. Students with a 3.0 GPA average across all four semesters of language study will not need to take a proficiency exam.
For students whose case to take the exam at Georgetown would be borderline, we recommend taking a Rosetta Stone course in the language for additional language enrichment.
Content/Format of Examination:
Each language department has its own examination and students should check with the relevant department regarding preparation, examination content, and testing dates. All proficiency examinations emphasize oral communication.
ACTFL OPI:
Students may also choose to register for an ACTFL-OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) in the place of a Georgetown- or outside-proctored exam. Testing is available in a wide variety of languages, and students should select GHD as the host institution when registering. Students are responsible for paying the fee should they decide to go this route (the OPI is $145, while the computer-based OPIc is $73). A score of Intermediate-Low is required to meet Georgetown's proficiency requirement.
The first step of the OPI(c) exam is a self-assessment of your language abilities. You should err on the conservative side (we recommend option #2 or option #3, see below), because, if your self-assessment is more generous than your actual ability level, the computer will not generate a score for you.
Option 1: Targets proficiency levels Novice Low through Novice High, though any rating from Novice Low through Intermediate High can be assigned. You can name basic objects, colors, days of the week, foods, clothing items, numbers, etc. You cannot make a complete sentence or ask simple questions.
Option 2: Targets proficiency levels Novice High through Intermediate Mid, though any rating from Novice Low through Intermediate High can be assigned. You can give some basic information about yourself, work, familiar people and places, and daily routines while speaking in simple sentences. You can ask some basic questions.
Option 3: Targets proficiency levels Intermediate Mid through Advanced Low, though any rating from Novice Low through Advanced Low can be assigned. You can participate in simple conversations about familiar topics and routines. You can talk about things that have happened, but sometimes your forms are incorrect. You can handle a range of everyday transactions to get what you need.
Option 4: Targets proficiency levels Advanced Low through Advanced Mid, though any rating from Intermediate High through Advanced High can be assessed. You can participate fully and confidently in all conversations about topics and activities related to home, work/school, personal and community interests. You can speakin connected discourse about things that have happened, are happening, and will happen. You can explain and elaborate when necessary. You can handle routine situations, even when there may be an unexpected complication.
Option 5: Targets proficiency levels Advanced High and Superior, though any rating from Advanced Low to Superior can be assigned. You can engage in all informal and formal discussions on issues related to personal, general, or professional interests. You can deal with these issues abstractly, support your opinion, and construct hypotheses to explore alternatives. You are able to elaborate at length and in detail on most topics with a high level of accuracy and a wide range of precise vocabulary.
Languages Not Taught at Georgetown:
Students seeking to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language not offered at Georgetown should note that GHD is not obligated to obtain an examiner for any and all languages spoken. If an examiner cannot be identified and secured after a reasonable effort, the student may need to choose an alternate language. For students looking to set up an ad hoc exam for a language not taught at Georgetown, they should:
seek out Georgetown faculty members who might have proficiency in the desired language and request assistance administering the exam (this person does not need to be part of a language department, but should be a native speaker)
if successful in locating a Georgetown faculty member, consult further with the GHD Associate Director of Academic Programs;
if unsuccessful in locating a Georgetown faculty member, widen search to other universities and institutions in the area;
note: examiners cannot receive payment for their services, however, and
examiners must be approved by the GHD Associate Director of Academic Programs as appropriate;
once examiner is identified, consult further with the GHD Associate Director of Academic Programs.
Evaluation of Examination:
The Georgetown-proctored proficiency examinations are evaluated on a ballot according to the following criteria. A score of Good is considered a passing score.
EXCELLENT - Outstanding grammatical and idiomatic usage with very few errors. Excellent command of vocabulary and ease of expression, with accurate pronunciation, on all levels pertinent to professional international service.
VERY GOOD - Strong grammatical and idiomatic usage with few errors. Effective command of vocabulary and expression, with accurate pronunciation, on all levels pertinent to international service.
GOOD - Acceptable grammatical and idiomatic usage, despite some inaccuracies, on all levels pertinent to international service. Some signs of fluency and style with adequate pronunciation.
FAIR/POOR - These evaluation levels constitute failure for graduate students.
The appropriate department will send a completed ballot to Kristen Robinson, Associate Director of Academic Programs, after the student completes the exam. Kristen will then forward the ballot to the Registrar's Office for processing.
Additional Notes:
Students with fluency in several languages may take several proficiency examinations.
A student retaking or rescheduling an examination due to failure or absence may be charged $25 by the language department.
Even if you do not plan to take language courses at Georgetown, you still must take a placement exam to see which course level you would place into were you to take a language course. We find that students often overestimate their level of fluency, and need to take an additional course or two to get their fluency up to Georgetown’s threshold.
Arranging the Examination:
It is the responsibility of students to proactively reach out to the department in which they plan to take their language proficiency exam in order to determine when exams are offered (some departments offer them on demand and others offer them only at certain points throughout the academic year) and the recommended coursework level you should plan to complete prior to sitting for the exam. You can find more information and contact information for several Georgetown departments below:
Arabic: https://arabic.georgetown.edu/opi-and-proficiency-exams/
Chinese: https://ealac.georgetown.edu/language-assessment/sfs-msfs-proficiency/
English: Contact Professor Monica Maxwell (maxwellm@georgetown.edu)
German: http://german.georgetown.edu/undergraduate/proficiency
Modern Greek: Contact the Classics department for more information: 322 Healy Hall, 202-687-7624
Hebrew: https://arabic.georgetown.edu/opi-and-proficiency-exams/
Italian: https://italian.georgetown.edu/language_proficiency/sfs/
Japanese: https://ealac.georgetown.edu/language-assessment/sfs-msfs-proficiency/
Korean: https://ealac.georgetown.edu/language-assessment/sfs-msfs-proficiency/
Persian: https://arabic.georgetown.edu/opi-and-proficiency-exams/
Polish: Contact Professor Iwona Sadowska
Portuguese: Contact Professor Vivaldo Santos
Russian: Contact Professor Milla Fedorova (lf85@georgetown.edu)
Spanish: https://spanport.georgetown.edu/sfs/
Swahili: Contact Professor Sylvia Onder
Turkish: Contact Professor Sylvia Onder
Ukrainian: Contact Professor Milla Fedorova (lf85@georgetown.edu)
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