What is Proficiency?
ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
The current Wyoming standards for world language use proficiency levels from ACTFL, our national world language teachers' organization, to describe and measure students' progress, growth, and goals.
The descriptions below should help you better understand a student's progress in their language classes at CY Middle School.
The target proficiency level for each class is listed below.:
Exploratory/Intro to World Language: Novice Low
Spanish1A and Russian 1A: Novice Mid
Spanish 1B and Russian 1B: Novice High
Spanish 1 and Russian 1: Novice High
Spanish 2: Intermediate Low
DLI Chinese Language (6th grade):
Listening/Speaking- Intermediate Low Reading/Writing- Novice High
DLI Chinese Language (7th grade):
Listening/Speaking- Intermediate Mid Reading/Writing- Intermediate Low
DLI Chinese Language (8th grade):
Listening/Speaking- Intermediate High Reading/Writing- Intermediate Mid
Click on the titles below to see what students can do at each proficiency level.
Novice Range
Novice Low
Interpretive Reading:
I can recognize a few letters or characters. I can identify a few memorized and words and phrases when I read.
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can understand a few words and phrases that I've memorized when I hear them spoken.
Presentational Speaking:
I can state a few things about myself using memorized words and phrases.
Presentational Writing:
I can write a few words or characters that I've memorized.
I can write in lists and memorized phrases.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can use only what I've learned to answer simple questions about myself using memorized words and phrases.
Novice Mid
Interpretive Reading:
I can understand some words and phrases that I've memorized when I read.
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can understand some and phrases that I've memorized when I hear them spoken.
Presentational Speaking:
I can state a some things about myself using phrases and basic sentences.
Presentational Writing:
I can write in phrases and simple sentences to share information about myself.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can answer simple memorized questions about myself.
I can ask simple, memorized questions about another person.
Novice High
Interpretive Reading:
I can recognize a few letters or characters. I can identify some memorized and words and phrases when I read.
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can understand a few words and phrases that I've memorized when I hear them spoken.
Presentational Speaking:
I can state a few things about myself using memorized words and phrases.
Presentational Writing:
I can write a few words or characters that I've memorized.
I write in lists and memorized phrases.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can use only what I've learned to answer simple questions about myself using memorized words and phrases.
Intermediate Range
Intermediate Low
Interpretive Reading:
I can identify the topic and related information in simple sentences.
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can identify the topic and related information in simple, short presentations.
Presentational Speaking:
I can present about familiar topics and explain why I feel that way using simple sentences.
Presentational Writing:
I use simple sentences in my writing to present on familiar topics.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can ask and answer simple questions about familiar topics to meet my needs.
I can ask simple follow-up questions and express some preferences, feelings, and opinions.
Intermediate Mid
Interpretive Reading:
I can understand the main idea and key details in short, straightforward texts.
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can understand the main idea and key details in short, simple presentations.
Presentational Speaking:
I can give a straightforward presentation on a familiar topic or a topic I have researched using sentences and strings of sentences.
Presentational Writing:
I can write sentences and connected sentences to tell a story, share my experiences, share information, or state a viewpoint.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can ask and answer questions about familiar topics to meet my needs using sentences and strings of sentences.
I can ask a variety of follow-up questions while exchanging preferences, feelings, and advice.
Intermediate High
Interpretive Reading:
I can usually follow the main idea or story line in paragraph length texts and across time frames (past-present-future).
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can usually follow the main idea or story line in longer presentations or videos that use multiple time frames (past-present-future).
Presentational Speaking:
I can present about familiar topics and explain why I feel that way using simple sentences.
Presentational Writing:
I use simple sentences in my writing to present on familiar topics.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can interact with others to meet my needs or express preferences, opinions, and emotions, My interactions may involve a complication and span a variety of time frames (past-present-future).
I use strings of sentences and may expand into paragraphs.
Advanced Range
Advanced Low
Interpretive Reading:
I can follow the main idea or message and some supporting details across multiple time frames when reading.
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can follow the main idea or message and some supporting details across multiple time frames when I listen or watch something.
Presentational Speaking:
I can tell stories or support a viewpoint using paragraphs across multiple time frames.
Presentational Writing:
I can write about viewpoints and provide supporting information using paragraphs across multiple time frames.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can interact and negotiate to solve problems, exchange information, and discuss preferences and opinions in social and academic situations.
Advanced Mid
Interpretive Reading:
I can follow the main idea or message and most supporting details across multiple time frames when reading.
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can follow the main idea or message and most supporting details across multiple time frames when I listen or watch something.
Presentational Speaking:
I can present an argument with supporting evidence using organized paragraphs and multiple time frames.
Presentational Writing:
I can share stories and arguments and elaborate on a variety of topics using organized paragraphs.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can interact and negotiate to solve problems with multiple solutions, exchange extended information, and discuss preferences and opinions in social, academic, and professional situations.
Advanced High
Interpretive Reading:
I can follow the flow of ideas across multiple viewpoints and as a part of abstract ideas when I am reading.
Interpretive Listening/Viewing:
I can follow the flow of ideas across multiple viewpoints and as a part of abstract ideas when I listen or watch something.
Presentational Speaking:
I can share complex narrations including hypotheticals and abstract experiences.
Presentational Writing:
I can create complex and cohesive presentations about a variety of topics and specialized fields including related hypothetical situations.
Interpersonal Speaking:
I can express complex or hypothetical ideas about concrete and unfamiliar situations.