Language Proficiency

What Exactly is...

Language Proficiency

As language teachers, our goal for our students is for each of them to be able to proficiently communicate in the target language about something appropriately and accurately for a purpose.

So what is language proficiency? And how do we orient students towards it? According to the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), "proficiency-oriented language instruction  is a general framework for organizing instruction, curriculum, and assessment, rather than a method or a theory. Within this framework, language learners practice the four modalities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in order to communicate meaningfully, effectively, and creatively in their target language for real-life purposes. ​A proficiency orientation promotes intercultural communication by exploring the mosaic of language and culture, so that students can communicate appropriately and accurately in authentic contexts in the foreign language. Proficiency-based instruction is student-centered and builds upon what students need, already know, and can do, and it respects diverse learning styles, while encouraging the development of a wide range of skills and learning strategies."

To summarize: a proficiency-oriented classroom includes the four modalities, language and culture, real world preparation, and is student-centered. Martina Bex gives a brilliant breakdown of what this looks like in great detail.