Terms Explained

Proficiency Targets

What exactly are...

Proficiency Targets

Proficiency targets establish the minimum levels for students to strive for within three modes of communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational.

Interpretive: Learners understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
Interpersonal: Learners interact and negotiate meaning in spoken, signed, or written conversations to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions.
Presentational: Learners present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media and adapting to various audiences of listeners, readers, or viewers.

ACTFL distinguishes between five major levels of proficiency within each communication mode: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, and Distinguished. The Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels are then divided into sublevels: Low, Mid, and High. (See image below) .

To understand more fully how these targets are useful, it is helpful to view them in the context of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (WRSLL).

What are the World-Readiness Standards?
In a collaborative effort, ACTFL rolled out new national standards in 2012 for language teaching called the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages. There are five goal areas: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. These are commonly referred to as the "five C's". Each standard includes sample indicators of what students can do with the target language at their targeted proficiency ranges and levels.

In 2017, in collaboration with the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL), ACTFL developed the Can-Do Statements. These statements guide "language learners to identify and set learning goals and chart their progress towards language and intercultural proficiency; [guide] educators to write communication learning targets for curriculum, unit and lesson plans;
[and guide] stakeholders to clarify how well learners at different stages can communicate."

Source: "What are the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements?"

What does someone's ability look like for each Proficiency Target?

Check out the following links to see what students can do at each proficiency target level in various languages:

Arabic, English, French , German , Japanese , Russian, Spanish.

Please visit ACTFL's Proficiency Guidelines webpage to see and read other samples representative of student's abilities across major proficiency levels in different languages.

Video: How Students Progress Toward Proficiency

ACTFL provides a two-page summary of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages for better understanding of the five C's. They also have a poster for purchase that highlights the five C's goal areas.