Language testing is an integral part of teaching and learning, yet most language faculty do not receive adequate training for developing tests (Taylor, [Taylor, L., 2009]). Most have advanced degrees in literary and cultural studies in the target language but often have insufficient training in pedagogy and assessment. This shortcoming is alarming…

Concepts of second language proficiency and how proficiency may be assessed have changed considerably over the last 20 years. New notions of validity with respect to the interpretation and uses of test scores have begun to shape discussions about test validity and quality assurance in college world language departments, in government, and in…

As an internal expansion of the Language Proficiency Flagship Initiative at Michigan State University, 172 students of German took ACTFL proficiency tests in three modalities (speaking, listening, and reading) over the course of three years. The test scores and background survey data were analyzed to determine proficiency levels of students at the…

As online educational programs and courses increase (Allen & Seaman, [Allen, I. E., 2014]), it is important to understand the benefits and limitations of this delivery format when assessing students and when comparing learning outcomes. This article addresses the following two questions: (1) What are some of the best practices in assessing…

Preparing lifelong, world-ready German learners means German language instructors must intentionally incorporate globalized themes and tasks into the high school German curriculum. In 2010, the College Board redesigned the AP German Language and Culture Exam to meet these needs. The new exam encompasses six course themes and requires students to…

This paper is a study of a method for teaching German gender and plural assignment developed by the late Donald Steinmetz. My primary source for classroom material was the unpublished handbook for students that Steinmetz co-authored with Donald Nelson, The Joy of Gender: A Student Handbook made available to me by his son, Erik Steinmetz. In the…

Curriculum surveys are used periodically to validate the use of Advanced Place Program[R] (AP[R]) Exams as assessments of skills required for advanced college-level study. In the case of AP German Language, the target level is third-year college language study. This article presents results from a 2003 curriculum survey completed by third-year…

Discusses the utility of the German Speaking Test (GST) as a general test of German foreign-language proficiency, examining whether it can be used effectively in classroom and institutional foreign-language settings and how proficiency ratings based on the GST relate to examinees' real-world German communicative abilities. Caveats regarding the…