ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024

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The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024 are a description of what individuals can do with language in terms of speaking, writing, listening, and reading in real-world situations in a spontaneous and non-rehearsed context.

Overview

The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (the Guidelines) describe an individual’s language skills in terms of proficiency: the ability to use language to accomplish communication objectives. They portray language proficiency in four domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. An individual’s level of proficiency in each domain is defined by four criteria, represented by the acronym FACT:

  • Functions and tasks: The types of communication activities that the individual can handle, such as providing personal information, reading a set of instructions, or interacting with professional colleagues at a conference.
  • Accuracy: The degree to which the individual can use linguistic features (including grammar and syntax, vocabulary, discourse structure, sociocultural knowledge, and more) to communicate.
  • Context and content: The situations or circumstances in which the individual can achieve communication goals, and the topic areas that the individual is able to handle.
  • Text type: The length and complexity of oral or written text that the individual can understand and produce, ranging from words and phrases to sentences, paragraphs, and multi-paragraph discourse.

Downloads for the 2024 Guidelines

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Document (PDF) ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024

Download the complete text of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024 document in a PDF format.

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Image Guidelines Pyramid 2024 8.5 X 11

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Image Guidelines Pyramid 2024 11 x 17

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Poster Oral Proficiency Levels in the Workplace

Purchase the Oral Proficiency Levels in the Workplace 24 x 36 poster or download it for printing.

Language educators and not-for-profit school entities may use the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024 for curriculum development, classroom-based assessment and to estimate learner progress toward proficiency. The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024 and any previous or subsequent versions may be used for non-profit, educational purposes only, provided that they are reproduced in their entirety, with no alterations, and with credit to ACTFL. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2024 in any form is prohibited other than for non-profit, educational purposes. You may not, except with ACTFL's express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit any media content. No other uses are authorized.

Preface

The direct application of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines is for the evaluation of functional language ability. The Guidelines are intended to be used for global assessment in academic and workplace settings. However, the Guidelines do have instructional implications. The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines underlie the development of the ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners (1998) and are used in conjunction with the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning (1996, 1998, 2006) to describe how well students meet content standards. For the past 25 years, the ACTFL Guidelines have had an increasingly profound impact on world language teaching and learning in the United States.

Acknowledgements

ACTFL is deeply indebted to the many individuals who contributed to the previous editions of the Proficiency Guidelines.

In addition, ACTFL wishes to acknowledge the ACTFL staff who contributed to this 4th Edition of the Proficiency Guidelines: Margaret E. Malone, Camelot Marshall, Reuben Vyn, and Caroline Favero; the invaluable contributions of our editor, Deborah Kennedy; and our consultant, Hannah Lukow. We would also like to thank our advisory committee: Kathy Akiyama, Yo Azama, Rebecca Blouwolff, Alexandra Ferreira Bullock, Mary Jo DiBiase-Lubrano, Clarissa Adams Fletcher, Marta Gonzalez-Lloret, Theresa Jen, Sahie Kang, Martina Lindseth, Shlomit Lipton, Adrian Massei, Cynthia Martin, Nawal Moussa, Diane Neubauer, Omar Rachid, Catherine Ritz, Toni Theisen, Bonnie Wang, and Suwako Watanabe.

Finally, ACTFL is most appreciative of the comments and feedback from the hundreds of active world languages teachers and administrators who contributed generously of their time and expertise by completing surveys or participating in focus groups and virtual Town Hall meetings to provide input on revisions of this document.

Guidelines by Language (2012 edition)

Examine the Guidelines by skill or level, listen to and read samples that represent abilities at each of the major proficiency levels.

Guidelines by Language

Previous versions of the Guidelines

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Document (PDF) ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012

Download the complete text of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012 document in a PDF format.

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Document (PDF) ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2001

A previous version of the guidelines available for download.

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Document (PDF) ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 1999

A previous version of the guidelines available for download.

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Document (PDF) ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 1986

A previous version of the guidelines available for download.

Oral Proficiency Levels in the Workplace

Promoting Proficiency in your classroom

This colorful 24 x 36 poster shows professions corresponding to various proficiency levels.