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Language Proficiency Assessment

The Language Proficiency Assessment Directorate has various duties, which include the following:

Design, develop, validate, implement, and monitor Defense Language Proficiency Tests (DLPTs), used world-wide by the Department of Defense for measuring proficiency in listening and reading comprehension according to the INTERAGENCY LANGUAGE ROUNDTABLE (ILR) LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY SCALE.

  • Design, develop, validate, implement, and monitor performance tests for the resident program.
  • Design, developing, and validate final exams for courses in the resident program.
  • Currently migrating from traditional test delivery to computer delivery and exploring methods to move to computer adaptive testing.

The Proficiency Standards Division is responsible for training language testers and maintaining Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) tester skills.

  • Monitor and provide quality control of the OPI system.
  • Provide noncertification workshops for managers and nontesters.
  • Provide training and information on the Interagency Language Roundtable language proficiency scale.
  • Ensure consistent implementation of proficiency standards across DLIFLC through training in text rating and review of materials.
  • Develop and conduct Guided Proficiency Tests in low volume languages.

This department carries out the following duties:

  • Schedule, coordinate, and report on OPIs for resident program, certain field linguists, and faculty applicants.
  • Schedule interim and end-of-program student opinion questionnaires for the resident program.
  • Maintain answer sheets, secure test material, and data bases to provide quality control for world-wide DLPT system.
  • Coordinate with PERSCOM to ensure timely reproduction and distribution of new DLPTs.
The Research and Evaluation division is in charge of performing the following tasks:

  • Design, conduct/coordinate, and report on applied research in foreign language learning.
  • Establish guidelines and procedures for language learning-related research at DLIFLC by faculty or members of the academic/military community.
  • Serve as a point of contact for activities related to DLIFLC’s status as a Federal Lab under the Technology Transfer Act.
  • Conduct Language Needs Assessments (LNAs) for the user community.

This division is in charge of carrying out the following duties:

  • Design, development, and analyze opinion questionnaires for the resident and nonresident programs.
  • Prepare trend analysis and reports.
  • Manage the Feedforward/Feedback System with Goodfellow Air Force Base.
  • Conduct internal and external evaluation visits.