Interpretive Listening Skills from NCSSFL-ACTFL

Self Assessment: Advanced High

• I can debate academic issues affecting my peers.

• I can discuss ideas about the influence of historical events on current political situations.

• I can make a case to my employer in a discussion advocating changes to work-related policies.

• I can exchange complex professional information to complete a collaborative community project.

• I can interact to suggest how to get legal advice on how to handle a complicated situation.

• I can articulate and present a personal vision or mission statement for my life’s work. 

• I can present and hypothesize about the impact of following a course of action.

• I can present an explanation of how beliefs and values are reflected in educational testing in my own and other cultures.

Interpretive Reading Skills from NCSSFL-ACTFL

Self Assessment: Advanced Mid

• I can exchange messages to craft an effective presentation for a community organization.

• I can participate in a discussion about a proposed change in legislation via an online forum.

• I can exchange messages with my doctor to describe an injury or illness and clarify the advice given by my doctor.

• I can arrange with my professor via online exchanges for alternative assignments due to an unexpected life event.

• I can engage in an online discussion about preferences and styles of learning.

• I can give a written critique of a project proposal that uses historical data to support my argument.

    Something that I was really nervous for as I began my Spanish degree at BYU were the tests and evaluations of my language abilities. I had learned a little bit of Spanish in High School, and then learned nothing more for a few years until I randomly decided to go on a study abroad trip to Spain. I learned a lot there, and then became fluent on my mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I learned quickly because I knew that making mistakes was okay. I made mistake after mistake and it allowed me to grow faster than I thought was possible. Returning to BYU and taking hard Spanish classes for the first time, I was really nervous because I thought I would crack under the pressure. I felt like if I wasn’t allowed to make mistakes, then I wouldn’t be able to learn and grow as much. But, what I found was entirely different. 

    All of the professors I had were wonderful and very tolerant of my mistakes. I was nervous to take the OPI and WPT, because I knew that the evaluators would probably be less forgiving, but after taking both exams I realized that no one wanted to judge me and see me fail, my grades as well as my scores on these tests were for me and myself alone. I was able to find out where I was as a benchmark, a ruler by which I could measure myself in the future.

    Now, I no longer fear evaluations of my Spanish. I still feel embarrassed sometimes when I mess up because after all, I am a Spanish major, but I know that I am not perfect and no one expects me to be. I learned to stop expecting that of myself and everything became a lot easier. I’ve found that in oral or written examinations, the more I relax after I’ve prepared all I can, the better I tend to do. I don’t need to trick anyone into thinking my Spanish is better than it is, I need to work hard and then be proud of the growth I’ve made and the progress I’ve accomplished.

    I would be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to be finally done with all the tests and evaluations, but I also am so incredibly grateful to BYU and the Spanish Department for allowing students the opportunity to take these evaluations like the OPI and WPT because I know how important it is to be able to see where you are at so that you can continue to improve. All of the artifacts included are proof, evidence if you will, of all the effort and time I have put in over the past few years trying to become the best Spanish speaker that I can be. I hope to continue to move forward in the future with confidence in my abilities and also with a desire to constantly be improving and learning more. Although it may not be for awhile, I hope to take the OPI and WPT again someday to see how much I can continue to improve as I move forward in my career and in my Spanish.

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