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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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A PRINCIPLED APPROACH
TO LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT

Considerations for the
U.S. Foreign Service Institute

Committee on Foreign Language Assessment for
the U.S. Foreign Service Institute

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

A Consensus Study Report of

images

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

This activity was supported by contracts between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute (award #19FS1A18C0002). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-67548-2
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-67548-0
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25748

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2020). A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/25748.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
×

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The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
×

Image

Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.

Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.

For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
×

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT FOR THE U.S. FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE

DORRY M. KENYON (Chair), Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC

DAVID DORSEY, Human Resources Research Organization, Alexandria, VA

LORENA LLOSA, Department of Teaching and Learning, New York University

ROBERT J. MISLEVY, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ

LIA PLAKANS, College of Education, University of Iowa

JAMES E. PURPURA, Teachers College, Columbia University

M. “ELVIS” WAGNER, College of Education, Temple University

PAULA M. WINKE, Department of Linguistics and Languages, Michigan State University

STUART W. ELLIOTT, Study Director

JUDITH KOENIG, Senior Program Officer

NATALIE NIELSEN, Consultant

ANTHONY S. MANN, Program Associate

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Preface

This project resulted from a request of the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI) to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide input related to the assessment of the language proficiency of Foreign Service personnel. Throughout the study, the committee was guided by its interactions with representatives of FSI, who explained the details and the context of FSI’s current assessment as well as their goals for the study. In particular, we held three extended discussions with representatives of FSI’s School of Language Studies, led by Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt, dean; James North, associate dean for instruction; David Sawyer, director, Language Testing Unit; and Benjamin Kloda, evaluation coordinator. We also appreciate Dr. Sawyer’s facilitation for members of the committee to take the current FSI assessment: some took the speaking test remotely, and some took the full test onsite.

In the course of planning the project and identifying prospective members of the committee, the National Academies received input from a wide range of researchers in language assessment and related fields. For their advice and insights during the early stages of the project, we thank the many individuals who helped us: Randy Bennett, Educational Testing Service; Rachel Brooks, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Carol A. Chapelle, Department of English, Iowa State University; Alister Cumming, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto; Sara Cushing, Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language, Georgia State University; Steve Ferrara, Measured Progress, Inc.; Neus Figueras, University of Barcelona; Glenn Fulcher, Department of English, University of Leicester; Luke Harding, Department of Linguistics

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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and English Language, Lancaster University; Okim Kang, Department of Applied Linguistics, Northern Arizona University; YouJin Kim, Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language, Georgia State University; Deirdre Knapp, Human Resources Research Organization; Antony John Kunnan, Department of English, University of Macau; Patrick Kyllonen, Educational Testing Service; Beth A. Mackey, National Cryptologic School, Central Intelligence Agency; Margaret E. Malone, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages; Rodney A. McCloy, Human Resources Research Organization; John Norris, Educational Testing Service; Gary Ockey, Linguistics Program, Iowa State University; Lourdes Ortega, Department of Linguistics, Georgetown University; Frederick L. Oswald, Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University; Carsten Roever, School of Languages and Linguistics, University of Melbourne; Steven J. Ross, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, University of Maryland, College Park; Sun-Young Shin, Department of Second Language Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington; Xiaoming Xi, Educational Testing Service; and Rebecca Zwick, Educational Testing Service.

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to make certain that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Carol A. Chapelle, Applied Linguistics Program, Department of English, Iowa State University; Brian E. Clauser, Measurement Consulting Services, National Board of Medical Examiners; Alister Cumming, Centre for Educational Research on Languages and Literacies, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto; Luke Harding, Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University; Okim Kang, Applied Linguistics Speech Lab, Northern Arizona University; Patricia K. Kuhl, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington; Margaret E. Malone, Assessment, Research and Development, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages; Frederick L. Oswald, Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University; and Steven J. Ross, School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, University of Maryland, College Park.

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
×

review of this report was overseen by Lorrie A. Shepard, Research and Evaluation Methodology, School of Education, University of Colorado Boulder, and Eugenie C. Scott, executive director (retired), National Center for Science Education. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Throughout this project, I have had the privilege to work with the sterling group of colleagues who served as fellow members on the committee. All of them enthusiastically took time from their many professional commitments to work together to understand FSI’s testing program and consider how to present and highlight the important and relevant research and practice from the field of language testing. During our deliberations, the members were often reminded that our goal for the report was to distill the messages from the research literature in the field of language assessment into a form that we could discuss over lunch with our colleagues from FSI after the project concluded.

Our four meetings together were unfailingly intense and productive, with everyone contributing to advancing our common understanding and testing each other’s arguments. Between meetings, every member tirelessly and cheerfully drafted and critiqued text, tracked down details, and clarified points. I am also grateful for the support of the staff throughout the project, to provide the committee with a supportive environment for our deliberations and to challenge us to clarify our messages for FSI. It has been a great pleasure for me to work with such a wonderful group of committee members and staff over the course of this study.

In carrying out this project, the committee was impressed by FSI’s sensitive appreciation of the issues related to language testing and the agency’s desire to foster long-term improvement in its language testing program. We hope this report inspires FSI with a sense of opportunity and direction for its work ahead.

Dorry Kenyon, Chair
Committee on Foreign Language Assessment for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
×
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25748.
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The United States is formally represented around the world by approximately 14,000 Foreign Service officers and other personnel in the U.S. Department of State. Roughly one-third of them are required to be proficient in the local languages of the countries to which they are posted. To achieve this language proficiency for its staff, the State Department's Foreign Service Institute (FSI) provides intensive language instruction and assesses the proficiency of personnel before they are posted to a foreign country. The requirement for language proficiency is established in law and is incorporated in personnel decisions related to job placement, promotion, retention, and pay.

A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute evaluates the different approaches that exist to assess foreign language proficiency that FSI could potentially use. This report considers the key assessment approaches in the research literature that are appropriate for language testing, including, but not limited to, assessments that use task-based or performance-based approaches, adaptive online test administration, and portfolios.

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