Test Design and
Test Framework
Field 253: World Language: German
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The test design below describes general test information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.
Test Design
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 65 multiple-choice questions, 2 constructed-response assignments |
| Time* | 3 hours, 15 minutes |
| Passing Score | 240 |
*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial
Test Framework
Pie chart of approximate test weighting outlined in the table below.
| Test Subarea | Number of Test Objectives | Number of Scorable Items | Number of Non-Scorable Items | Constructed-Response Assignments | subarea weight as percent of total test score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subarea 1—Interpretive Listening | 2 | 18 | 4 | This cell intentionally blank | 21 percent |
| Subarea 2—Interpretive Reading | 2 | 18 | 5 | This cell intentionally blank | 21 percent |
| Subarea 3—Language Acquisition and Instruction | 2 | 16 | 4 | This cell intentionally blank | 18 percent |
| Subarea 4—Presentational Writing | 1 | This cell intentionally blank | This cell intentionally blank | 1 | 20 percent |
| Subarea 5—Presentational Speaking | 1 | This cell intentionally blank | This cell intentionally blank | 1 | 20 percent |
| Totals | 8 | 52 | 13 | 2 | 100 percent |
A C T F L Proficiency Guidelines:
For German, examinees are expected to demonstrate proficiency at least at a level equivalent to the Advanced-Low level as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages ( A C T F L ) proficiency guidelines.
Subarea 1 — Interpretive Listening
Objective 0001—Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).
For example:
- Identify contextual details, such as register and sociolinguistic conventions, as well as products, practices, and perspectives of the target-language cultures, including geographic, political, historical, social, economic, scientific, intellectual, and artistic details.
- Identify an appropriate response to a spoken question or comment.
- Recognize greetings, questions, statements, exchanges, or commands likely to be used in the foreign language classroom.
- Determine the meaning of words in context.
- Identify a main idea or a main theme.
- Identify a sequence of steps.
- Identify a cause-and-effect relationship.
- Identify an accurate summary.
- Identify basic linguistic structures and their function.
Objective 0002—Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of culturally authentic spoken communications (e.g., announcements, dialogues, documentaries, poetry).
For example:
- Draw conclusions or predict an outcome on the basis of the context or a situation presented.
- Analyze the social or cultural context, including tone, mood, relationship between speakers, or the intended audience.
- Determine an assumption, intent, or point of view by analyzing the communicative strategies and the social and cultural context, including the geographic, political, historical, social, economic, scientific, intellectual, or artistic context.
- Analyze complex linguistic structures to determine their function or effectiveness in achieving particular effects.
- Analyze the structure of an argument and the sufficiency and reliability of evidence presented in support of the argument.
- Interpret idiomatic expressions and figurative language and determine their function or effectiveness in achieving particular effects.
Subarea 2 — Interpretive Reading
Objective 0003—Demonstrate literal comprehension of a variety of culturally authentic printed and digital materials (e.g., e-mails, posters, Web sites, maps, graphs, periodicals, novels).
For example:
- Identify contextual details, such as register and sociolinguistic conventions, as well as products, practices, and perspectives of the target-language cultures, including geographic, political, historical, social, economic, scientific, intellectual, and artistic details.
- Determine the meaning of words in context.
- Identify a main idea or a main theme.
- Identify a sequence of steps.
- Identify a cause-and-effect relationship.
- Identify an accurate summary.
- Identify basic linguistic structures and their function.
Objective 0004—Infer meaning and analyze information from a variety of culturally authentic printed and digital materials (e.g., e-mails, posters, Web sites, maps, graphs, periodicals, novels).
For example:
- Draw conclusions or predict an outcome on the basis of the context or a situation presented.
- Analyze the social or cultural context, including tone, mood, relationship between characters, or the intended audience.
- Determine an assumption, intent, or point of view by analyzing the communicative strategies and the social and cultural context, including the geographic, political, historical, social, economic, scientific, intellectual, or artistic context.
- Analyze complex linguistic structures to determine their function or effectiveness in achieving particular effects.
- Analyze the structure of an argument and the sufficiency and reliability of evidence presented in support of the argument.
- Interpret idiomatic expressions and figurative language and determine their function or effectiveness in achieving particular effects.
Subarea 3 — Language Acquisition and Instruction
Objective 0005—Apply knowledge of the process of second-language acquisition and how it relates to the language learner in the classroom.
For example:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the major theories of second-language acquisition.
- Apply knowledge of the cognitive, affective, and social factors (e.g., first language, heritage language, prior knowledge, cultural and educational background, age, developmental level) that can affect second-language acquisition.
- Apply knowledge of the linguistic factors (e.g., language transfer, overgeneralization) that can affect second-language acquisition.
Objective 0006—Apply teaching and assessment strategies that provide students with opportunities to communicate in the target language in meaningful and authentic ways and that promote students' ability to reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines.
For example:
- Apply strategies for selecting and using age-appropriate authentic materials to meet the instructional, linguistic, and learning goals of all students.
- Apply strategies for designing and differentiating instruction to meet students' diverse needs in a variety of classroom environments and for providing students with opportunities to communicate in the target language in meaningful and authentic ways.
- Select appropriate resources and strategies to promote students' ability to make comparisons and connections between the target-language cultures and their own languages and cultures.
- Select appropriate resources and strategies to promote students' ability to make connections with other disciplines and reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines.
- Select appropriate resources and strategies to promote students' understanding of occupations and career opportunities in situations where the target language is used.
- Apply strategies for selecting a variety of development- and age-appropriate language assessment strategies and techniques and for using assessment results to inform teaching and learning.
Subarea 4 — Presentational Writing
Objective 0007—Apply knowledge of target-language structures and writing conventions to compose an effective, coherent, and clear response to a prompt.
For example:
- Evaluate the specified situation, cultural context, and audience to determine appropriate writing conventions.
- Compose a logically sequenced, coherent, and effective written response.
- Support ideas, opinions, and an overall response with relevant details and examples, including cultural details, such as the products, practices, and perspectives of the target-language cultures, as appropriate.
- Select appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, contextualized vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions to compose an effective written response.
- Apply conventions of standard grammar, orthography, diacritical marks, and mechanics of the target language.
Subarea 5 — Presentational Speaking
Objective 0008—Apply knowledge of target-language structures and speaking conventions to deliver an effective, coherent, and clear spoken response to a prompt.
For example:
- Evaluate the specified situation, cultural context, and audience to determine appropriate speaking conventions.
- Deliver a logically sequenced, coherent, and effective spoken response.
- Support ideas, opinions, and an overall response with relevant details and examples, including cultural details, such as the products, practices, and perspectives of the target-language cultures, as appropriate.
- Select appropriate narrative time frames, sentence structures, cohesive devices, contextualized vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions as appropriate to deliver an effective spoken response.
- Demonstrate clear pronunciation and appropriate intonation, and maintain a flow of speech with few nonproductive hesitations or pauses that interfere with meaning.