this was from the company that did testing for MVM
pls see her comments
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From: Danielle Reier [mailto:dreier@altalang.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 2:08 PM
To: Michael Dodd
Subject: RE: Language testing / certification
Mike,
These are great questions. Let me address them one-by-one:
We are looking at several Dept of State contracts that call for Level I, II & III proficiency. Is the proficiency test ALTA uses to determine that level approved by DoS or provided by them for field testing??
Up to this point, ALTA has not had any direct contact with, and does not provide any testing or score reports directly to the DoS. However, we have provided testing to the DoS through a third-party organization that sources contract linguists. The testing was for positions with the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and at least one other position, which we were told was through a DoS contract. Prior to conducting the testing, ALTA encouraged this organization to seek direct approval from the Department. To our knowledge the testing was approved, however I cannot say this for certain.
Is the test you provide different from another vendor to determine proficiency?
This is a “yes and no” question. ALTA’s testing does adhere to standards within the language testing industry; however the testing methodology and the questions/requests for response will differ from one vendor to another. As an example, some vendors utilize a guided interview approach to the oral testing, which allows the rater to adapt subsequent questions to be easier or more difficult based on a candidate’s response to a previous question. ALTA chooses to use a structured approach whereby the questions are randomly generated from twelve distinct pools of questions (each pool is designed to elicit a different linguistic task), giving every candidate an opportunity to respond to a wide scope of questions and demonstrate to what point he or she can use oral skills in multiple situations.
…For example - if the contract calls for level II proficiency, does that mean that candidate should be able to comprehend instruction in their non native tongue? That is classes taught solely in non native tongue, say 8 hours per day. Or, if they are level II, do we need to ensure our client (the Gov) understands that their instruction will be in their native tongue so the understanding & retention of information is there.
You would need to consider the criteria that they are using to define the proficiency levels, and compare that to the course content to determine if the candidate can comprehend instruction. Basically, you need to establish alignment. For instance, if the definition of level II implies that the candidate has the level of proficiency necessary to participate in conversations on topics of routine or general scope, and the course topics are within that scope of comprehension, then a candidate at that level should be able to keep pace with the class (obviously there will be progression taking the candidate outside of that scope). As to the class being taught in the non native tongue, immersion-based instruction is pretty standard and might even be expected by the client. I know the Defense Language Institute uses full immersion, and candidates at any level should be able to sustain 8-hour immersion classes, from very basic to advanced learners. With repetition and guidance by the instructor, a candidate will eventually catch onto what is being asked of them and will learn to think and respond in the target language in a natural way - without resorting to translating from their native language.
Without looking at the criteria, I’m sure you’re right about it being subjective and open to interpretation. There is always an element of subjectivity anywhere language testing and training are concerned.
Finally - what is ALTA pricing model to test 300 candidates?
The price per test for speaking and listening is $50. A toll-free number for the testing call is provided free of charge. The price per reading/writing test is also $50. Depending on what skills you need to test, you may want to administer one before the other to make testing even more cost-effective. For instance, if a candidate does not meet the level II requirements for speaking and listening, you may not need to test reading/writing abilities.
Hope this helps – feel free to contact me for any further info.
Danielle Reier
Director, Sales and Marketing
ALTA Language Services, Inc.
404-260-5500
www.altalang.com
From: Mike Dodd [mailto:mike.dodd@3dglobalsolutions.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 11:24 AM
To: 'Danielle Reier'
Subject: RE: Language testing / certification
Great! A follow up question;
We are looking at several Dept of State contracts that call for Level I, II & III proficiency. Is the proficiency test ALTA uses to determine that level approved by DoS or provided by them for field testing??
I case my question is - is the test you provide different from another vendor to determine proficiency?
Obviously we are concerned with candidates getting tested and approved at appropriate levels for contracts. It seems the Level I, II & III requirements are very subjective and open to interpretation for proficiency. For example - if the contract calls for level II proficiency, does that mean that candidate should be able to comprehend instruction in their non native tongue. That is classes taught solely in non native tongue, say 8 hours per day. Or, if they are level II, do we need to ensure our client (the Gov) understands that their instruction will be in their native tongue so the understanding & retention of information is there.
Finally - what is ALTA pricing model to test 300 candidates?
-----Original Message-----
From: Danielle Reier [mailto:dreier@altalang.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 10:18 AM
To: mike.dodd@3dglobalsolutions.net
Subject: RE: Language testing / certification
Hi, Mike:
Thank you for your inquiry. Yes, ALTA’s testing was directly approved by the DEA (refer to p. C3 in the attached document) and is utilized by a number of organizations testing contract linguists for appointments with a wide range of US Government agencies. We administer our standard oral proficiency interview to assess speaking and listening skills, and utilize a combined reading/writing examination for those skill sets. We can also customize translation or interpretation examinations by request. ALTA tests in 85 languages.
For the Level II proficiency, I believe your department is referring to the ILR scale (www.govtilr.org), which is the scale used among most Federal agencies. ALTA does provide score reports on this scale. Reports can be issued as standard ALTA reports or on the DLPT 330 Form, by request, with a notation that the testing was performed by ALTA.
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Thank you,
Danielle Reier
Director, Sales and Marketing
ALTA Language Services, Inc.
404-260-5500
www.altalang.com
From: Mike Dodd [mailto:mike.dodd@3dglobalsolutions.net]
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 3:27 PM
To: dreier@altalang.com
Subject: Language testing / certification
I am interested in testing many of my employees who must meet certain criteria set by the US State Dept.
Is the test you conduct in any way certified or recognized by the Federal Government for determining language proficiency? (my employees must meet what the State Dept calls Level II English proficiency)
Mike Dodd
3D Global Solutions Inc
CEO / President
USMC Ret
mike.dodd@3dglobalsolutions.net
www.3dglobalsolutions.net
Direct Dial (866) 238-6761 ext 111
Fax 866-238-6761
This electronic message transmission contains information from 3D Global Solutions which may be confidential or privileged and is otherwise protected by law under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act [18 United States Code §§ 2510-2711]. The information is intended for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited. If you have received this electronic transmission in error, please notify us by calling the sender at 866-238-6761 immediately, and delete or destroy all copies of this transmission. Alternatively, you may contact us by electronic mail at MIS@3Dglobalsolutions.net