Abstract

This paper examines language ideology in the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) 2012 speaking proficiency guidelines using the method of critical rhetoric analysis. Language ideologies, a concept borrowed from linguistic anthropology, are the ways people and organizations conceptualize and talk about language. In this paper, I explore how the ACTFL speaking proficiency guidelines discuss proficient language. Since these guidelines are widely used and highly respected, it is necessary for those who use them to understand what ideologies of proficiency they express. Therefore, this study also discusses how the language ideologies in the guidelines may impact consequential validity. The results from this analysis are a description of language ideologies found in the guidelines, including ideologies about standard language and native speakers. From these findings, I make recommendations for how knowledge about these language ideologies should inform decisions being made for users of the guidelines and the accompanying test, the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview. These recommendations include considering 1) how generalizable these ideologies are to languages other than English, 2) how what is included and excluded in the definition of proficiency could impact less prestigious speakers of the languages tested, and 3) how well these ideologies align with the decisions that will be made based on the test's results.

Degree

College and Department

Humanities

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