Thoughts on High Level Proficiency in Arabic, Russian and English with a Platitudinous Postlude

Authors

James Bernhardt

Keywords

language, proficiency, Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Skill Level Descriptions

Abstract

In the present paper, I look at the top of the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Skill Level Descriptions and critique several of their assumptions. As I do this, I speak for myself and not for the Government in general or the U.S. Department of State in particular. I also do not pretend that my conclusions are not uncontroversial. I also discuss the 2012 ACTFL proficiency standards, but note that we do not train to those standards at the Foreign Service Institute.

Recommended Citation

Bernhardt, James (2014) "Thoughts on High Level Proficiency in Arabic, Russian and English with a Platitudinous Postlude," Russian Language Journal: Vol. 64: Iss. 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70163/0036-0252.1121
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/rlj/vol64/iss1/5