AbstractThis chapter reports the results of a longitudinal study of language proficiency
after three semesters of the required study of foreign languages at an urban university
in the United States. The study was designed with two goals: (1) to better
understand the implications of a transition from a seat-time requirement to
a proficiency requirement and (2) to determine how scheduling might affect the
efficacy of language learning. The study was motivated by a university-wide movement
toward a new proficiency-driven Liberal Education Program (LEP). The LEP
requires that students demonstrate Intermediate Low proficiency on the ACTFL
proficiency scale in the language of their choice as measured by the Standards-
Based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP) test. A three-year study was carried
out to determine the feasibility of this requirement. Specifically, it aimed to
(a) establish the percentage of students who possess all the skills tested by STAMP
at the Intermediate Low level after three semesters of language study; (b) identify
areas of weakness as demonstrated by the test; and (c) determine the most effective
schedule of classes.
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