Proficiency-Based Curriculum Design: Principles Derived from Government Experience

Abstract

The introduction of ILR (Interagency Language Roundtable) proficiency into foreign language testing in academia leads naturally to the question: How does one design a proficiency-based course?' In government experience, writing such a course poses numerous problems in choosing material and in configuring the course appropriately to achieve its major goals. This article describes principles for designing a government proficiency-based course to be used either alone to train speakers to the ACTFL/ETS Advanced Plus/Superior level (ILR 2 +/3) or as the first stage in a course sequence aiming at that border: the goal of most government foreign-language learners due to the desirability of ILR Level 3 language-specific assignments.2 After interrelating proficiency in government testing standards and curriculumthe article contrasts ILR proficiency with grammatical and functional-notional syllabuses, proposing ways proficiency can advantageously combine the latter two approaches.3 Finally, the possible import of these principles for supplementing current materials is examined.