World Language & Seal of Biliteracy

The World Language Competency-Based Assessment allows students to demonstrate proficiency of reading, writing, listening and speaking in any language, even if they are not offered at our schools. High school students may request a test at no cost.

Determine if you are eligible to test - If you can answer yes to all of the below "I can" statements, contact your school World Language Assessment Liaison (WLAL) and provide a short writing sample (unless testing for ASL.) Ask your counselor, ELL teacher, or world language teacher if unsure who that is. 

World Language and Bilingual Students

• I can understand ideas on familiar topics expressed through phrases, short sentences, and frequently used expressions. [Listening]
• I can understand the main idea and some details in simple texts that contain familiar vocabulary. [Reading]
• I can exchange information with another person about familiar tasks, topics and activities. [Person-to-Person Communication]
• I can use a series of phrases and sentences to provide basic information about familiar topics. [Spoken Production]
• I can write simple descriptions and short messages and request or provide information on familiar topics. [Writing]

American Sign Language Students

• I can respond to simple, direct questions or requests for information by demonstrating limited communicative exchanges with short phrases on memorized topics limited to everyday survival needs; e.g., work, school, pets, and hobbies. Comprehension requires considerable repetition and/or rephrasing, and slow simplified communication with extra linguistic support.
• I can manage a number of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straight forward, practical situations using concrete exchanges and predictable topics. Comprehension requires frequent repetition. Misunderstandings may still occur.
• I can express personal meaning by combining and re-combining what I know and what I receive from the interviewer. I can create short statements and discrete sentences. I can generally be understood by the interviewer who is accustomed to dealing with non-native language users. Comprehension limitations are evident due to the need for frequent repetition or rephrasing of questions on both familiar and unfamiliar topics.

*If you have taken 2 or more years of an AP/IB world language course, take the AP/IB exam in that language to demonstrate your proficiency.