With the support of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Chicago and the Chicago Language Center, ten teachers of Chinese language from the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Chicago Public Schools participated in a workshop on Chinese Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), a proficiency-based test on communicative competence in the Chinese language. The workshop invited Professor Theresa Jen, a certified OPI tester of the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) as the trainer.

During the intensive full-day schedule, from March 10th through March 13th, participants learned the history of the development of the OPI and the underlying proficiency guidelines of ACTFL, the entire rubric of major and sub-levels of proficiency, listened to and analyzed sample interviews, and practiced interviewing skills with real language learners and learned from peer critiques. For each topic they also discussed in details the implications for language curriculum and classroom practice.

This workshop was made possible through generous support from a U.S. Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center Grant.

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