Bilingual Proficiency

Overview. The Bilingual Proficiency component of the IPAP project aimed to better understanding the relationship between functional writing ability in the dominant language (English) and the heritage language (Spanish) of college-level Spanish heritage language learners (HLLs). This analysis was conducted on writing by HLLS enrolled in a four-year and a two-year college. The writing samples were collected by the IPAP team, using a writing proficiency assessment tool which is modelled after the ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT). Results indicate that writing proficiency in the home language is not as far behind proficiency in the majority language as is commonly believed, a contribution that can be exploited to the learners’ advantage when planning curricula.

Bilingual Proficiency Study Presentations. iletc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/ipap/presentations/#BILINGUAL_PROFICIENCY