Spanish Oral Proficiency Requirements

Spanish Teaching candidates in Colorado must demonstrate Advanced Low proficiency in listening, reading, writing and speaking on the to be recommended for licensure.Ìý

The describes the proficiency levels using .

How can I prepare for the oral proficiency section of the PRAXIS test?

Studying and using your Spanish will improve your skills and test score. Understanding the test can also reduce your anxiety and possibly help improve your score.

The article "Taking Charge: Teacher Candidates' Preparation for the Oral Proficiency Interview" (JoAnn Hammadou Sullivan, Foreign Language Annals, Vol. 44, No. 2, Summer 2011, pp. 241-257) about students and their scores on the Oral Proficiency Interview (see more information about this assessment below), reveals that candidates who achieved Advanced Low proficiency or better read more target language newspapers and literature for pleasure, watched more target language movies and television shows, wrote more letters in the target language and practiced more with native speakers than unsuccessful candidates. Candidates who demonstrated Advanced Low proficiency reported that they spent 19 hours per week outside of classÌýusing the target language, whereas non-successful candidates spent only 6 hours per week using the target language.

Web resources for practice

To prepare for your oral proficiency assessment, expose yourself to as much Spanish-language input as possible by reading Spanish-language newspapers and books, listening to Spanish podcasts such as , watching videos in Spanish, etc.

from University of Texas-Austin's Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) can be helpful for familiarizing yourself with the proficiency levels.

Practice your advanced-level conversation skills with live partners through online platforms like , which is free, or , which offers the opportunity for language students to engage in (and record) 30-minute conversations with a native speaker via videoconferencing software for a per-conversation fee. Before signing up for TalkAbroad you can coordinate with your advisor to decide how many conversations to schedule and what proficiency skills to focus on so that the conversations are as productive as possible.

In addition to taking the PRAXIS test, is there another assessment I can take that specifically measures my oral proficiency?

Yes! The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is a nationally-recognized measure of oral proficiency that is more extensive than the oral proficiency section of the PRAXIS. More information about the OPI is available from the and .Ìý

Once you are ready to schedule your OPI, you will need to decide if you would prefer to take the exam on campus or remotely. If you prefer to take the exam remotely, you can proceed to sign up for the exam with the remote proctoring system provided by LTI. This service does incur a small fee. If you would like to take the exam on campus, please email altec@colorado.edu to determine a date and time that is suitable for all parties. When this has been decided, you may proceed to sign up for your exam, following these instructions:

  1. Navigate toÌý.
  2. Select your language.
  3. Click on "Search for your institution or school program" in the top right of the page.
  4. When asked if you are testing for State Teacher Certification, click "Yes".
  5. Select "Colorado" for the state, enter "University of Colorado - Boulder" for the institution, and select "Spanish" for the language.
  6. Select either the ACTFL OPI or the ACTFL OPIc (a computerized version of the OPI).
  7. For the proctor, select "ºÚÁÏÉçÇøÍø".
  8. Select "Mountain Time" in the Time Zone box and thenÌýenter in two dates and time ranges when you are available to take the exam. These dates will be used to assign a tester to you for the OPI, or someone to check your identification for the OPIc.
  9. Complete the remaining questions with your personal information.

Here are some online resources for practicing specifically for the OPI or OPIc.

Demo version of the OPIc; follow the link at the top of this page. Consider recording your answers to the prompts, listening and self-critiquing or asking your advisor for feedback.

There are some YouTube videos that give tips for achieving Advanced Low on the OPI, such as .

What do I do if I don't score Advanced Low on the PRAXIS or the OPI?

As mentioned above, the PRAXIS is the exam you must pass in order to qualify for licensure; the OPI is a recommended additional option for your own personal knowledge and growth. If you do not achieve the minimum language proficiency when you take the PRAXIS, you, with your advisor, should devise a plan for achieving the minimum required proficiency prior to student teaching. ÌýIf you've taken the OPI and are disappointed with your OPI score, keep practicing and re-take the OPI when you and your advisor feel that you have made sufficient improvements to your oral proficiency. ÌýRepeated oral practice and getting lots of Spanish input through listening and reading is the best way to continue improving your speaking proficiency.