Top 10 Tips Before Administering the AAPPL

In preparation for your fall AAPPL testing season, we have pulled together a list of Top Ten Tips to help ensure that your AAPPL experience this year is a smooth one.

1. Choose your proctoring mode and think through the steps you will need to take to set yourself and your students up. These resources can help you go into testing well-prepared:

2. Order your tests with confidence, knowing that your school will only be charged for tests that are actually taken. For example, if you need to change proctoring modes for a class or student, you can simply cancel the tests ordered with one proctoring mode and order new ones based on your needs.

  • Remember that tests must be ordered at least one day in advance for computer-based proctoring.
  • Review this list of great AAPPL Resources, including the AAPPL Client Site Manual and How-to Videos.
  • Know which AAPPL Form is right for your students by reading through this page.

​​​3. Help your students prepare by guiding them to the many available resources online:

  • Practice the components by working through the available Demos and view our online AAPPL Tips Videos.
  • Share the Tasks & Topics with your students to help them prepare to do their best.

4. Set yourself up for technical success by following these steps:

  • Always be sure to run through the System Check well in advance and have your students do the same if using their own devices for testing.
  • Set up headsets and microphones on all devices being used for testing and/or support parents/guardians and students through this process.
  • For Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Thai, language-specific keyboard layouts must be set up. Please refer to the Operating System-Specific instructions linked to in our Technology FAQs and then use the language-specific Demos to test the keyboarding functionality once set up.

5. Set up the in-school testing environment in advance.

  • To ensure there are no connectivity issues with large numbers of students simultaneously accessing media files over your network, we recommend that students practice taking the AAPPL demos in the room you will be using to administer the test.
  • Try to eliminate background noise as much as possible while students record themselves for the ILS component.

6. If using parent/guardian proctoring, support at-home proctors through the process.

  • Share the FAQ/Resources for Parents with parents/guardians.
  • Be prepared to answer questions as they arise and know the support resources that are available through your school and through LTI.

7. If implementing computer-based proctoring, assist students with technical questions when needed.

  • Be sure to read pages 3-4 of this guide for additional technical requirements and considerations.
  • Remember that students must use Google Chrome for the computer-based proctoring system.
  • Remind students that they should test alone in a quiet space and that they may not access cell phones or tablets.

8. Provide test login information to students to give them access.

  • Access student login information on your account and provide it to students, depending on the requirements of your chosen proctoring mode. You can print them for in-school proctoring and email them for parent/guardian or computer-based proctoring.
  • Remember that student log-in credentials are considered sensitive testing documents and should be kept in a secure location.

9. Run the System Check one more time right before testing is to take place to be absolutely certain that the technology is working.

10. Once testing is complete, access your students’ Score Reports and Certificates on your account and tell them what a great job they’ve done!

If at any time you would like a one-on-one walkthrough of your account, or need help ordering and administering tests, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

AAPPL Customer Care
aapplhelp@languagetesting.com
(800) 486-8444 option 1​​​​​

ACTFL’s recent press release, announced the launch of the comprehensive list of AAPPL Topics. The comprehensive list of AAPPL Topics encompasses all forms and versions of the assessment and can be found on ACTFL’s Tasks & Topics page.

AAPPL assessments ordered for Out of School Testing with Parent/Guardian Proctoring will continue to be available throughout the 2021-22 school year. Like in 2020-21, this content will vary from the content included in the In School or Computer Proctored forms.

Spanish Speakers Bring Superpowers to Businesses

The U.S. population is becoming increasingly diverse, and the Hispanic population is a big contributor to the country’s changing demographics. According to the U.S. Census’ latest data, there has been a 23% increase in the Spanish-speaking population since 2010, totaling approximately 62.1 million Hispanics as of 2020. This growth is projected to reach 99.89 million by 2050[i], and the importance of developing business strategies to connect and engage with the Hispanic consumer segment is paramount.

This diversification is not limited to race and ethnicity—it also includes language. In 2013, approximately 6 out of 10 (62%) of Hispanics were bilingual (English & Spanish)[ii] and by 2050, it is anticipated that 1 out of every 3 people in the U.S. will speak Spanish[iii].

What exactly does this mean for your business? Accurately and authentically engaging with Hispanic consumers will allow you to earn their respect, trust, and business.

Companies that intentionally hire bilingual team members to communicate and engage with the Spanish-speaking population have a competitive edge, making language proficiency an undeniable superpower. In ACTFL’s 2019 report titled “Making Language Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers”, 1 out of 3 U.S. employers reported a language skills gap with the greatest need in the following top 5 business areas:

  1. Customer Service
  2. Sales
  3. Marketing
  4. Management
  5. IT

Approximately 9 out of 10 employers reported relying on employees for language skills other than English. Therefore, companies that have bilingual employees who can communicate with their Hispanic customers with both linguistic and cultural competence not only tap into a competitive edge that directly affects their bottom line, but more importantly, they also nurture brand loyalty and longevity with a segment of the population that is often overlooked by other companies. As the largest growing population in the United States, the Spanish-speaking consumer segment can no longer be ignored.

In 2020, the buying power of the Hispanic market was predicted to reach $1.7 trillion. More specifically, Hispanic entrepreneurship grew by 31.6% since 2012, along with the use of digital tools.  Approximately 98% of Hispanic entrepreneurs use digital tools to run their businesses, and about 75% of them use social media for business purposes. The online environment provides direct access to the Hispanic market like never before. In an article titled “Companies Engaging Hispanics Win Big in the U.S.—and Beyond” the author, Jessica Rivera, stated “…research shows that best-in-class companies that aim at least 25% of ad spending at Hispanic consumers are growing by 6.7% annually.”

Are you ready to activate your company’s Spanish language superpowers? Here are three (3) quick tips to get you started:

  1. Recruit certified Spanish speakers: Having team members that can communicate in Spanish will provide your company the bilingual capabilities needed to engage with Spanish-speaking people authentically and appropriately. Make sure to test your Spanish-speaking employees for reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
  2. Collaborate with Hispanic businesses and entrepreneurs: Your supplier mix should represent the diversity of the community you are serving. Onboard Hispanic-owned businesses as part of your pool of suppliers as they will be your gateway to doing business with the Hispanic market.
  3. Market in language, in culture, in context, and online: Leverage technology and digital accessibility to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create business opportunities with Hispanic consumers and the community at large.

Now, more than ever, businesses need to be ready to activate their Spanish language superpowers. You can confidently partner with Language Testing International (LTI) to test and certify current staff members, and to hire prospective employees. LTI administers language assessments to thousands of candidates every year and is one of the largest and most respected foreign language proficiency test providers in the world. It offers the highest level of client service as well as convenient online test scheduling and reporting over secure client networks.

Visit www.languagetesting.com to learn more about how to certify the language proficiency of your bilingual employees and new hires.

References:

[i] https://www.statista.com/topics/1861/hispanics-in-the-us-shopping-behavior/

[ii] https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20200915/111016/HMKP-116-JU00-20200915-SD005.pdf

[iii] https://www.forbes.com/sites/soniathompson/2021/05/27/the-us-has-the-second-largest-population-of-spanish-speakers-how-to-equip-your-brand-to-serve-them/?sh=3b23125793ae

Sources:

https://www.leadwithlanguages.org/wp-content/uploads/MakingLanguagesOurBusiness_FullReport.pdf

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/08/improved-race-ethnicity-measures-reveal-united-states-population-much-more-multiracial.html

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20200915/111016/HMKP-116-JU00-20200915-SD005.pdf

https://www.motionpoint.com/blog/companies-engaging-hispanics-win-big-in-the-u-s-and-beyond/

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171002005951/en/Study-U.S.-Hispanic-Businesses-Continue-Steady-Growth

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/25/latinos-are-a-powerful-force-fueling-small-business-growth-in-the-us.html

Navigating the Multicultural Landscape Can Feel Like a Minefield

Diversity brings together a blending of cultures, heritages, languages, and norms that makes society more dynamic, interesting, and fulfilling. When this diversity is reflected in the workplace, it can bring the benefits of a variety of skills, cultural insights, innovative and creative ideas, as well as increased productivity and engagement, which gives a competitive advantage to any organization. At the same time, differences can also cause misunderstanding, conflict, and diverging perspectives that can make any leader, colleague, or employee feel like they are navigating a multicultural minefield.

Language proficiency and cultural competency are effective tools to infiltrate an increasingly multicultural linguistic world that requires clear communication in language, in culture, and in context. Communicating with others in their preferred or native language helps remove barriers of understanding that may result in conflict and unsettled diverging perspectives. Understanding cultural attributes, such as indigenous heritage, nationality, abilities, and accessibility, etc. all help in addressing the various perspectives individuals bring to the workplace. This includes understanding the terrain of language competency, proficiency levels, and cultural sensitivity each person on the team has.  Whether it’s reading, writing, speaking, listening and other communication skills, they are all powerful tools that will allow you to be an actively engaged and effective leader in your company or industry. It’s strategic and critical to assess the language proficiency of members of your organization (corporate, government or nonprofit). . Certifying your team members’ language proficiency will allow you to effectively navigate the multicultural landscape with certainty. 

Getting Back to Business with Language and Cultural Proficiency

One million vaccinations a day was certainly a lofty proposition as we began the year grappling with how to effectively rid ourselves of COVID-19 and get back to business. As a business owner, diversity specialist, and community advocate, I wondered how this would be accomplished because I know there are still so many gaps in addressing the United States’ diverse populations through linguistically and culturally appropriate initiatives. This is especially true in underserved and underrepresented communities where people, including senior citizens, have little to no access to reliable transportation, major healthcare facilities, or the technology needed to secure an appointment to get vaccinated. Let’s face it, we need everyone to have access to one of the three available vaccines, regardless of their socioeconomic status, ethnicity, cultural background, or language proficiency, so that we can get back to business and to our lives. But how to gather individuals with the linguistic and cultural competence required to effectively communicate with members of these communities in order to promote and provide access to vaccines? 

And then it happened. On a busy morning of back-to-back Zoom calls, I received a text from Father José Rodríguez, a community leader at the local Hispanic Episcopal church in Orlando, Florida where I participate as a volunteer and as a bilingual resource to develop educational programs. He had an opportunity to secure 500 vaccines for local residents of a neighborhood where 59% of working-class families live under the poverty level. Residents are mostly essential workers who have kept the economy going  and many are English language learners, not proficient enough to navigate making an appointment to get the vaccine. His question to me was: “Do you think we can get all the community leaders together, from non-profits to small businesses and government officials, to support the National Guard to administer the vaccines in ten days?” My answer: “Absolutely!”

Language and cultural competency were at the epicenter of every tactic used to accomplish this goal as we assembled a team of talented bilingual workers for the cause. Local Hispanic supermarkets were contacted to serve as sites to enroll predominantly Spanish-speaking people 65+; local media made announcements on TV stations and radio shows, Spanish-speaking elected officials helped with logistics. They were so happy to see Father José scheduling appointments with a brigade of bilingual volunteers from various grassroots organizations. Many senior citizens had tried to secure appointments with the help of their loved ones, but the vaccination sites were a long drive from the neighborhood and they didn’t have transportation. There was a general sense of relief that now all they had to do was show up on Saturday, February 20 to the church’s parking lot at their scheduled time for the National Guard to administer the vaccine. Our organizations’ and bilingual volunteers’ efforts would bring the vaccines to the community.

That Saturday morning, I realized we were experiencing a major breakthrough that was a direct result of the measurable language skills of our team and their cultural competence. Having advocated and volunteered during several crises in Central Florida that lacked any true exercise of cultural competency (the Pulse Night Club tragedy and the displacement of over 200,000 Puerto Ricans after Hurricane María), this vaccination effort was efficient, effective, and smooth because the importance of language and cultural context was taken into account from the get-go. 

So, as we finish the business at hand of making sure everyone gets vaccinated, I encourage corporations, small businesses, community organizations, healthcare facilities, and government agencies to be intentional in preparing to get back to work building our economy by ensuring their teams have language proficient and culturally competent professionals that can help accelerate our growth and do so in an equitable way. One important strategy for doing so is by assessing the language skills of your team members and volunteers using one of Language Testing International’s proficiency tests.