The FLAD and updated tutorial are available on CAL’s website: https://www.cal.org/flad

Heritage language learners bring unique linguistic and cultural backgrounds to the language classroom, and educators who work with heritage language learners need resources for instruction and assessment. As part of their work with the Assessment and Evaluation Language Resource Center (AELRC) at Georgetown University, researchers at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) recently launched two updated resources for world language and heritage language educators.

The project updates an existing tutorial on world language assessment and expands the tutorial with a new module designed to target the needs of educators working with heritage language learners. The tutorial is a companion resource of the Foreign Language Assessment Directory (FLAD), a free, searchable database with information about world language assessments used in elementary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary school programs around the United States. The FLAD and updated tutorial are available on CAL’s website: https://www.cal.org/flad

To create the new module for heritage language educators, CAL conducted a literature review examining current trends in and research related to heritage language assessment, followed by one-on-one interviews with eight heritage language educators investigating testing uses, needs, and challenges in heritage language programs. An online survey was also distributed to heritage language educators to better understand assessment practices and needs within this community. Findings were used to develop the Heritage Language Assessment Module, which is designed to help educators working in K-12 heritage language classes, community-based heritage language schools, and university-level heritage language courses.

The content and format of the tutorial, Understanding Assessment: A Guide for World Language Educators, was also updated for the first time since 2008. Updates were made to ensure that this resource is modern, engaging, and interactive and reflects current trends in language assessment literacy and test selection for educators working in a variety of different contexts.

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The tutorial is a project of the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) and the Assessment and Evaluation Language Resource Center (AELRC). The AELRC is a Title VI Language Resource Center funded by the Department of Education The contents of this resources do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and one should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.