The Oral Proficiency Interview or OPI measures the level of one's verbal proficiency in a language. It can be completed via computer or phone interview. The test involves an interviewer asking increasingly more difficult questions based on an initial questionnaire / pre-interview questions on the interviewee's interests. At the upper levels, the interview finishes with a role-play scenario where a problem occurs and the interviewee must solve it. Measurement of proficiency is based on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. You can find out more about the OPI on the ACTFL website. Scroll down to see my certificate.
My language learning background
I learned Spanish the same way that many of my students do; in the classroom. I started learning Spanish in 8th grade through a very traditional textbook-based, grammar and vocabulary memorization approach. I continued through high school, with many of my teachers beginning to incorporate more comprehensible-input based and communicative focused instruction. Spending a week in Spain in high school inspired me to continue studying Spanish in college at U of M. I took many upper-level courses including the study of literature, film, and history, and studied abroad for a summer at the Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW OCCURRED BEFORE I WAS MARRIED AND IS LISTED UNDER MY MAIDEN NAME