The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and its Language Proficiency Levels

Founded in 1967, ACTFL is a membership organization committed to language instruction at all levels. Derived from the Foreign Language Program of the MLA, it was separated from the MLA and became an independent entity in 1974. In 1986, ACTFL published its Proficiency Guidelines, which became the foundation of Proficiency-Based Language Instruction. From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, ACTFL developed and promoted its well-known language assessment system: the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), which is still widely used in second language education in the United States today. At the end of the 1990s, ACTFL developed the Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century— the 5Cs, and other forward-looking documents that led the transitioning of second language teaching in the United States.