Dr. Ching-Hsuan Wu was awarded a three-year grant from the Eirik Børve Fund for Foreign Language Instruction to advance language assessment initiatives across the 11 languages offered by DMLL. Through Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) at the conclusion of each semester – a proficiency-based assessment tool developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages- the goal is to raise awareness of the critical role assessment plays in language education and to integrate proficiency-based assessment into the department’s pedagogical practices.

During the first year of the project (Spring and Fall 2025), key implementation outcomes included: a scholarly talk on the ACTFL OPI hosted and funded by the Baker-Nord Institute, two information and recruitment sessions for faculty and students, one Faculty Pedagogy Forum, and two rounds of OPI testing.

DMLL held its first Faculty Pedagogical Forum on October 28, 2025. Ten faculty members from seven languages took part of the event, in which it was discussed the summer student OPI results; feedback on the DMLL student learning experience and its pedagogical relevance; and teaching techniques for developing speaking skills in the classroom.