ACTFL Standards Self-assessment Portfolio As I look at the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines for speaking and assess my abilities to do just

that in Spanish, I have to think about when I first started in this career more than seven years ago and were I am now. I am a Heritage speaker. However, just because a person is able to speak a language does not mean they are educated in that language. I live disconnected from many authentic sources because our area does not have an abundance of Hispanics, even though we are seeing more and more Latinos move from New York City to the Utica area. The ACTFL Speaking Proficiency Guidelines emphasize content, context and precision and the type of speechrelated functions at each level. Also presented are the limitations when trying to run the speakers in the next higher level. As a young adult, I would probably rate myself as an advanced speaker. I was able to participate in different conversational topics clearly and toggle in-between different grammatical structures. However, on subjects that required higher vocabulary, I would falter. One way that I have found to improve this aspect in my speaking is to read more. As I went back to school and read more books in Spanish, listened to current news broadcasts, watched movies and began to reach out to other

professionals in other countries via technology, my speaking and grammar have improved greatly. I have been very cognizant in creating opportunities to use the language in a variety of ways that apply both to instruction and to acquisition. I still toggle in-between Top and Distinguished. It depends on the topic of conversation. For example, if I am in a discussion about the influences of Edger Allen Poe on Latin American writers, then I am in the Distinguished category. However, if I am presented with the topic of the genome, I will probably be Advanced High or Advanced. The difference for me is the vocabulary. I would not be familiar with the discourse of science when it pertains to the genome, other than some terminology that is common. Vocabulary acquisition would be necessary in order for me to be able to be at the Distinguished level of proficiency. In my everyday teaching of the Spanish language, I am at a Distinguished level because even though we certainly discuss a variety of topics especially in my AP Spanish course, we will not discuss in detail the research on the past 50 years with respect to the DNA. We would however, discuss the advances of medicine and science that has led to the tracing or mapping of the genome in a more holistic setting.

As I started my teaching experience, my level of proficiency has changed greatly because of the materials that I have exposed myself to. As a student, I find that I am at the Higher end of the spectrum now as opposed to the mid to mid-high level. Integrating advanced vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening to authentic sources has been critical to acquisition in the target langauge.