Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde cultural education and outreach program manager and leader of the Chinuk Wawa Language Program, Kathy Cole, flew to Orlando, Florida for Oral Proficiency Interview (ACTFL OPI) training this November. The OPI is a standardized method for the global assessment of functional speaking ability.

The training and testing is available in many widely spoken world languages but not in the Native languages of the Pacific Northwest. Kathy opted to take the training in assessing English with the hope that she could transfer the skills acquired to her own language situation. The OPI is a carefully structured face-to-face or telephone conversation between a trained and certified interviewer and the person whose language skills are being tested.

The training process is rigorous and certification is only granted when the trainee has conducted and rated numerous interviews and the certified trainer is in agreement with the trainee’s ratings. Kathy is contemplating completing the tester certification process. If so, she will be an asset to other tribes wishing to adapt this assessment process to their own languages. She is looking forward to using her new skills and training to assess fellow tribal members in the Chinuk Wawa language.  This will help determine if the testing process needs to be culturally and linguistically adapted for certain Native communities.

For more information on the Oral Proficiency Interview training, please visit: http://www.actfl.org/professional-development/certified-proficiency-testing-program/testing-proficiency