The Center for Language Acquisition presents Paula Winke (Michigan State University), who will deliver her presentation, “Why and how to customize 'Can-do' based self-assessments for less-commonly-taught-language (LCTL) programs, Spoiler alert: to align task-based formative assessments with learning objectives, LCTL textbook-content, national standards, and student motivation.“

Talk Description

Less-commonly-taught-language (LCTL) programs are often small, under-resourced, and have unique instructional contexts. Therefore, research findings from studies conducted within larger, more commonly taught language programs often do not generalize directly to LCTL contexts. There is a need for more research that responds to the specific pedagogical and technological needs of LCTL programs (Koné & Winke, 2025). This presentation first reviews the rationale for greater research in LCTL contexts, highlighting how small programs, course-sharing arrangements, online instruction, and distinctive linguistic and cultural learning goals require direct support. It then focuses on how LCTL programs require assessments that are tailored to the languages’ unique materials, goals, and learning pathways. Though there is evidence supporting the use of can-do–based self-assessments as formative measures of language development (Winke et al., 2023), there is also a question of whether language-agnostic, ACTFL-based can-do statements are best for LCTL measurement. Computer-adaptive self-assessments can provide meaningful information about learners’ proficiency development while simultaneously promoting learner agency, goal-setting, and motivation (Winke et al., 2023). Yet, do such benefits extend to LCTL learners taking similar tests?
The talk concludes with the presentation of a practical framework for designing online, can-do-based self-assessments for LCTL classrooms. Using principles of Backward Design, practitioners can identify learning goals from LCTL textbooks and curricular materials, align local goals with ACTFL proficiency standards; and transform the goals into task-based can-do statements suitable for online testing. Examples from LCTL contexts will illustrate how customized self-assessments can align objectives with teaching materials and student motivation.

Speaker Background

Paula Winke is the inaugural "Arts and Letters" Professor at Michigan State University, where she teaches and researches language assessment. She was the co-editor of the international journal Language Testing 2019–2024. She has received numerous awards, including the 2026 Alan Davies lecture award from the British Council, the 2025 Best Article Award from the International Language Testing Association, the 2021 Paul Pimsleur Award for Research in World Language Education from the National Federation of Modern Language Teacher Associations and the Modern Language Journal, the 2020 American Association of Applied Linguistics Research Award, and the 2012 International TESOL Award for Distinguished Research. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (China, 1998–2000), a two-time Fulbright Scholar (Budapest, Hungary, 2008; Leipzig, Germany, 2022), and served on a language testing consensus committee in Washington, D.C. at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2018–2020. She is currently the treasurer of the American Association of Applied Linguistics and is an academic advisor to Cambridge University Press and Assessment, United Kingdom.

References

• Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Pearson.
• Winke, P., & Koné, K. (2025). Why we need more research on technology applications in less-commonly-taught-language (LCTL) programs. Language Learning & Technology, 29(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/73608
• Winke, P., Zhang, X., & Pierce, S. J. (2023). A closer look at a marginalized test method: Self-assessment as a measure of speaking proficiency. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 45(2), 416–441. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263122000079

This event is co-sponsored by Penn State University Libraries. See a curated list of publications by all 2026–27 CLA visiting speakers.