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This course contains modules that inform you about the test structure of the OPIc and Duolingo test, engage you in best practices for getting prepared, and provide a variety of practice material for these tests.
By the end of this course, you will:
Be more familiar with test structures, their purpose, and how to give the best answers to test questions.
Describe and narrate more confidently and in paragraph length
Have practiced a variety of test-relevant listening and speaking activities.
Please note: Duolingo information and practices only cover “Conversation” & “Production” sections of the test.
When you register for the OPIc, please make sure you register as “UW teaching applicants”. Only when you are registered as such, UW Admissions and the OPIc Administrator, Petra Heinz, will be able to process your OPIc result in the UW system. If you register as a general test taker, you are responsible to contact LTI to have them transfer your account to the UW LTI account after you have taken the test.
For registration, please go to the ACTFL "Ordering a Language Assessment Online" guide and follow the instructions. When you get to:
“On the next screen, direct your attention to the right-hand column labeled Students/Teachers and choose the following option: Programs with ACTFL Requirements. .” Don't click on the box "Students/Teachers", but scroll down until you come to the box "Programs with ACTFL Requirements" (on the right-hand side, second last option). Select "Choose Test", and then select the option at the very bottom "University of Wyoming Teaching Assistant Applicants". Continue following the instructions!"
Superior (S-7), Advanced High (AH-6) and Advanced Mid (AM-5) level of English speaking proficiency: Student is qualified to teach UW labs and courses (under supervision)
International graduate assistants hired to teach who do not receive a sufficient score (Advanced Mid) to fulfill the UW teaching role may also retake the exam, but should consult with their home department and the International Graduate ESL Coordinator, Petra Heinz, (pheinz@uwyo.edu), before doing so. Testing twice in rapid succession is not likely to show a different result.
Your department is NOT authorized to waive the OPIc for you, even if you qualify for an exemption. ONLY the School of Graduate Education (OGE) can grant an exemption from the OPIc exam if you meet the following prerequisites:
To 3. Your English university degree must be apparent on your transcripts. Please refer to the list of countries from which the University of Wyoming accepts university degrees that qualify for OPIc waivers.
Please contact your faculty mentor to inform them about your eligibility for an exemption, including documentation, such as course teaching evaluations, a short letter from your previous supervisor, a teaching certificate from your previous institution, or the UW ITA Training Certificate of Completion. Your faculty mentor will then request an OPIc exemption at the Office for Graduate Education.
Antigua & Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Belize
Bermuda
Canada (all provinces except Quebec)
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
Ireland
Jamaica
New Zealand
Nigeria
Singapore
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia Dominica
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Trinidad & Tobago
Proficiency refers to the ability to perform an action or function. It refers to one's ability to use language for real-world purposes to accomplish real-world linguistic tasks across a wide range of topics and settings. ACTFL Proficiency Tests reflect and measure the candidate's ability to carry out these real-world tasks. Differing from an achievement test, which measures knowledge of specific information (what a person knows), a proficiency test targets what an individual can do with what he or she knows. As in a driver's test, an achievement test would represent the paper and pencil questions on the written examination, while a proficiency test determines how well the person can drive the car. The language proficiency test is an evaluation of how well a person can use language to communicate in real life.
The best and fastest way to get a comprehensive picture of what to expect from the OPIc is to read through the examinee handbook and to practice the sample questions given there.
Also of interest might be
If you will be supported by a graduate assistantship that requires teaching, you should take the OPIc exam prior to accepting the assistantship, but no later than August 1 or January 1.
Please consult with your home department if you are unable to pass the exam. Your department might have other graduate assistant options for you.
Exam Scores and Sub-scores Sufficient to Meet the English Oral Proficiency Requirement for International Graduate Teaching Assistants
|
Exam |
Subexam |
Minimum Acceptable Score or Subscore |
|
OPIc |
N/A |
Advanced Mid |
|
TOEFL |
Speaking |
23 |
|
IELTS |
Speaking |
6.5 |
|
Duolingo |
Conversation & Production (average of both) |
105 |