Many STA language students will take the National Language exams this March. Students have begun preparing inside and outside of the classroom for these nation-wide tests.

Each exam costs $3-5, is optional, and will not impact a student’s foreign language grade. STA will offer students from Latin I-IV, French I-IV and Spanish III an opportunity to take the exams which are compared to students across the country.

‘[Comparing the students’ scores to students across the country] is a good tool for the school to know how both the teachers and students are doing,’ Spanish teacher Julia Gargallo said.

Incentives

French teacher Alice Amick, Latin teacher Sue Marquis and Gargallo encourage students to take the exams as an opportunity to build their language skills and college resumes by potentially receiving awards and scholarships.

Marquis offers another incentive to take the exam. The Latin students who choose to take the exam will receive 1/4 point extra credit in their class for every point they get correct.

Junior Margaret Haake is enrolled in both Latin I and Spanish III and will take both exams for the experience and chance to build her college resume.

‘[I am taking the tests because] they are big reviews that don’t hurt my grades,’ Latin I junior Margaret Haake said. ‘Except the Latin test is especially nice because you can always use extra credit.’

The extra credit offered will modestly increase the student’s grade, but will result in no more than the 1% of the semester grade, keeping within the language department policy. Due to the small number of French students choosing to take the exam, Amick is considering offering extra credit in the future in order to urge more students to participate.

Latin Exam:

Who? Latin I-IV students

What? 40 point scantron exam

Where? testing center/other classrooms

When? March 11, activity period

More Info? nle.org

Spanish Exam:

Who? Spanish III students

What? online formatted exam, includes listening activities

Where? computer lab

When? activity I and II

More Info? nationalspanishexam.org

French Exam:

Who? French I-IV students

What? 60 point scantron exam, includes listening activities

Where? English Resource Center/other classrooms

When? March 1-28, activity I, II, part of Mods 9-10

More Info? frenchteachers.org/concours

Preparation

All three teachers have given their students the necessary information to take the exams according to Marquis, Gargallo and Amick. For Latin and French, Marquis and Amick are giving their students practice exams as language lab activities. Gargallo is giving vocabulary for Spanish students to review on their own and will review one grammar point each week with students in class.

‘My teachers have prepared me well by the time I will have taken [both exams],’ Haake said. ‘I may not get all of the questions correct but I know I will have tried my hardest.’

Haake plans on studying to thoroughly review key grammar concepts and vocabulary terms equally for each test.

The Tests

The American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) and National Latin Exam Committee administer the tests in a multiple choice format that requires Scantron sheets. The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese offer the National Spanish Examinations online, formatted through the Quia Corporation. According to nationalspanishexam.org, this exam is the first national world language exam to be administered online.

STA has not previously offered the Spanish exam to students because of the technology, according to Gargallo. This year is a trial year and the school will potentially be able to offer the exam to more levels as the school’s technology improves.

39/65 Spanish III STA students 60%

nationally: about 115,000

68/88 Latin STA students 77%

nationally: about 135,000

12/81 French STA students 15%

nationally: about 101,000

Results

Both Gargallo and Marquis have high hopes for the results of the exams.

‘I imagine we are pretty close with the National levels,’ Marquis said. ‘These are pretty smart girls.’

Both teachers encourage students to prepare individually in order to achieve their best score on these national exams.

‘Be prepared and take [the exams] seriously, even if it is only $5 you’re losing,’ Gargallo said. ‘Try to do your best. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.