Examiner

General Description

The outside examiner is a resource person as well as an evaluator. Above all, the examiner is an experienced instructor in the target language at an accredited college or university. The DILS examiner is sympathetic to the goals of directed independent language study. Working together with the DILS Director, he/she helps to set the pace for the DILS study module, advises in the selection of materials, evaluates the Language Partner, and answer questions that come up in the course of the semester.

The DILS examiner is usually an evaluator who has been trained to test proficiency in the language being studied. He or she tests students individually during a 30 minute oral interview at the end of the semester. Exams are carried out over the phone or through Skype. The examiner provides a proficiency rating based on the ACTFL scales (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages written feedback) and sends written feedback that is shared with the students and Language Partners. During the semester, students and Language Partners are provided information about the ACTFL guidelines and scales. At the discretion of the DILS Director, other test formats may be used. Whether the examiner is an ACTFL certified tester or not, he or she controls conversational management strategies so as to guarantee a high degree of diagnostic precision.

The examiner is the key to maintaining academic accountability in the program.
Interested student should contact the DILS Director at DILS@miami.edu