Are you confused about which level you should be applying for? You’ve come to the right place. We are here to help you figure this out!
The first thing to do when considering levels is to look through past MEDLI (formerly APTLI) syllabi for the language of your choice as a way to gauge what materials and goals are expected of each level. These can be found in the archives of our previous programs: medli.wisc.edu/previous-programs/. We recommend reviewing the most recent archived syllabi (i.e 2022 Program). Current Summer 2022 syllabi can be found on the “Courses” page.
If you still are not sure, the information below will help walk you through the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) “Can-Do” Statements to help you figure out which level best fits your abilities.
Please note, this is not a placement exam and is not required for your MEDLI application. The Can-do statements represent benchmarks that are typical for learners at specific levels. They can be used to help language learners think about where they are at in the process and what goals they might like to achieve. But not everyone fits neatly into one of the ACTFL levels, so during the first week of MEDLI, our Pedagogy Coordinator and Instructors will help place students in the level best fit for where they currently are and what they might like to achieve during the summer.
If you find yourself still stuck on what level to apply for, do not hesitate to reach out to MEDLI Staff at medli@lpo.wisc.edu.
Elementary Level
If you believe yourself to be an Elementary level student, you can check your abilities against these can-do statements:
If your abilities stick closely to the “Novice Low” and “Novice Mid” can-do statements, you are likely a good fit for the Elementary level. If you find yourself able to do most of the can-do’s in the “Novice High” column, we encourage you to look at the Intermediate level can-do statements as well, and then decide which seems to fit best with your abilities.
Intermediate Level
If you believe yourself to be an Intermediate level student, you can check your abilities against these can-do statements:
If your abilities stick closely to the “Intermediate Low” and “Intermediate Mid” can-do statements, you are likely a good fit for the Intermediate level. If you find yourself able to do most of the can-do’s in the “Intermediate High” column, we encourage you to look at the Advanced level can-do statements as well, and then decide which seems to fit best with your abilities.
Advanced Level
If you believe yourself to be an Advanced level student, you can check your abilities against these can-do statements:
If your abilities stick closely to the “Advanced Low” and “Advanced Mid” can-do statements, you are likely a good fit for the Intermediate level. If you find yourself able to do most of the can-do’s in the “Advanced High” column, please let us know and we can discuss whether MEDLI is the right fit for you.