ITA Testing and Training

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Why must I be certified?

The General Assembly of Pennsylvania enacted a statute (Senate Bill 539) in 1990 "requiring institutions of higher education to evaluate their faculties for fluency in the English language; providing for certifications as to that fluency; imposing penalties; and conferring powers and duties upon the State Board of Education." The act includes "every member of an institution of higher education, other than visiting faculty but including graduate teaching assistants, who teaches one or more undergraduate credit courses at a campus of that institution within this Commonwealth except: 1] such courses that are designed to be taught predominately in a foreign language; 2] student participatory and activity courses such as clinics, studios, seminars and laboratories; 3] special arrangement courses such as individualized instruction and independent study courses; and 4] continuing education courses." The act requires each institution of higher education to file annual reports with the Pennsylvania Department of Education showing compliance. The Secretary of Education may impose penalties for each course taught by an uncertified faculty members.

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What is the fluency policy at Penn?

The full policy is located in Section VI.I of the Faculty Handbook, which can be read on-line at www.upenn.edu/assoc-provost/handbook. The policy was adopted in 1991 and last amended in 1998.

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How can I become certified as fluent in English?

Initially, you must speak to your department chairperson, who can certify you immediately if you can produce evidence of having received a score of 60 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or a rating of Superior on an ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview. The evidence you need are official score results. If you have not received sufficient scores on either the TSE or ACTFL Interview, or have not taken either of these tests, you will need to contact the ELP for information on completing this requirement. The University of Pennsylvania Certification of English Fluency for Undergraduate Instructional Personnel can be downloaded here.

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What tests can be used for certification?

If you are starting the process at this stage you will take the SPEAK, administered by the ELP. The SPEAK is an institutional version of the Test of Spoken English (TSE). It evaluates English speaking proficiency in four areas: coherence, organization, audience awareness, intelligibility and functional competence. The test takes 20-30 minutes to administer in the language laboratory. Your responses to test questions are recorded and later are judged by a team of trained raters.

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What scores are passing scores?

If you receive a SPEAK score above 55 out of a possible 60, you will be certified as fluent in English. However, if you don't reach that score but receive a score of 45 or above, you have the option of taking the Interactive Performance Test, which is designed to evaluate the fluency and intelligibility of English spoken by nonnative instructors in a simulated university classroom setting. In this test, you prepare and give a ten-minute lecture on a topic specific to your field of study before a panel of Penn undergraduates who listen and ask questions related to the lecture. The performance is recorded for later review and evaluation. If you pass this test, then you will be certified.

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What language training is available to help?

Each summer, the ELP offers a training program sponsored by the School of Arts & Sciences. Application to the program begins in the spring through your department or directly with the ELP. Click on Introduction (above) for more information.

In the fall semester, a graduate-level course (GAS 600) is offered. Although this course is credit bearing, the credit does not contribute to your degree requirements. Enrollment in this course is by departmental permission only and is done through the Office of Academic Affairs in the Graduate Division of the School of Arts & Sciences. Phone: 8-7577.

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