Lasting effects of pre-university language exposure on undergraduate proficiency

The present study analyzes the effects of two variables on the proficiency development of 907 university students of Spanish and French: years of high school experience; and level of initial placement into university language study. A 3-year grant-funded project administered ACTFL proficiency tests in reading, listening, and speaking to students enrolled at the fourth-, sixth-, and eighth-semester curricular levels. Results showed that both of these aspects of pre-university experience exert an important influence on proficiency ratings throughout the curriculum and that this effect is especially acute in the case of initial language placement. The findings reveal the lasting importance of pre-university language learning experience, for students completing required coursework as well as for language majors, and are discussed in terms of their implications for university language curricula.