PACE Project

About

The Proficiency Assessment for Curricular Enhancement (PACE) project was designed to maintain a culture of assessment, self-assessment, and curricular improvement in the second language learning process. Funded by a grant from The Language Flagship, the PACE project at the University of Minnesota began on August 1, 2014, to assess the language proficiency of students of Arabic, French, German, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Data collection and funded curriculum projects were completed in 2019.

Major Initiatives 

Data analysis and research 

During the first three years of the grant, the three institutions funded by the Language Flagship Proficiency Initiative--Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, and University of Utah--collected over 6000 proficiency ratings in speaking, listening, and reading in nine languages. Data from these three institutions have combined into a common database to more effectively investigate significant factors that affect proficiency development at the post-secondary level.

Collaborative Project:  Advanced Speaking Proficiency

In collaboration with MSU and Utah, the final years of the project supported the design and implementation of activities and pedagogical interventions for upper-division content courses in literature, culture, or linguistics that focus attention on speaking and provide opportunities for students to develop proficiency beyond the Intermediate High level. Faculty and graduate students involved in the project conducted data analyses from this project and contributed essays to a volume published in the CARLA Working Paper series.

Project Dissemination

Utah, MSU, and the U of M continue to share the results of their individual and collaborative projects. A full list of presentations and publications can be found in the Language Center Research Bibliography.