SOPA Training

Purpose:
The goal of this project is to provide opportunities for foreign language educators to receive training in the administration and rating of the SOPA, an oral assessment interview used in immersion and other types of elementary foreign language programs.

Overview:
Since 1991, CAL has been providing SOPA training to foreign language educators at the school, district, or state level. Starting in 2000, CAL will provide training opportunities in conjunction with major foreign language conferences as well as continue to provide training to specific schools or programs on demand. If you would like to have more information about SOPA training, please contact CAL. The SOPA , originally developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in 1991 for use with immersion programs, was adapted along with the rating scale for use in other elementary foreign language in the elementary school (FLES) programs in 1996. The SOPA is designed to assess students' ability to understand and speak a foreign language. Reliability and validity testing were completed for both versions of the SOPA in 1999. Subsequently, both forms of the SOPA, the SOPA rating scales, the SOPA Administrator's Manual, and student self-assessments were finalized. These materials are available through the Center for Applied Linguistics.