Connecting with one’s heritage through language is more than learning words; it’s embracing an identity and opening doors to a multilingual future. Bilingual and multilingual individuals are highly valued in today’s global job market, often enjoying better career opportunities and higher salaries.
Avant offers a clear, accessible pathway for heritage language learners through a selection of assessments that are tailored for different types of situations. Read more about the purpose for each type of assessment.
Our online assessment leads to 양언어 구사 주 씰, the 글로벌 양언어 숙달 인증서, Avant 디지털 배지, and credit-by-exam which showcase proficiency and open opportunities in higher education and beyond.
For teachers in heritage programs, we provide essential resources to enhance teaching, understand assessment results, and enrich curriculums. Join us in nurturing the next generation of bilingual and multilingual leaders, celebrating their unique cultural identities.
Avant Tests for Heritage Programs
Objectives of the STAMP Language Assessments
Avant STAMP language assessments are most commonly used for:
- Qualifying students to receive State or Global Seals of Biliteracy and Avant Digital Badge to potentially receive credits or advanced placement at universities.
- Credit-by-Exam testing to award high school language credit for a learner’s native language ability. Washington state and 텍사스 are examples of states that offer credit-by-exam.
- Showcasing the effects of language learning.
- Informing language program curriculum.
- Providing teachers with valuable insights on the level of learner’s knowledge of the language and progression of skills.
- Aiding teachers’ ability to improve results throughout the language learning process for well-rounded proficiency.
Benchmark Levels
There are three major proficiency levels assessed: novice, intermediate and advanced. There are three sublevels within the first two levels: low, mid and high, and two (low and mid) for the highest level, corresponding to the one to eight rating. The Avant STAMP ratings are based on the US national proficiency standards.
Writing and Speaking Rating
Writing and speaking skills are assessed by Avant Certified Raters who use the generally accepted scoring rubric procedure, appropriate for individual levels of language competence.
Topics Guide
Novice topics
- Presentations: name, address, family status, gender, age, date and place of birth, nationality, language, school, education, profession
- Calendar/ Time
- Colors/ Shapes
- Wild animals/ Pets
- School /Classroom
- Weather / Seasons
- Clothing / footwear
- Food /Beverages /Restaurants / Bars / Dishes
- Places / Geography, location, towns, public institutions, monuments, tourist attractions
- Daily life / Everyday routine
- Shopping / Stores
- Leisure / Activities
- Household / House
Intermediate topics
- Health
- Holidays / Celebrations
- Occupations / Professions
- Transportation / Travel / Vacations
- Future plans
- Culture
- Contemporary Issues
- Current events
- Economics
- Literature
- Science
- Social Science
- History
- Plus, more in-depth aspects of Novice topics
Advanced topics
- Arts
- Politics
- Religion
- Math
- Science / Technology
- Plus, more in-depth aspects of Intermediate topics
Opportunities for Bilingual Credentials
양언어 구사 주 씰, Global Seals of Biliteracy, and Avant 디지털 배지 were created to honor students’ language proficiency skills and provide a reliable validation mechanism to higher education institutions and employers.
All Seals of Biliteracy and digital badges are earned by a demonstration of language proficiency in two or more languages through an approved external assessment like the Avant STAMP 4S, WS and ASL. In most traditional schools and districts, students achieving the minimum score required to earn a seal have the results placed on their official transcript.
양언어 구사 주 씰
양언어 구사 주 씰 are awards granted by a school, district, or state to high school seniors in public school environments.
Avant 디지털 배지
Avant 디지털 배지 can be earned by any student and submitted to institutions of higher education for advanced placement into higher-level courses.
Global Seals of Biliteracy
Global Seals of Biliteracy enable recipients to showcase their language skills to any school or employer across state lines and national borders, with a unique serial-numbered document. The Global Seal is awarded at three levels: Functional, Working, and Professional. Students, teachers, community members, and professionals are all eligible for the Global Seal.
Credit-by-Exam
Credit-by-Exam is also offered in some states to award high school world language credit to learners with native ability. Washington state and 텍사스 are such examples.
Helping Learners Prepare
Avant STAMP is a real-world communication proficiency assessment. Meaning, it is about what the test taker can do at this point in time. “Cramming” will not help improve scores. Regular practice in writing and speaking the language will help the test taker improve their skills over time.
Avant has several resources for test takers to help them prepare for the test included in the Test Taker Power-Up Guide.
This guide and its related resources include:
- Strategies for improving language skills.
- Target “can-do” statements to help them understand what they need to be able to do to get to the next proficiency level.
- Video tutorials on what to expect on the test.
- Sample tests.
Resources for Community-Based Teachers
Our Benchmark and Rubric Guide is your key to understanding your students’ proficiency levels.
Knowing how to help your language learners improve and demonstrate proficiency is key to growing their skills.
Avant has several resources to help teachers understand the levels of proficiency based on internationally recognized standards and use them to inform their curriculum for improved outcomes.
Avant’s free resources include:
Training on the Proficiency Standards
아방 ADVANCEboosts teacher confidence in accurately scoring student writing responses.
- Self-paced with immediate feedback
- Practice rating student responses
- Helps set goals and proficiency targets
- Online and affordable
Avant STAMP 4S
Avant STAMP 4S is the premier computer-adaptive language proficiency assessment typically administered to second-language learners.
STAMP 4S tests Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking and is our most comprehensive assessment. This test takes, on average, two (2) hours to complete and is offered in 17 different languages.
Reading and Listening sections are multiple-choice and computer-scored with results available immediately. The Writing and Speaking sections are scored by our expert Avant Certified Raters.
The instructions and questions require an Intermediate-Mid understanding of English. For learners with limited English proficiency, a two-skill Writing and Speaking assessment may be used where the prompts may be heard in the testing language in addition to the English written instructions.
STAMP 4S Sample Tests
Avant STAMPe
Avant STAMPe is the gold standard for linguistically and developmentally appropriate language assessment content for learners ages 12 and under.
STAMPe tests have been approved for use as early as K-1.
STAMP 4Se assesses Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking and is our most comprehensive assessment. This test takes, on average, two (2) hours to complete and is offered in 14 different languages.
STAMP WSe tests Writing and Speaking. On average, it takes one (1) hour to complete and is available in 2 languages.
Reading and Listening sections are multiple-choice and computer-scored with results available immediately. The Writing and Speaking sections are scored by our expert Avant Certified Raters.
Each section can be completed in any order and one at a time for more flexible testing times and durations.
STAMP 4Se Sample Tests
STAMP WSe Sample Tests
Avant STAMP WS
Avant STAMP WS language proficiency assessment is a semi-adaptive Writing and Speaking test. Test takers will be asked to answer seven (7) self-evaluation questions that best represent their skill/ability level in both the Reading and Listening sections.
The self-evaluated Reading score is used to determine the level of prompt delivered for the Writing section. The same applies for the Listening self-evaluation related to the Speaking prompts. This allows the language productive sections to be more appropriately leveled for the test taker.
STAMP WS takes about one (1) hour to complete. The test is fully scored by our expert Avant Certified Raters.
The instructions and prompts require an Intermediate-Mid understanding of English. For learners with limited English proficiency, the prompts may be heard in the testing language in addition to the English written instructions.
STAMP WS Sample Tests
- 암하라어
- 아르메니아어
- 벵골어
- 카보베르데인
- 칼데아어 (말하기만 가능)
- Chin (Hakha)
- 추크어
- 체코
- 필리핀어 (타갈로그어)
- 그리스
- 아이티 크리올어
- 하와이어 (‘Ōlelo Hawai’i)
- Hmong
- Ilocano
- 칸나다
- 크메르
- 마라티
- 마셜 제도어
- 네팔어
- 파슈토어
- 페르시아-파르시
- 펀자브어
- 사모아어
- 소말리 마이 마이
- 소말리어에서 Maxaa는 "무엇"이라는 뜻입니다. 따라서 "Somali Maxaa"를 한국어로 번역하면 "소말리어 무엇"이 됩니다.
- 스와힐리
- 타밀
- 텔루구
- 태국
- 티그리냐
- 터키어
- 우크라이나어
- 우르두어
- 베트남어
- 요루바
- Yup’ik
- Zomi
Avant SuperLanguage 테스트
- 압하즈어
- 아파안 오로모
- 알바니아어
- 아랍어 - 알제리
- 아랍어 - 아랍만
- 아랍어 - 이집트어
- 아랍어 - 이라크어
- 아랍어 - 요르단
- 아랍어 - 레바논어
- 아랍어 - 리비아
- 아랍어 - 모로코어
- 아랍어 - 팔레스타인
- 아랍어 - 수단어
- 아랍어 - 시리아
- 아랍어 - 튀니지어
- 아랍어 - 예멘
- 밤바라/바마나칸
- 비콜
- 보스니아어
- 버마어
- 광동어
- 카탈로니아어
- 세부어
- 챔
- CHamoru (차모로)
- 덴마크어
- 다리
- Dinka
- 네덜란드어
- 디울라
- 에스토니아어
- 양
- 피지 힌디
- 피지어
- 풀라니
- 조지아어
- 구자라트어
- 하우사
- 하와이 크리올
- 헤레로 (오티헤레로)
- 헝가리어
- 아이슬란드어
- 이그보
- 일롱고 (힐리가이논)
- 인도네시아어
- 자메이칸 팟와
- Jingpho (Kachin)*
- K’iche’
- 칸카나이
- 카팜팑간 (팜팡고)
- Karen
- 키키유
- 키냐르완다 (키냐무린게)
- 키룬디
- 코스라에
- Krio
- Kunama
- 라오
- 라트비아어
- 링갈라
- 리산 우드-다와트
- 리투아니아어
- 루간다 (간다)
- 말레이
- 말라얄람
- Mandinka (만딩고)
- 믹스텍
- 몽골어
- 모트록어
- 노르웨이어 - 보크몰
- 노르웨이어 - 뉘노르스크
- 누에르
- Nyanja (Chichewa)
- 오디아 (오리야)
- 팔라우어 (Palall)
- 팡가시난
- 폰페이어
- Q’anjob’al
- 루마니아어
- 사호
- 산스크리트
- 쇼나
- සිංහල (සිංහල)
- 소닌케
- 스와지 (siSwati)
- 스웨덴어
- 실헤티
- 타타르
- 티베트어 (Bod-skad)
- 톡 피신
- 통가니
- 트위
- 우즈벡
- 비사야어 (Bisaya)
- Waray-Waray
- Wolof
- 야페스
- Zigula
* Abkhazian, Herero (Otjiherero), Jingpho (Kachin)*, Kankanaey, Karen, Lisan ud-Dawat, Zigula are temporarily unavailable.
STAMP ASL을 위한
Avant STAMP for ASL is a first-of-its-kind American Sign Language test. It was developed for second-language learners of ASL and Children of Deaf Adults (CODA) in collaboration with Bridges Oregon. This assessment is designed for ages 13-18.
Test takers may be evaluated on the Receptive skill (the ability to comprehend ASL) as well as the Expressive skill (the ability to create ASL) including the use of ASL grammar. This computer-adaptive Sign Language test is conducted entirely online.
The Receptive skill is computer-adaptive and results are available immediately upon completion of the section. The Expressive skill is scored by members of the ASL linguistics community who have undergone Avant Rater Certification training. Expressive results are available within 25 business days.
STAMP for ASL Sample Test
Spanish Heritage Language (SHL)
Avant’s Spanish Heritage Language assessment is a placement test for heritage language programs. It measures Vocabulary, Grammar, Verb use, Spelling, and Writing and Speaking proficiency in Spanish that is appropriate for the wide range of Spanish spoken in the US.
The Avant SHL test identifies less proficient students quickly and allows them to exit the test early, while more proficient students take the entire test to gather the data necessary to accurately place them.
SHL Sample Test
Avant STAMP Monolingual
Avant developed the STAMP 단일 언어 as a proficiency test that is designed to include instructions, questions, and prompts all in the target language. Educators may use STAMP Monolingual tests to accurately assess incoming heritage speakers, provide credit for a heritage language, or assess proficiency in a bilingual or multicultural environment.
STAMP Monolingual assesses Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. This test takes, on average, two (2) hours to complete and is offered in 2 languages.
Reading and Listening sections are multiple-choice and computer-scored with results available immediately. The Writing and Speaking sections are scored by our expert Avant Certified Raters.
STAMP Monolingual Sample Tests
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