Proficiency Targets for Mandarin

An infographic titled "Proficiency Target by Grade Level for Mandarin Chinese." The graphic is shaped like an inverted pyramid, illustrating language proficiency levels from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Grade K: Novice Low Grade 1/2 (Year 1/2): Novice Mid Grade 3/4 (Year 3/4): Novice High (Can communicate on familiar topics using words, phrases, and simple sentences that have been memorized.) Grade 5/6 (Year 5/6): Intermediate Low Grade 7/8 (Year 7/8): Intermediate Mid (Can create with language and handle social interactions in everyday situations.) A note at the bottom provides a link to more information: "More information from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. (2024). ACTFL proficiency guidelines 2024." with a URL provided.

Why Do We Set Mandarin Proficiency Targets Differently From The Other Languages?

According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) language difficulty ranking, Chinese is ranked as a Category V language, while Spanish and French are Category I languages. This classification indicates that it takes longer for English speakers to learn Chinese than for Spanish and French.