Taiwan’s Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) Approved for the New York State Seal of Biliteracy
The New York State Department of Education officially approved Taiwan's TOCFL —Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language— as one of the recognized assessment instruments for the New York State Seal of Biliteracy on September 14, 2023. This means that students in New York State can submit certificates received for having passed TOCFL to verify their eligibility for the Seal of Biliteracy for Chinese .
The purpose of the Seal of Biliteracy is to encourage American high school students to become proficient in listening, speaking, reading, and writing languages other than English. Secondary school graduates who meet the proficiency requirements are eligible to receive the Seal of Biliteracy, which will enhance their future higher education prospects and employment opportunities. Education departments in 49 U.S. states award a Seal of Biliteracy to eligible graduates but each state determines what evidence of language proficiency assessment to accept for each language considered. New York State is the first US state to approve TOCFL as one of the assessment tests for its New York State Seal of Biliteracy for Chinese. This is a significant milestone and an endorsement of TOCFL’s rigor and reliability. .
The Ministry of Education has been promoting the inclusion of TOCFL for the Chinese language proficiency assessment for Seals of Biliteracy awarded by different U. S. states since 2022, in conjunction with widening language education cooperation in accordance with the U.S.–Taiwan Education Initiative and Taiwan’s Mandarin Education Enhancement Program.
The TOCFL tests assess Chinese language proficiency in listening, reading, speaking, and writing at eight levels, from preparatory to fluent. These levels have been aligned with the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Proficiency Guidelines. Apart from the New York State Department of Education, and many individual universities around the world, TOCFL has been officially recognized by the Office of Public Education in Hungary, the Ministry of Education and Training in Vietnam, and education authorities in British Columbia, Canada.
