Pioneering Proficiency Assessment with Dr. Carl Falsgraf

While teaching his first English lesson in Japan, Dr. Carl Falsgraf discovered that helping others achieve proficiency in a language was what he wanted to dedicate his life to. Falsgraf quickly realized that language proficiency paired with cultural context had the power to open up a world of opportunities. This put him on a path back to the University of Oregon where he earned his doctorate and later went on to found the Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS).
At CASLS, then known as the Japanese Language Project, Falsgraf began work on tools designed to help accurately assess proficiency in a language. After several years of development the STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency (STAMP) test was born in 1999, becoming the world's first online, computer-adaptive language proficiency test.
In 2001 Falsgraf teamed up with Avant Co-founders David and Sheila Bong to help deliver the STAMP test to institutions around the world. Since then, Falsgraf has served on the boards of PNCFL and ACTFL as an advocate for the often-underrepresented Japanese language as well as the field at large. Please join us in celebrating the incredible work of Dr. Carl Falsgraf!