What is the
ILR?
What is the
mission of the ILR?
What does the
ILR consist of?
Is the ILR a
government agency?
What is the
lead department or agency?
Who can
be a member of the ILR?
How do I
become a member of the ILR?
Does it cost
anything to be a member?
How can I join
the ILR INFO email list?
How can I
join a committee?
What are the
"ILR Language Skill-Level Descriptions"?
Are the other
ILR guidelines?
Where can I
find the Guidelines?
How can I
"ILR Language Proficiency Test"
How can I be
tested and rated on the ILR scale?
Is there a
full-time ILR staff?
Who
established the ILR?
Who is the
primary contact person for the organization?
What is the
ILR?
The Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR)
is an unfunded federal organization. It is where government
employees interested in foreign languages can come together with
counterparts inside and outside government to discuss and share
information and address concerns. The ILR meets monthly from
September to June each year, and its members also communicate with
each other through the ILR email list. In addition, the ILR has
sponsored full-day Showcases in 2003 and 2005.
What is the mission of the
ILR?
The mission of the ILR is as follows:
The Interagency Language Roundtable is an unfunded Federal interagency organization established for the coordination and sharing of information about foreign language-related activities at the Federal level. It serves as the premier way for departments and agencies of the Federal government to keep abreast of the progress and implementation of techniques and technology for language learning, language use, language testing and other language-related activities. Participation in the ILR provides organizations and individuals with: (1) an assured channel of communication and cooperation among agencies that have common interests in foreign language use, training and testing; (2) a centralized forum for the dissemination of language-related information across the government; and (3) a working network for the mutual sharing of ideas, information and materials among organizations in government, the academic community, and the private sector.
What does the ILR consist
of?
The ILR consists of a broad membership of individuals with professional interests in
foreign language use in work-related contexts, including the teaching,
learning and testing of effective language ability and proficiency.
Approximately 60% of the members are federal government employees, and all
members of the ILR Steering Committee are federal employees. Regularly attending
entities include the following institutions and organizations.Click here to see list of Institutions and Agencies.
Members of the ILR meet in plenary sessions on a monthly basis between September and June, where lectures or demonstrations on topics of general interest are presented. Immediately before each plenary, four ILR committees meet to discuss particular areas of interest. These are the Training Committee, the Testing Committee, the Translation and Interpretation Committee, and the Culture Committee.
Is the ILR a government
agency?
No. The ILR has no formal status in the
government. It has no operating budget and relies solely on a
volunteer membership and the collaborative spirit of the
participating organizations to provide their employees with the
opportunity to participate in ILR meetings. Much of the
effectiveness of the ILR can be attributed to the long-standing
practice of interagency cooperation to accomplish tasks of mutual
benefit to the agencies and to a dedication to enhancing foreign
language use in the federal government.
What is the lead department
or agency?
There isn't one. More than forty different federal government agencies are often
represented at ILR meetings, together with almost as many academic and non-governmental
organizations. The ILR Steering Committee, which is responsible for planning and overseeing
ILR activities, consists of members from six different federal offices or government schools,
each with significant interest in practical foreign language ability. The committees are chaired by federal employees from those six entities.
Who can be a member of the
ILR?
Any individual (whether a USG employee or
not) with a serious interest in language use, language learning, or
language testing may attend the ILR plenary meetings and may join
the ILR-INFO email list. Most of the meetings of the Training,
Testing, Translation and Interpretation, and Culture Committees are also open
to anyone, as space permits. Some meetings of the Testing and
Training committees are open only to government
representatives, especially when issues are discussed that
may affect contracting by one or more agency. When this occurs, it
is announced in advance. Meetings of the ILR Steering Committee are open only to federal government representatives.
How do I become a member of
the ILR?
The first thing to do is to join the
ILR-INFO email list so that you will receive information about
upcoming ILR activities. You can also find out about activities by going to the ILR Web-page at http://www.govtilr.org/. “To attend an ILR activity, follow the instructions in the announcement. Some meetings require registration, specifically those being held on site, but virtual meetings (e.g., via Zoom) generally do not.”
No. ILR events and activities are open to all interested people at no charge.
How can I join the ILR-INFO
email list?
To join the ILR- INFO List, follow
these directions:
- Open a new email message
- Remove any signature from the body of the message
- In the To line put: LISTSERV@FSILIST2.FSI.STATE.GOV
- No subject line is needed
- In the body of the message type:
Subscribe ILR-Info your name (e.g., Subscribe ILR-Info Jane Doe) - Send the email.
You will receive an email confirming your subscription and providing you with important information about the List that you will need to keep.
To change the email address at which you receive the ILR Listserve messages:
- Send a message with the text "SIGNOFF ILR-INFO" to LISTSERV@FSILIST2.FSI.STATE.GOV from your existing subscription address.
- Send a message from the new email address as if initiating a new subscription.
To leave the list at any time:
- Send a message with the text "SIGNOFF ILR-INFO" to LISTSERV@FSILIST2.FSI.STATE.GOV
How can I join a committee?
Come to one of the meetings that
are held before the plenary. If you think you would like to come
regularly, tell one of the co-chairs of the committee to put you on
the list. Do plan to come regularly, however, because it is
frustrating for committee members if some people have very irregular
attendance.
What are the “ILR Language
Skill-Level Descriptions”?
Sometimes referred to
as the “ILR Guidelines,” these are descriptions of different levels
of proficiency for four different language “skills”—Speaking,
Reading , Listening and Writing. The scale used to describe each
skill has six Base Levels, ranging from 0 “No
functional proficiency” to 5 “Functionally
equivalent to a highly educated native speaker/reader/etc.” These
guidelines are accepted by all agencies of the federal government.
They are used as a primary reference in the different government
tests of language ability. Level 2 is defined as “Limited Working
Proficiency.” Many USG agencies require a minimum of Level 3,
“General Professional Proficiency.”
Are there other ILR
Guidelines?
Yes. The ILR Translation and
Interpretation Committee, with advice from the ILR Testing
Committee, has developed the “ILR Skill-Level Descriptions
for Translation Performance,” and the “ILR Skill-Level Descriptions for
Interpretation Performance.” In addition, the "ILR Skill-Level Descriptions for Competence in Intercultural Communication" and the "ILR Skill-Level Descriptions for Audio Translation Performance" were both approved in 2012.
Where can I find the
Guidelines?
They are available on the ILR
Webpage.
How can I take an “ILR
Language Proficiency Test”?
Sorry. There is no “ILR Test.” The ILR as an
entity does not develop or administer language tests itself. Many
government agencies refer to the ILR Language Skill-Level
Descriptions in scoring language proficiency tests and assigning
scores, but each test is different in some important respects. In
fact, a test administered by one government agency may not
necessarily be used for seeking employment in another government
agency.
In general, all government tests are administered only at the request of federal government agencies, and they are not available to private citizens.
How can I be tested and rated on the ILR scale?
The ILR Skill Level Descriptions and the ILR Scale are used to develop and score U.S. Government (USG) tests of language skills. USG language tests are used for USG employees only and are not available to private individuals, commercial services, or other non-government organizations. Applicants to USG positions may be tested if they are sponsored by a governmental agency.
There are a number of organizations and resources that provide information on other available tests, or testing services, including:
- Brigham Young University Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service (FLATS - http://flats.byu.edu/index.php)
- Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) Foreign Language Test Database ( http://www.cal.org/CALWebDB/FLTest/)
- Language Testing International (LTI), which is part of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL -- http://www.languagetesting.com/)
- Minnesota Language Proficiency Assessments (MLPA), Center for Advanced Research in Language Acquisition, University of Minnesota (http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/MLPA.html)
- DIALANG, European Commission, Directorate General Education and Culture, under the SOCRATES Programme, LINGUA Action D. Test yourself in reading, writing, listening, grammar and vocabulary in 14 European languages http://www.dialang.org/intro.htm
Is there a full-time ILR
staff?
No. There are ten officers: the ILR Coordinator and Chair of the Steering Committee,
the co-chairs of the Training, Testing, Translation and Interpretation and Culture Committees,
and the Webmaster. All are volunteers who have other very full-time official jobs.
Very limited clerical support is provided by the Foreign Service Institute,
the National Cryptologic School, and the Defense Language Institute.
Who established the
ILR?
The underlying rationale for the ILR arose
through discussions in 1955 among James R. Frith, then with the Air
Force Language Program, Howard Sollenberger of the Foreign Service
Institute, and Clyde Sargent of the CIA Training Division, who
recognized a need for better coordination and communication in
language training and testing among federal agencies.
Who is the primary contact
person for the organization?
At present, that is
Dr. Scott McGinnis, ILR Coordinator, Defense Language Institute,
Washington, DC. Office Tel Voice: 703-692-5397; fax: 703-601-1056;
Email:
scott.g.mcginnis4.civ@army.mil