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Eighty nine students from twelve Lithuanian schools and few young people, not attending such school but wishing to test their language proficiency, took A1-A2-B1 language proficiency/level test for juniors (born in 2002 and older) in seven different testing centers across the US.
Students received certificates from the Ministry of Education and Science of Lithuania and Vilnius University confirming students' Lithuanian language proficiency. Test, initiated by Kazickas Family Foundation, financed by Ministry of Education and Science of Lithuania and KFF and created by Vilnius University - is a perfect example of Global Lithuania: one of the greatest educational achievements of a collaboration between the Lithuanians in the diaspora and in Lithuania.
Such test is a huge step in a long process trying to accomplish that Lithuanian language taught at the Lithuanian heritage schools in the US would be valued at the same level as other heritage languages worldwide. According to CERF (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment), there are six proficiency levels A1-A2-B1-B2-C1-C2. ALTE (the Association of Language Testers in Europe) is colaborating with US ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) in order to align two different systems by creating self-assessment grid, so that evaluation would be clear and simple.
Lithuanian language proficiency tests are extremely welcome in the US and necessary in many Lithuanian communities and schools. Students and their parents understand the importance of such testing and hope that they will have an opportunity to take them every year. Also, it is extremely important to organize higher level, such as B2, tests. Hopefully, students from Lithuanian Heritage schools in the US will be able to receive credits at their educational high schools and universities after providing them with the certificates oficially confirming Lithuanian language proficiency.