ABSTRACT
Most foreign language instructors acknowledge that culture is an indispensable part of language learning. However, cultural competence is rarely incorporated in language tests, not even in the ACTFL oral proficiency interview (OPI), which claims to assess “the ability to use language effectively and appropriately in real-life situations.” A systematic comparison between the widely accepted OPI and PCA's prochievement oral interview (POI) shows that the latter is a more valid assessment for cultural competence both in procedure and rating criteria. Replicable strategies for designing and implementing the POI are introduced, using the final oral exam of a fifth-semester course as an example. The POI proved to be a memorable and rewarding experience for students as they effortlessly recalled most of the conversation details during the feedback session and reported a great sense of accomplishment from completing all the communicative tasks independently in the target language.
