The uses of the Pimsleur Language Aptitude Battery include program placement, program assessment and planning, and diagnosis of learning abilities.
Program Placement
The PLAB can be used to assess which students may be ready to study a foreign language in grades 7 and 8 and those students who would benefit from waiting until a later grade to begin foreign language study. It can also be used to place students in the classroom that teaches at the most appropriate pace for them when there is more than one language class.
Program Assessment and Planning
The PLAB can be used to calculate local language aptitude norms. Using this information, schools or districts can assess the effectiveness of their current foreign language programs and use the PLAB to develop their language program. For example, a school may divide their language program into three zones, each using an appropriate textbook and moving at an appropriate pace.
Diagnosis of Learning Abilities
The PLAB can be used to identify students with language learning difficulty or a language learning disability when used in conjunction with other forms of evidence.
Looking at an individual’s score on the different parts of the test can be of help to match students’ learning styles with instructional approaches.