fˈaʊndᵻd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɛvən æz ɐ smˈɔːl ˈɔfʃuːt ʌvðə mˈɑːdɚn lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ ɐsˌoʊsɪˈeɪʃən ˌɛmˌɛlˈeɪ, ˈæktfəl kwˈɪkli bɪkˌeɪm bˈoʊθ ɐ ɹᵻsˈoːɹs ænd ɐ hˈeɪvən fɔːɹ lˈæŋɡwɪdʒ ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾɚz.
Founded in 1967 as a small offshoot of the Modern Language Association (MLA), ACTFL quickly became both a resource and a haven for language educators.