This book innovatively connects the two fields of oracy and practice-oriented empirical research in English language education. It creates synergies and proposes innovative approaches to the study of oracy in the context of learning and teaching English as a second, additional or foreign language. The book also develops a contemporary and holistic…

Standardized tests have been selected as a key assessment factor in expanding the academic achievement of the national student population. However, these tests position immigrant students at the risk of academic failure, leading education experts to search for new strategies and teaching models. The "Handbook of Research on Assessment…

Many ELT examinations have gone online in the last few years and a large number of educational institutions have also started considering the possibility of implementing their own tests. This paper deals with the training of a group of 24 ELT teachers in the Region of Valencia (Spain). In 2007, the Ministry of Education provided funds to determine…

Within second language education, concern over teachers' content knowledge has typically manifested itself as concern over the teacher's target language proficiency. In increasing numbers, teacher preparation programs are turning to ACTFL's Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) for measurement of this proficiency and using OPI ratings as high-stakes…

The primary purpose of this study was to provide preliminary validity evidence for a 140-item form of the Vocabulary Size Test, which is designed to measure written receptive knowledge of the first 14,000 words of English. Nineteen native speakers of English and 178 native speakers of Japanese participated in the study. Analyses based on the Rasch…

Materials to be used in workshops to teach language teacher trainees the communicative approach to language testing are presented. The materials were developed from a 1985 Council of Europe workshop held in York, England. They include preliminary notes for workshop organizers, an introductory "ice-breaker" activity, and six content…

This monograph is designed to acquaint classroom teachers with the language proficiency guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the oral testing guidelines of the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The guidelines are intended for language proficiency assessment by the oral interview technique. Designated…

Over the last 30 years, inquiry-based teaching has become a highly valued component of professional development and practitioner research in Australia and New Zealand. This volume of the Language Teacher Research Series focuses on teaching and learning experiences in those two countries, which encompass a large geographical area with diverse…

An instructional module designed to help prepare college-level teaching assistants (TAs) for their duties in second language instruction is presented. The module focuses on the use of alternative methods for assessing student learning. Introductory sections discuss the rationale for and definition of alternative assessment. Four specific types of…

The paper discusses some issues that language variation creates for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction, identifies research strands relevant to program development, and describes two dialect program exemplars. It also suggests considerations for educational policy formation with respect to dialects. The introductory section gives…

This 81-item annotated bibliography is composed of resource materials for teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) at the elementary or secondary levels. For each of the entries, the following information is indicated: target language, educational level, material type, content area, title, date of publication, author/developer, publisher and…

This collection of papers is a resource for classroom teachers and program administrators who want to know not only what the communicative approach to language teaching is all about but how the goal of communicative competence is being met in teaching contexts similar to their own. Papers and authors include: "Functional Approaches to…

Articles in the three Volume 5 issues of the National Network for Early Language Learning newsletter include: "Young Authors--A Double Success" (Carolyn Andrade); "Teacher Preparation for Elementary School Foreign Language Programs" (Carol Ann Pesola); "Strategies in a Small School Setting: The Filley FLES Program"…

This annotated bibliography includes citations of 197 documents, monographs, reports, handouts, curricular materials, articles, bibliographies, newsletters, and publishers' catalogs related to English literacy instruction for secondary school limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. An introductory section describes the types of information…

This new book supports the professional development and training of Modern Languages teachers in higher education. It links insights from pedagogical and applied linguistic research to the practicalities of the undergraduate language syllabus. The aim is to interpret research for the classroom practitioner so that teaching can be based on sound…