This manual provides instructors in Peace Corps language training programs with information about two kinds of classroom testing: formative, ongoing testing and summative testing that occurs at the end of an instructional period. The first of the manual's four chapters on the purposes of language testing, discusses language testing within a…

The guide explains the roles of standards-based assessment in various contexts involving students who are learning English as a second language (ESL). It is designed to accompany the "ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students," a document that sets out the language competencies needed by ESL students to become fully proficient in English, have…

By being creative in preparing tests and by allowing creativity on the part of students, language teachers can incorporate many of the principles associated with proficiency-oriented instruction into a traditional test format. Such test strategies are based on the following: (1) testing in context is better than testing with a series of unrelated…

Bachman's framework of language testing and standard of authenticity for language testing instruments were used to evaluate three instruments--the SPEAK (Spoken Proficiency English Assessment Kit) test, OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview), and a performance test--as language tests for nonnative-English-speaking teaching assistants. (Contains 53…

The principles underlying currently used standardized tests of French, designed to certify language proficiency of nonnative speakers, are outlined and their implications for French second language instruction are examined. Both general and business-related exams are discussed. (MSE)

The structure, level, and contents of four categories of final examinations, including the three-Point, four-Point, and five-Point Bagrut exams, are discussed. Possible reasons are offered for why some students take higher level examinations than those for which they are prepared. (LB)

The group discussion test has gained prominence as a measure of oral interaction skills in second-language learning. This article reviews test types and administration, the communicative nature of the test, development of criteria and rating scales, and advantages. A sample rating scale is appended. (Contains 15 references.) (LB)

A guidebook, accompanied by a companion book, directed toward English-speaking students learning Spanish and Spanish teachers, presents a step-by-step approach to learning/teaching the formation and uses of all subjunctive tenses in Spanish. The author assumes that students are already familiar with some grammatical concepts and terminology such…

A discussion of language testing focuses on how proficiency scales are constructed and applied to communicative language assessment in Australian secondary schools. A variety of rating scale types are described and distinguished according to how they are constructed, what they attempt to measure, and what criteria they contain. A more detailed…

Whereas testing is limited to the parameters of the instrument used, evaluation is a broader assessment of a situation. Wholistic evaluation amplifies the concept to include both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Student-centered evaluation acknowledges that differentiated inputs may attribute to differentiated outputs. Select sociolinguistic,…

Preliminary criteria are presented to consider in the writing of English for academic purposes (EAP) reading comprehension tests. The criteria pertain to the test as a whole as well as to the form of individual questions. A checklist is appended. (42 references) (Author/LB)

Recent initiatives in second language testing theory, practice, and research are reviewed, including test specificity, relevance, accuracy, multidimensional assessment, and the test's link to instruction, and their relevance to language teaching is discussed. Special attention is given to Canadian contributions to the field. (63 references)…

A study investigated the learning and reception strategies used by six learners of college-level French, tested by completion of a rational cloze passage. The analysis focused on the effect of frequency, quality, and clustering of strategies on performance. Results suggest quality and clustering are most significant. (Author/MSE)

Problems with the oral Bagrut are discussed, including the complicated rating scale, complicated administration requirements, lack of conformity in materials, unsuitable tests, monologue approach, and scoring system. A suggested form for reporting scores is presented. (LB)

The enrollment growth of Japanese language courses in U.S. K-12 classrooms has resulted in a strain on delivery systems due limited teacher training programs, materials, and standardized tests. A new Johns Hopkins/College Board project to develop a national curricular framework is described. (LB)