In this contribution, I argue for a radical reappraisal of accepted ideas about how English is taught and tested. I am not alone in questioning the validity of the current orthodoxy. Others have expressed views that correspond or are consistent with the points I make here. What I have sought to do is to synthesize them in the formulation of a…

In this commentary, we describe the English language placement adaptations we were required to make due to the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic. It includes a brief description of our placement test battery which was adapted to address our institution's move to a remote teaching/learning mode. A discussion of the major challenges we experienced, their…

Lindseth (2016) reported that direct instruction and practice using the German verb-inversion rule resulted in higher accuracy in an oral test for college students, supporting the hypothesis that explicit linguistic knowledge can become implicit linguistic knowledge. It is quite likely, however, that the conditions for the use of conscious…

This article examines the arguments made in the article "Determiners, Feline Marsupials, and the Category-Function Distinction: A Critique of ELT Grammars" by Brett Reynolds recently published in the "TESL Canada Journal" (2013). In our response, we demonstrate that the author's arguments are problematic on both…

Those who work in second- and foreign-language testing often find Koretz's concern for validity inferences under high-stakes (VIHS) conditions both welcome and familiar. While the focus of the article is more narrowly on the potential for two instructional responses to test-based accountability, "reallocation" and "coaching,"…

In her paper, Burke questions whether top-down proficiency mandates will positively impact teacher practice. Her main argument is the following: The requirement that foreign language (FL) teachers demonstrate an advanced level of proficiency does not guarantee that they will be more effective K-12 FL teachers; on this point, the author agrees with…

The notion of washback, that testing influences teaching, is explored and a series of possible hypotheses are advanced. The empirical research in general education and in language education is reviewed to determine whether washback actually exists, how it can be measured, and what accounts for its form. Proposals for future research are suggested.…

Outlines the history of the use of dictation in foreign language teaching from the 16th century to the present day. Shows that the evolution of attitudes toward dictation has run parallel to the evolution of attitudes toward foreign language teaching.(SED)

The emphasis on spoken language tends to diminish attention to writing. As examples, three currently used German teaching texts are cited. This situation is seen as unfortunate, in view of the importance of writing ability in the most important examinations in German as a foreign language. Some teaching hints are given. (IFS/WGA)

Five priorities on the national agenda are detailed: language competency among adults, the need for a common metric for language skills, determination of the most effective language teaching method, more integrated language instruction, and critical examination of the practice of teaching European languages to the neglect of other languages. (AMH)

Discusses aspects of the revised People's University Certificate English 1, including: (1) function of catalogs in setting forth learning goals (topics, situations, intentions) for textbook writers and course directors; (2) advantages of authentic exercise texts; (3) weighting linguistic skills; (4) vocabulary work; and (5) developing grammatical…

Responds to an article that called for an end to the instructional diffusion and widely differing standards and directions of Chinese language instruction. Language instruction within the academic setting naturally yields intellectual by-products to the mastery of linguistic skills, and such teaching is justified when it is part of the liberal…

Foreign language testing in schools has followed the general trends of foreign language education, from teaching and testing grammar, through a combination of reading and translation, to the audio lingual approaches of the sixties and the developments since that time. Contemporaneous with the decline in foreign language programs in the 1970's…

Presents the results of three studies that support the hypothesis that there are two types of proficiency in second language learning, "compartmentalized control" and "integrated control." Relevance to the Monitor Model and a method of teaching for integration are discussed. (Author/AM)

Analyzes some salient features of nontraditional methodologies in foreign language teaching focusing on four areas: (1) the provision of as stress-free a learning environment as possible, (2) the emerging role of silence in foreign language learning and teaching, (3) the role of grammar, and (4) the development of students' speaking skills. (SED)