Regarding the whispered use of technology in instruction and assessment of language skills, the present study investigates the effect of e-portfolio assessment on EFL learners' speaking proficiency. To this end, 60 intermediate students were randomly selected and homogenized to participate in the study. Samples of the IELTS speaking tests were…

This study investigated the effects of two different planning time conditions (i.e., operational [20 s] and extended length [90 s]) for the lecture listening-into-speaking tasks of the "TOEFL iBT"® test for candidates at different proficiency levels. Seventy international students based in universities and language schools in the United…

This report examines Austin Independent School District's fifth-grade native English speaking students' performance on the Spanish language proficiency assessment. Spanish language proficiency was assessed with the STAMP 4Se assessment, which was given in the Spring 2019 semester to fifth-grade native English speaking students enrolled in the…

The present study incorporates a student response system (SRS) as a means to engage students in a flipped classroom and promote active learning. While the effectiveness of such systems with regard to student learning has been well documented in disciplines that are dominated by lecture-based instruction, no studies have compared the effectiveness…

This study investigated the relationship between student satisfaction with speaking classes, speaking skills self-efficacy beliefs, and speaking skills achievement. To this end, one hundred Iranian EFL undergraduate students filled out two questionnaires; a research-made and pilot-tested questionnaire for student satisfaction with speaking…

A much under-researched issue in higher education is the extent to which English-medium university courses help students improve their English proficiency in an ESL context. Adopting a longitudinal, mixed methods design in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed, the current study tracked English language improvement,…

This paper presents a case study of using blended learning to enhance students' language skills and learner autonomy in an Asian university environment. Blended learning represents an educational environment for much of the world where computers and the Internet are readily available. It combines self-study with valuable face-to-face interaction…

The development, implementation, and evaluation of a semidirect test of oral proficiency, the Rhetorical Task Examination (RTE), is reported. The RTE proposes a compromise approach to rating oral skills by having two scales: one for the functional ability for accomplishing rhetorical tasks and one for linguistic competence. (34 references)…

This test booklet is divided into four parts: (1) Oral Comprehension of Commands; (2) Visual Oral Comprehension; (3) Oral Comprehension of Common Verbs; and (4) Oral Questions. General instructions and teachers' instructions for grading are given in English and instructions for the student in Spanish. There are eight double pictures which are to…

A test was constructed to measure a person's ability to produce Spanish sounds which are considered difficult but which must be mastered for fluency in Spanish. The test was used with learners from kindergarten to college. It was consensually validated by a panel of bilingual specialists after analyzing it according to contrastive analysis…

A study compared the results of administration of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Educational Testing Service (ACTFL/ETS) oral proficiency interview and those of two laboratory-administered Modern Language Association tests, one in the listening mode and one in the speaking mode. The comparative study was undertaken to…

Presents a German test for English students. Errors in the placing of "nicht" are examined and categorized. Criticism of the objectivity of the findings are examined. The tests are seen as a measure of oral skills. Study is recommended of how to present most economically the various items. (IFS/WGA)

The report describes one segment of the Federal Language Testing Board's Unified Language Testing Plan (ULTP), the validation of the speaking proficiency test in Russian. The ULTP is a project to increase standardization of foreign language proficiency measurement and promote sharing of resources among testing programs in the federal government.…

The assessment packet includes a series of oral tests to help develop speaking as an integral part of second language instruction at levels II and III. It contains: 8 mini-tests for use at level II; 9 mini-tests for use at level III; a rating scale and score sheet masters for evaluating performance on these tests; and a collection of suggested…

This diagnostic instrument was developed for use with non-English-speakinq adult students. Four tests measure listening comprehension and oral proficiency at four levels of English proficiency. The Level One test assesses the student's ability to identify specific vocabulary items; no oral response is necessary. Survival vocabulary and the ability…