Portion of a paper given at the seminar sponsored by the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization in Bangkok, Thailand, in May 1970. (DS)

Outlines an oral interview format and scoring system for use with foreign language students during their first and second semesters of language study. (EKN)

Proposes a set of priorities for using language testing as an instrumental factor in upgrading second-language learning. These priorities are proposed as an outgrowth of the conviction that language tests can and should play an important role in the improvement of foreign-language teaching and learning. (JL)

Discusses the need for language-specific versions of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines, including speaking tests based on the simulated oral proficiency interview; listening/reading comprehension tests with items linked to the ACTFL guidelines and Interagency Language Roundtable skill level descriptions;…

Provides insights gained from a study of 19 foreign countries regarding foreign language education. The study looked at what the United States can learn from these countries, examining specific policies and practices that could inform U.S. foreign language education. Implications of study findings are discussed. (Author/VWL)

Describes a series of communicative tasks designed for use by learners of Thai as a second or foreign language and reports on a study that tested the tasks' effectiveness at providing opportunities for learners to focus on linguistic form during conversational interaction. (Author/VWL)

One common procedure for oral performance testing of Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES) learners is one-on-one interviewing wherein the interviewer asks questions and the child candidate responds to them. While existing research has focused primarily on outcomes elicited by such procedures, this study examines the processes…

The reliability of the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) has not been reported since ACTFL revised its speaking proficiency guidelines in 1999. Reliability data for assessments should be reported periodically to provide users with enough information to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the assessment. This study provided the most…

This study explored the possibility of using an ACTFL oral proficiency interview (OPI) to assess the spoken proficiency of heritage language speakers of Russian for the purpose of placing them in Russian language classes. The authors also considered whether the norm of an educated native speaker could be used as a valid reference point for Russian…

This qualitative study focused on the learning experiences of four third-year Spanish student enrolled in a college-level Spanish composition and conversation course. The study provided insights into the impact of expanding out-of-class opportunities to engage in communicative task through the use of streamed feature films, online chats, and video…

Presents the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' provisional generic descriptions for nine levels (novice-low, novice-mid, novice-high, advanced, advanced plus, and superior) in the following areas: (1) speaking, (2) listening, (3) reading, (4) writing, and for six levels in culture. (SED)

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)

Considers the nature of receptive language proficiency, the nature of performance on language tests, and possible improvements in receptive language testing. Emphasizes how testing of reading comprehension and testing of listening comprehension raise similar concerns which should be addressed in the design of receptive language tests. (SED)

Responds to Michael Canale's paper, "Considerations in the Testing of Reading and Listening Proficiency." Approaches Canale's three points of discussion from a textual point of view. Discusses the kinds of language materials likely to be encountered in texts at selected proficiency levels and how this material may be tested. (SED)