Describes a simple teacher-scored method which can be used to determine the proportion of correct usage in freshman ESL compositions. Concludes Correctness Scores provide a useful tool for investigation of hierarchy of significant errors in English and is a technique well-suited to supply data for future work along these lines. (Author/BK)

Describes a study that developed criteria for rationally selecting the words to delete in developing a cloze test. The study also tried to determine the extent to which performance on a cloze test with rational deletions differs from that on a cloze test developed by the fixed-ratio deletion procedure. (SED)

A study of test performance and field dependent-independent (FD/I) cognitive style in 250 college students showed consistently positive correlation between FI and cloze test scores, and other measures such as final grade. It is suggested cloze tests may call forth cognitive restructuring capabilities more easily for more field independent…

Iowa State University explored the reliability of the Educational Testing Service's Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) and an in-house tool as a good predictor of acceptable classroom performance by nonnative English-speaking teaching assistants and studied the relationship between the assistants' background characteristics and…

Reports a study that investigated syllable duration and pausing in Chinese speakers learning English as a Second Language. (nine references) (JL)

This study shows that a placement test cannot only be examined for items that display differential item functioning (DIF) by using an item response theory, but also that the identification of potential sources for these DIF items can be attempted and short- and long-term measures to reduce DIF can then be proposed. (JL)

Discusses the relationship between English language proficiency and academic success of English as a second language (ESL) students in universities and colleges where English is the language of instruction. The study points out difficulties associated with determining this relationship and makes suggestions for establishing guidelines to determine…

A study of three grammar consciousness-raising tasks dealing with word order among Japanese university students showed that the tasks successfully promoted both proficiency gains and second-language negotiated interaction in participants. Negotiation quantity was determined by the combination of task features present rather than the nature of the…

Examines metaphoric competence and its relationship to cognitive style and second language learning and teaching. Describes four measured aspects of metaphoric competence in participants' first and second language: originality of metaphor production; ability to find meaning in metaphor; speed in finding meaning in metaphor; and fluency of metaphor…

Describes a study of the interrelationships among three tests (a standardized English-as-a-second-language test, a cloze test, and a written composition test) which sought to determine whether adding the cloze test to the ESL test would improve the predictability of students' communicative proficiency, as reflected in their writing test…

Examines English speaking and writing in the university to provide descriptions of language that are needed to increase the correspondence between the language appearing on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and what students are exposed to at North American universities. Presents a corpus of 2.7 million words gathered from spoken…

Analysis of performance evaluations of 233 international graduate teaching assistants found that students who received negative recommendations for teaching assignments had significantly lower Test of English-as-a-Foreign-Language and Graduate Record Examination verbal scores than those who received positive recommendations. (27 references)…

This study provides validity information for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) by examining some of its inter- and intra-test correlates. (CFM)

It would be beneficial for ESL instructors to know the U.S. grade equivalent English ability of their students for placement purposes, especially if their instructional materials are keyed for U.S. classrooms. For this purpose, the Stanford Intermediate Level I Reading Comprehension Test was compared with the CELT-Structure Test. (Author/RM)

Criterion-referenced testing was used to complement norm-referenced procedures in a revision of a university's English-as-a-Second-Language placement test for reading. Test validation results indicated that the revised test better matched the university's program and included more items related to the content and skills that students were…