Suggests foreign students in Australia may not be getting preparation needed to integrate successfully into university study. Research is reviewed that indicates these students not only need help preparing for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) but also with learning at an Australian university. Academic preparation courses…

Examined whether Maltese college students actually comprehended some of the frequently used non-technical and technical English words in the specific register of physics education, which was taught in English rather than Maltese. Comprehension tests indicated that comprehension levels were lower than expected, which means that science teachers…

This study replicating two earlier studies investigated the relative effectiveness of two techniques for teaching English grammar. In the "garden path" method, learners are induced to produce errors, which are then corrected. The error avoidance method prevents error production by means of grammatical explanations. Subjects were 56…

This paper describes the development of a program to test oral and written language skills of students graduating from seven Hong Kong higher education institutions. The program's objective is to provide information for prospective employers concerning graduates' practical communication skills in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English. The 2-year…

The performance of graduate and undergraduate school applicants on the Test of Written English (TWE) was compared for each of 66 data sets, dating from 1988 to 1993. The analyses compared the average TWE score for graduates and undergraduates after matching examinees on the total score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The main…

The structure and administration of the Paris Chamber of Commerce Examination of French language proficiency is described, and methods of classroom preparation for the examination are presented. The exam certifies French proficiency at two levels: certificat (language skills necessary to conduct business effectively in the francophone world) and…

This paper discusses a study that sought to design an instrument for assessing the nonverbal ability of foreign language learners. The subjects were 28 educated Japanese non-native speakers (NNS) of English and 20 educated North American native speakers (NS) of English. Materials used were the institutional Test of English as a Foreign Language…

A study investigated the content and predictive validity of Hong Kong's new Use of English Examination (UEE), introduced by the Hong Kong Examinations Authority in 1989. The study set out to discover whether the examination was reliable for determining students' language needs on entering higher education, and whether institutions' existing…

This study investigated the appropriateness of Item Response Theory (IRT) models to analyze language test data. In a university second language institute, results of typical versions of tests of French as a Second Language (n=831 examinees) and of English as a Second Language (n=617 examinees) were subjected to non-linear factor analysis in…

A study investigated: (1) the average language proficiency level as determined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) attained by 271 college seniors majoring in 6 languages (Spanish, French, Russian, German, Japanese, Italian); (2) current and projected uses of the ACTFL OPI by…

A study of the effectiveness of a language proficiency testing method using partial dictation is reported. The study used 60 undergraduate students at a Mexican university studying English as a second language under a traditional four-skills approach. The partial dictation exam was a combination of dictation and cloze procedure. The entire text is…

Reading skills are crucial to students learning and using English as a second language for academic purposes. Teachers can construct valid reading tests if they approach the task with care and focus on the test's ability to measure construct rather than face validity. In reading tests, the crucial elements of test design affecting validity are (1)…

This guide to Spanish language proficiency standards is intended to aid the University of Minnesota's staff in developing curricula and tests for the university's language courses, and to help foreign language teachers outside the university understand the university's language programs. The standards are geared toward the language skills expected…

This guide to French language proficiency standards is intended to aid the University of Minnesota's staff in developing curricula and tests for the university's language courses, and to help foreign language teachers outside the university understand the university's language programs. The standards are geared toward the language skills expected…

This guide to German language proficiency standards is intended to aid the University of Minnesota's staff in developing curricula and tests for the university's language courses, and to help foreign language teachers outside the university understand the university's language programs. The standards are geared toward the language skills expected…