A study investigated the problem of systematic oversights by students taking language passage correction (PC) tests. In these tests, students are asked to correct errors inserted in written prose passages. When errors are not overtly marked, students often overlook them. This study examined patterns of oversight in two PC tests used to evaluate…

Papers are presented on the loss of language skills by those who have studied and then discontinued the use of a second language. The scope of the papers is summarized and dimensions of language attrition research is briefly discussed. Theoretical aspects of psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics with special relevance to language loss are…

An administrative policy adopted at the University of Washington providing an alternative to relying entirely on English language proficiency tests for determining foreign students' ability to succeed in an academic program is described. Issues from which this program evolved are discussed and the related literature is reviewed. The issues include…

The feasibility of reducing scoring costs for the Test of Spoken English (TSE) by using one rater was investigated. Currently, two raters are used. It was found that, because of the possibility of different standards used by potential raters, it does not appear feasible to use a single rater as the sole determiner of speaking proficiency under the…

A study was conducted in Jalapa, Mexico, to test the hypothesis that a student of average and below average language aptitude may have greater difficulty with the accelerated pace of learning in an intensive program. The Modern Language Association Cooperative Spanish Test was administered to the eight beginning students enrolled in the Jalapa…

This report describes the seven-week program of the first-, second-, and third-year German language courses taught at Middlebury College during the summer of 1977. This was an intensive program with at least four hours of formal classroom instruction per day. The high scores achieved on the MLA-Cooperative Foreign Language Tests, Forms LA and MA,…

The following papers are presented in the conference proceedings: (1) "Development and Current Use of the FSI Oral Interview Test," by H. Sollenberger; (2) "Interview Testing in Non-European Languages," by W. Lovelace; (3) "Measuring Second Language Speaking Ability in New Brunswick's Senior High Schools," by M.…

This is a report in outline form of the status of teaching English literature in Austria. The schools syllabus prescribes that English literature should be taught after students have studied English for four years, that is, in the 5th form. The short story is the usual prose form selected. In the 5th and 6th forms, one literary work is studied in…

This is a summary in outline form of the English language teaching situation in Morocco. Arabic is the official language of the country, and French is the second language of the educated section of society. English is not used as a medium of communication or as a medium of instruction, except in isolated cases at highest postgraduate level.…

The introduction of a listening comprehension component in the Israeli Matriculation examination of English as a Foreign Language has necessitated research into more effective methods of testing listening comprehension. Oral proficiency has been part of the examination for some time, but more reliable methods of evaluating the test are needed. An…

This paper reports on a pilot study conducted to determine the possible use of the cloze procedure as a substitute measure of achievement in a second-year Spanish culture and civilization class. Twenty students enrolled in a third-semester Spanish class at the University of Colorado were simultaneously given multiple choice tests and cloze tests…

This volume contains achievement tests designed for American students who have completed second-year Persian. They are constructed on the basis of materials related to course syllabi. The tests are tailored to the needs of the conventional second-year Persian program on the college level, where emphasis is usually placed more on reading,…

Seven foreign language tests for the secondary school level, published by Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J., are described and discussed. These tests are: (1) Foreign Language Achievement Tests--offered by the College Entrance Examination Board for high school students in French, German, Russian, and Spanish, with emphasis on the new…

A survey of Ontario's college admissions officers revealed a preference for reintroduction of provincial examinations for mathematics and first language courses in the first high school year and for applicant reporting of grades and provincial examination scores rather than use of scores as a secondary school rating measure. (MSE)

An instructional module designed to help prepare college-level teaching assistants (TAs) for their duties in second language instruction is presented. The module focuses on the use of alternative methods for assessing student learning. Introductory sections discuss the rationale for and definition of alternative assessment. Four specific types of…