Describes a teaching experiment in intensive French language courses at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Illinois. (DS)

Presents research rating the speaking proficiency on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language Oral Proficiency Interview of 40 college French students at four different levels of study. The data show a significant, positive relationship between level of proficiency and level of study. (Author/CB)

An attempt to test students objectively in a five-part, French, speaking proficiency test is described and discussed. Concrete nouns, abstract words, pronunciation, syntax, and fluency are tested with a combination of tape and picture stimuli. Reliability, validity, and practical questions are raised; and previous aural-oral testing procedures are…

Since foreign language methodology has, in the past fifteen years, included aural-oral skills as well as reading and writing skills, achievement tests for foreign language courses should also include these skills. (Text is in French.) (MLA)

Three ways of using video cassettes in second language instruction include: commercially produced culture capsules, the "Speakeasy" series from the British Broadcasting Corporation, and videos locally recorded off-air. The advantages of using each of these materials types are outlined, and specific techniques for integrating them into…

Discusses whether the goal of language proficiency is reasonable or even possible given the language textbooks available. Examines the description of the French language in college-level French language textbooks (all of which take a structural approach) to see if they lend themselves to the acquisition of a functional speaking ability. (SED)

Reports on evaluation studies of the French proficiency of graduates of early- and late-entry immersion programs in Ottawa and Carleton, describes the tests used, and interprets results. The report also examines the students' perceptions of their ability to participate effectively in out-of-school situations using all four language skills. (MSE)

Suggestions are offered for teaching languages during the transitional period from the audiolingual level to the reading and writing proficiency level. The importance of developing listening comprehension is stressed, and it is suggested that traditional grammar and translation methods be integrated into the language program. Special attention is…

An analysis of French oral proficiency and guidelines for evaluating and testing the development of such proficiency in learning French as a second language are the keynotes of this dissertation. The speech patterns (structural complexity, rate of production, and hesitation) of three groups of French students with various levels of audiolingual…

Implying the need for a reexamination of the theoretical bases for second language learning in the secondary school environment, this final report of a 2-year experiment, funded by the U.S. Office of Education and conducted in public secondary schools of Pennsylvania, involved 1,090 students of French or German in 1965-66 and almost 700 in…

An examination of the principles and techniques of oral testing in British university-level final examinations in modern languages discusses: (1) the shortcomings of present oral testing procedures; (2) the theoretical controversy surrounding the design and value of oral proficiency tests, arising from research in English as a second language…

A guide to the adaptation of oral proficiency testing for classroom language instruction contains excerpts of projects by participants in an American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) workshop. The excerpts are examples of proficiency based curricula and materials designed to personalize instruction and simulate real-life…

A 3-year study of the effect of 3 years of audiolingually oriented FLES instruction on student achievement in French and Spanish classes in grades 7-12 is described. Samples of the language proficiency tests used as research instruments for grades 7 and 9 are reproduced in the extensive appendixes, along with the objectives of the FLES program.…

This report summarizes a study published in 1967 by Harvard University which assessed foreign language proficiency of U.S. college seniors majoring in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Russian. The measures used were the following: the MLA Foreign Language Proficiency Tests (Form A): Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing; the Modern…