The set of materials are designed for the assessment of literacy, English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL), listening and reading comprehension, and/or job-related skills of factory workers, and are based on work-related tasks. The materials consist of instructions for administering the test, a picture prompt booklet for the test administrator to use…

The materials in this document present the results of a study of French native language testing in Alberta (Canada) public schools for grades 1-3 based on the curriculum instituted in 1998. As a result of the study, this collection was developed for grades 1-3 students who should be taught French as a first language. A separate section is devoted…

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…

This paper presents a descriptive examination of the effects of high school learners of Spanish who complete a series of Internet-based assignments using a popular online Spanish tutorial. The study is designed to measure the knowledge acquired from the World Wide Web by administering and comparing a pretest and a posttest to both a sample and a…

English-as-a-Second-Language students in Japan were tested at the beginning and the end of the school year to examine changes in word associations and grammatical suffix knowledge. Results showed an average vocabulary gain of 330 words, a poor knowledge of the allowable suffixes for the verbs learned, and 19 to 25 percentage points more receptive…

Reviews "C-testing" in theory and practice and discusses its application in baseline and progress testing of the English of postgraduate students of engineering, technology, and management attending pre-master's programs in Bangkok, Thailand. A problem related to the reliability of pre-and post-course testing arose and the tests were…

This review of research on second-language oral testing outlines the nature of early research in interview-format proficiency testing, then reports on new directions in investigation of construct validity of interview-format and other oral skills tests through examination of examinee, interviewer, and rater performance. Research on empirically…

This study focused on increasing the awareness of educational leaders about the relationship between students with communication disorders and violence. A review of selected research on adolescent females with language problems residing in a correctional facility served to support a survey study and extend discussions about the need for…

Issues related to the use of academic English by foreign students in the United States are discussed, and two college programs are presented as examples of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) preparatory programs available to these students. The programs are the American Language Program at Columbia University (New York) and the ESL Program at City…

The collection of discussion papers from an October 1995 conference in South Africa focuses on the implications of the country's new National Qualifications Framework (NQF), a policy initiative for reform and renewal of post-apartheid education, for language teaching and testing. Papers include: "Introductory Comments: Language Assessment and…

A selection of essays on language testing includes: "Perspectives on the Testing Cycle: Setting the Scene" (Catherine Elder, Gillian Wigglesworth); "The Politicisation of English: The Case of the STEP Test and the Chinese Students" (Lesleyanne Hawthorne); "Developing Language Tests for Specific Populations" (Rosemary…

This volume on language issues within Australia contains five research papers: "Patterns of Inter-Cultural Communication in Melbourne Factories: Some Research in Progress" (Michael Clyne); "Developing Proficiency Scales for Communicative Assessment" (D. E. Ingram, Elaine Wylie); "Rapid Profile: A Second Language Screening…

The proceedings of a two and one-half day symposium concerning the assessment of functional language ability through the oral interview process included the following papers: "The FSI/ILR/ACTFL Proficiency Scales and Testing Techniques: Development, Current Status, and Need Research" (John L. D. Clark, Ray T. Clifford); "The ACTFL…

The collaborative curriculum development process in a postsecondary language education program in Japan is described, looking specifically at the work of five curriculum development teams, or focus groups: needs assessment; curriculum aims, goals, and objectives; cognitive development and learner strategies; materials development; and learner…

South Africa's perpetuation, through its various public agencies, of separating its ethnic/language groups has gradually fostered a negative response among university educators toward the role of second language teaching and testing. As a result of this attitude, future language teachers are not learning the necessary skills or appropriate…