This college-level textbook, entirely in Arabic, is designed to help students develop specific reading skills, namely, skimming and scanning. Users should have had at least 30 quarter hours of Arabic instruction previously. The reading selections and tasks are intended to promote reading fluency by also increasing reading speed. Learner tasks also…

The speaking ability of 40 Finnish college students of English as a Second Language was assessed in tests of interactional and transactional language function. In the interactional test, the learner introduced a topic of his choice and attempted to converse with two native speakers of English. In the transactional test, the learner watched a video…

The instrument for Colorado's Foreign Language Proficiency Sample Project and directions for its administration are provided in this document. The project is a voluntary, teacher-designed and -administered effort to standardize high school student language proficiency assessment techniques. The materials are used in teacher workshops. The…

Some observations are offered about alternative assessment devices, performance assessments in particular. The act of conducting alternative assessment does not automatically ensure good assessment. Users must become knowledgeable consumers of published alternative assessment tools and developers of local and classroom assessments. Performance and…

A study guide developed to help foreign language students learn languages more effectively and efficiently provides specific suggestions for developing study habits to complement the teacher's instructions. An introductory section gives general remarks on studying another language, including both general study suggestions and the recommendation to…

Results of testing the validity and reliability of the Australian second language proficiency ratings (ASLPR) are presented. In addition to providing a framework for planning English as a second language programs for immigrants to Australia, the ASLPR was developed to specify second language proficiency in terms of practical language skills. The…

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: Prior to the persuasion unit, students have spent several weeks in class utilizing library research techniques, public speaking skills, and their writing processes. The unit has been devised to give students practical experience using critical thinking and decision-making skills, persuasive…

A communication project in a technical writing course demonstrated the importance of communication skills in a profession as it developed the students' own speech and writing skills. After listing what they believed were the major problems in business communication, students compared their responses with instances submitted by local business…

Designed to help classroom teachers implement the "Alabama Course of Study: Language Arts," this curriculum guide for grades 7-8 is in three major sections. The first section is a table of contents that lists desired student outcomes under each of the four major strands mandated by the course of study (listening, speaking,…

This workbook tapescript is a component of "Beginning Pashto," a set of materials (including a textbook, student workbook, teacher's manual and glossary) that teaches the Pashto language. The tapescript consists of the prompts for the exercises marked with a T in the workbook. The workbook tapescript has been designed for the would-be Pashto…

This handbook resulted from a project to develop a tape-based alternative test of language proficiency in less commonly taught languages. The objective was to produce a test that is modeled on and readily interpretable by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Interagency Language Roundtable (ACTFL/ILR) proficiency guidelines…

This guide is a sampler of ideas and activities based on 22 minimum objectives in speech, reading, writing, and research that have been identified for American literature study. Many of the activities involve an integration of several skills that are cross-referenced to other skills in the margins of the guide. A separate section on research…

Intended to introduce instructors to a number of sources for helping students improve their speaking habits in voice and articulation courses or in courses in acting, interpretation, or public address, this annotated bibliography contains 38 entries in two main groupings: (1) texts and instructional materials; and (2) reference sources for…

Results of a 1983 survey of Texas foreign language teachers reveal their views and concerns about a new state law requiring all prospective language teachers to pass an oral proficiency interview for certification beginning in 1986. Of the 142 respondents, most were Spanish teachers, high school teachers, and teachers with more than 10 years…

In November l982, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) published the ACTFL Provisional Proficiency Guidelines, a series of descriptions of proficiency levels for speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture in a foreign language. The history, origins, objectives, and implications for language teaching of those…