The New Standards Project (NSP) is an effort to create a state- and district-based assessment and professional development system to serve as a catalyst for major educational reform. As part of a professional development strategy tied to assessment, 114 teachers, curriculum supervisors, and assessment directors, representing 23 states and…

The creation and validation of a Spanish version of an English developmental spelling test (DST) is described. An introductory section reviews related literature on the rationale for and construction of DSTs, spelling development in the early grades, and Spanish-English bilingual education. Differences between the English and Spanish test versions…

The collection of articles on second language teaching and learning includes: "Cross-Cultural Discourse Pragmatics: Speaking about Hearsay in English and Japanese" (Nobuko Trent); "An Investigation of Student Opinions and Educational Experiences in Spanish for the Heritage Speakers at Arizona State University and the University of…

The kit is designed to assist Peace Corps language instruction coordinators in countries around the world in understanding the principles underlying second language training and organizing instructional programs. It is intended primarily as a resource library, with materials organized to ensure flexibility of use. It consists of eleven sections…

This manual was developed for use in conducting inservice staff development workshops to provide staff working in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs at community colleges and other institutions with the skills necessary to provide effective vocational training and career counseling to limited English proficient (LEP) persons. The manual,…

A collection of 11 papers presented at the conference on applications of foreign languages and international studies to business addresses curriculum development and materials selection for college business Spanish. The following papers are included: "Procedures for Implementing and Funding Spanish Courses for University Business Students" (Laura…

Workshops on proficiency testing attended by foreign language faculty at the University of South Carolina provided the starting point for extradepartmental involvement in proficiency testing. As a result of funding requirements and a cooperative arrangement between the foreign languages department and the Masters in International Business program…

This study has investigated the comparability of computer-based testing (CBT) writing prompts in the Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) for examinees of different native language backgrounds. A total of 81 writing prompts introduced from July 1998 through August 2000 were examined using a three-step logistic regression procedure for…

Selected papers from a conference on language proficiency, policy, and language teacher professionalism include: "Proficiency in Perspective in the Foreign Language Classroom" (Sally Sieloff Magnan); "Teaching Foreign Languages: Policy and the Federal Role" (Paul Simon); "Proficiency in the 'Real World' of the Professional…

The monograph consists of 13 author contributed chapters arising out of a Nebraska study which attempted to quantify the performance of 150 profoundly hearing impaired students (4-20 years old) in the areas of language (receptive and expressive), academics (reading, spelling, math), and related learning (visual perception and short-term memory)…

The Language Assessment Battery was administered to third to fifth grade limited English speaking students in New York City. Special techniques addressed two common problems in testing these populations: (1) language tests suitable for limited English speakers change their psychometric characteristics over time as the students' language ability…

The Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) at the University of Hawaii is described, and recommendations are made for teacher training and test development for future programs. A total of 165 students participated in 3 different levels (beginning, intermediate, and advanced) of 11 different languages, including Burmese, Cebuano, Hmong,…

The purpose of the book is to define individualized foreign language instruction and to consider problems commonly associated with its implementation and management. It is divided into three parts: (1) Theoretical Considerations, (2) Management Considerations and (3) Teaching Considerations. Part One considers an overview of individualized…

This is the second annual listing of graduate theses and dissertations in English as a second language (ESL). The studies cited here were completed during the academic year 1976-77. The listing is intended to provide graduate students and others doing research in ESL and related fields with specific, comprehensive data on current graduate-level…

This study was undertaken to predict the relationship between English proficiency and subsequent academic success. Forty-two Cuban American students enrolled in a bilingual teacher education program were administered the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency and a questionnaire. The results of the study indicate that: (1) the younger one…