The Kidtalk Interactive Diagnostic Test of Aptitude for Language Knowledge (KIDTALK) is an assessment instrument designed for identifying children with specific language impairments not associated with limited English proficiency. It is based on three principles: (1) a language disorder can be identified by testing an individual's potential for…

Presents results of an investigation into the test-retest reliability of the short form of the Modern Language Aptitude Test, with Canadian samples. (AM)

Ongoing longitudinal study followed 110 students in western Canada from kindergarten through grade 7. In grades K-2, oral language skills were related to gender and problem behavior but not to age or school attendance. Seventh-grade achievement was related to early oral language skills and early problem behavior but not to age at school entry.…

The origins of the English Genitive Apostrophe (EGA) are relatively recent, and considerable variation in its use by native speakers is evident. A study of 45 undergraduates/postgraduates suggests overall that there continues to be a lack of accord between usage of and prescriptive rules for EGA. (Contains 37 references.) (Author/LB)

Examines private sign in preschoolers with hearing loss who are rated most and least advanced in literacy development. Teachers and parents/primary caregivers were surveyed to collect data on the use of private sign in these two groups. The majority of children with signing skills exhibited private sign in classroom and home contexts. (37…

Review research on foreign language aptitude and its measurement prior to 1990. Describes research areas in the 1990s, including affective variables, language learning strategies, learning styles as contributors to aptitude and aptitude as a cognitive construct affected by language variables. Reviews research on individual differences and the…

Individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS), a high functioning variant of Autism, are often noted to possess intact language ability, yet fail to use this language capacity to engage in interactive communication. This difficulty using language in a social context has been referred to as a deficit in pragmatic language. In particular, difficulty…

The present study investigated the influence of sex, handedness, level in second language (L2) and Faculty choice on the performance of phonological, syntactical and semantic tasks in L2. Level in L2 and sex were the most affecting factors. Subjects who achieved higher scores on L2 tasks had strong second language aptitude skills since they were…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate measures reflecting the onset of tense marking for children between the ages of 2;0 (years;months) and 3;0. Method: The validity of 4 cumulative measures of tense marker emergence and productivity was evaluated relative to existing measures of early grammatical development in a sample…

This study explored the congruence in reading and teaching patterns of low-income, young African American mothers while interacting with their preschool-age children in their homes (N = 126). Survey and standardized test data were collected on maternal education and language ability, and videotape data were collected, transcribed, and coded on…

Cloze tests assess the readability of a book for students in a far more personal way than formulas or standardized tests of reading comprehension. The cloze procedure reflects the total language abilities in the following ways: familiarity with sentence structure, context clues, and vocabulary, and the ability to draw inferences from written…

An attitude survey of 12-year-old students in the United Kingdom studying French or German showed that girls are more likely to favor languages than boys. However, both sexes rejected the idea that one sex is better at learning a foreign language that the other. (Author/RM)

Using Kleinfeld's review of Inuit possible cognitive strengths as framework, reviews 28 studies published since 1973 on cognition (broadly defined to include studies of visual/social perception, cognitive style, concrete/formal operational ability, language abilities, cognitive strengths) among Native North Americans. Identifies weaknesses of…

"Listening Recall" is a listening comprehension test which discriminates over a wide range of proficiency. Unlike traditional tests, requiring multiple choice responses, it is a listening cloze procedure; a narrative passage accompanied by a written version with deletions. Particularly suited to low proficiency learners, test has high…

Seven sophomores at risk for problems with learning a foreign language were taught using a multisensory structured language approach. Over two years, they made significant gains on native language phonological/orthographic measures and a foreign language aptitude test. Despite gains, the students did not catch up with typical students on these…