Bachman's framework of language testing and standard of authenticity for language testing instruments were used to evaluate three instruments--the SPEAK (Spoken Proficiency English Assessment Kit) test, OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview), and a performance test--as language tests for nonnative-English-speaking teaching assistants. (Contains 53…

A study investigated the relationship of English proficiency, measured by self-report and standardized test scores and selected nonlinguistic variables to academic problems perceived by 245 foreign graduate students. Self-rated proficiency, prior English training, and age were the most significant predictors of perceived difficulty. Language test…

Describes common problems faced by international students studying in the United States, including language and cultural difficulties both in and out of the classroom. Suggests that institutions of higher learning should assist in fostering mutual understanding between international and native students. (MAB)

Results of a study of international graduate teaching assistant (ITA) language competence suggest that groups of undergraduates can provide a responsible majority vote regarding the readiness of an ITA to assume instructional duties, if those undergraduate focus on categories identified in a formal evaluation sheet. An evaluation sheet is…

A new approach taken to teach English to visiting West German teenagers in an immersion course in England emphasizes language use for fluency. Although the syllabus is designed to provide practice in all four language skills, it focuses on integrating the four skills, increasing productive skills, sensitizing the students to the value of paired…

Asserts that the lack of attention given to the role of the foreign, graduate student, teaching assistant is surprising and shortsighted. Examines recent trends, practices, and concerns related to internationalizing the curriculum and using foreign student assistants. (CFR)

The nature and development of the recently released International English Language Testing System (IELTS) instrument are described. The test is the result of a joint Australian-British project to develop a new test for use with foreign students planning to study in English-speaking countries. It is expected that the modular instrument will become…

Argues that strong ethnocentrism exists in TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages) in Western English-speaking countries, and that teacher educators in these countries neglect the special needs of international students. Specifies the major needs of this group and offers suggestions for meeting them, particularly in the areas of…

Reports on a study into the perceived problems that foreign graduate students in engineering pose to engineering faculty, as well as the solutions to those problems. Summarizes survey responses relating to communication and language difficulties, program and academic performance, and social and cultural factors. (TW)

A study investigated how non-native speakers of English used linguistic and non-linguistic skills to manage interaction in an interview-style verbal test of English proficiency. Subjects were eight international teaching assistants, four native speakers of Spanish and four native speakers of Chinese, who took a standardized oral interview…

Nineteen Indonesian students enrolled in a University of Virginia special education training program were assessed on the importance of English-language proficiency. Academic performance was significantly related to English-language training scores but not to preadmission "Test of English as a Foreign Language' scores, student attitudes, or…

A study was conducted to identify appropriate standardized tests of English second-language proficiency among foreign high school students after a three-month stay, for use in a battery of tests to determine achievement gains. Identification of three potential tests and further considerations in selecting the appropriate test are reported here.…

In the past several years, a number of states have enacted laws requiring all classroom instructors employed by the state to be proficient in English. Other states will have similar laws on the books within the year, and another handful are still considering the issue. These laws have affected primarily the international teaching assistants…

A survey indicates that student complaints led legislators in 20 states to mandate that higher education institutions develop policies on oral English proficiency of instructors, including language certification for international teaching assistants. Many institutions responded with policies requiring formal language testing and remedial…

Despite complaints from undergraduate students concerning language and pedagogical skills of international teaching assistants (ITAs), institutions of higher education continue to appoint ITAs to teach. Legislative mandates have appeared to assess and improve language and pedagogical skills of ITAs, and the academies have likewise responded with…