Placement tests are used to support a particular need in a local context--to determine the best starting place for a student entering a specific programme of language study. This brief report will focus on the development of an innovative placement test with self-directed elements for our local needs at a university in Canada for students studying…

The purpose of this paper is to report on the state of both professional licensure and the practice of speech language therapy in the diaspora spaces of the United States and Canada. Additionally, this paper discusses best practices for collaborating with, providing care to, and facilitating professional growth among the Arab diaspora. We begin by…

This article provides a 10-year review by the test developers of the Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN™). From 2004 to 2014, the development, implementation, national administration, and operations of CELBAN and CELBAN-related products and services were the responsibility of the test developers and team at the…

This article advances an argument for retaining but revamping the grade 3 Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs). Alberta's demographic landscape is rapidly changing to include significant numbers of English language learners who are still in the early stages of developing English language proficiency at grade 3. Online tools are used to generate…

The evidence gathered in the present study supports the use of the simultaneous development of test items for different languages. The simultaneous approach used in the present study involved writing an item in one language (e.g., French) and, before moving to the development of a second item, translating the item into the second language (e.g.,…

Substantial growth in the numbers of English language learners (ELLs) in the United States and Canada in recent years has significantly affected the educational systems of both countries. This article focuses on critical issues and concerns related to the assessment of ELLs in U.S. and Canadian schools and emphasizes assessment approaches for test…

Little L2 reading strategy research has explored the effect of linguistic and cross-cultural differences on strategic reading habits. This study attempted to fill this void by examining the reading strategies that Arabic- and Mandarin-speaking immigrants employed when reading and answering Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment reading…

In the last 15 years or so, language testing practitioners have increasingly favored assessing vocabulary in context. The discrete-point vocabulary measure used in the old version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) has long been criticized for encouraging test candidates to memorize wordlists out of context although test items…

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is a cross-curricular literacy test issued to all secondary school students in the province of Ontario. The test consists of a reading and a writing component, both of which must be successfully completed for secondary school graduation in Ontario. This study elicited 16 first language and second…

Within the context of increasing numbers of second language (L2) learners in Canadian schools and expanding standards-driven testing frameworks, a passing score on the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is a recently imposed secondary school graduation requirement in Ontario. There is evidence, however, that tests designed on the basis…

A rating scale was developed that could be used to test Raynor's construct of perceived instrumentality--that the perceived importance of a particular achievement (such as a good grade) to the student's future (career) influences the student's efforts to achieve the goal. The scale was developed to study the perceived importance of learning French…

Describes the construction and field-testing results of intermediate-level tests for Canada' National Core French Assessment. Teachers found the instruments flexible to use and helpful for evaluating desired learning outcomes. Students found them beneficial for focusing and organizing learning activities. Both teachers and students found them…

A two-year research project was conducted to investigate factors that promote second language acquisition and to monitor changes in these factors associated with increased training and proficiency in the second language. Two French programs in London, Ontario second language program beginning in grade 7 and the secondary school French program in…

THE EFFECT OF AUDIOLINGUAL FRENCH INSTRUCTION IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON THE PUPIL'S ACHIEVEMENT IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL LANGUAGE PROGRAM, AS SHOWN BY THIS FOLLOW-UP STUDY, IS DEPENDENT UPON PROGRAM ARTICULATION THROUGHOUT THE GRADES AND COORDINATION BETWEEN TESTING AND THE LEARNING SITUATION. THE PROCEDURE FOR THE STUDY INVOLVED 354 GRADE 9 PUPILS…

This paper reports on the creation of an instrument for use by instructors, students, or researchers to identify, measure or promote critical thinking (CT) in online asynchronous discussions (OADs). Four models of CT were reviewed, synthesised, analysed, and evaluated to clarify the construct. Indicators of specific cognitive processes related to…