Testing issues and concerns that should receive renewed and increased professional attention are highlighted. These include curriculum concerns, developmental matters; generalizability, content and format considerations, contextualization issues, and technology concerns. (JL)

Sociolinguistics is recommended as a resource for second language teachers, to increase understanding in such areas as the nature of language, the goals and concerns of language teaching, perspective on curriculum and materials design, identification of appropriate goals, and evaluation of a learner's ability to use a second language. (43…

The oral proficiency interview, a one-to-one conversational interview structured to elicit the best performance the student can sustain, is based on a scale and test developed 30 years ago by the Foreign Service Institute. Interest in it has increased substantially in recent years, and further research and development of the measure for use in a…

An overview of the application of instructional technology to second-language instruction over the past two decades is provided. A number of questions are raised that focus on the role and potential and future objectives of educational technology in foreign-language instruction. (JL)

The demand for an improved international dimension in American education is a move in the right direction, and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and Educational Testing Service efforts in defining foreign language proficiency guidelines and developing a reliable mechanism for testing oral proficiency have resulted in…

Negative influences on teaching practices and objectives in modern language programs, caused by certain final examination practices in Sweden, are pointed out and criticized in this paper. The needs of the Swedish student of languages are determined to be related to the use of language primarily as a means of everyday communication. The…

Part one of the Northeast Conference Reports for 1975 deals with the background of the three major components discussed in the reports: curriculum, teaching styles and strategies, and evaluation techniques in foreign language instruction. In the section on curriculum, the role of foreign languages in the curriculum is examined. A historical…

The 1975 Northeast Conference's Reports propose to help language teachers at every level define their goals, implement them, and help their students recognize their achievement of language skills. The three components explored in the Reports are curriculum, teaching styles and strategies, and evaluation techniques. These components should not be…

The manual provides information to assist secondary school level program and curriculum designers in the creation and administration of second language programs. It is not a how-to manual, but includes descriptive data about program types in existence and criteria for evaluating language proficiency. It contains: a list of terms used and their…

The manual provides information to assist elementary school level program and curriculum designers in the creation and administration of second language programs. It is not a how-to manual, but includes descriptive data about program types in existence and criteria for evaluating language proficiency. It contains: a list of terms used and their…

One hundred and twenty-two readings from sources published between 1900 and 1947 cover aspects of language teaching in the United States. Chapters on the history of modern language teaching and on programs, projects, and activities are particularly lengthy. Other chapters discuss values of foreign language study, foreign language in the general…

Part two of the Northeast Conference Reports for 1975 deals with implementation of the ideas outlined in part one regarding curriculum, teaching and evaluation. Culture is discussed as it relates to the four language skills, at all levels, with a look at the planning and construction of a culturally oriented thematic unit. In addition,…

Foreign language study is appealing to a broader clientele today, which results in a great diversity of needs. A more personalized curriculum and instructional activities geared towards accommodating the needs and interests of the individual are needed. The cultural background of the learner is a significant factor in determining his frame of…