It is suggested in this column that trends in language testing in the last 15 years have followed trends in modern language teaching. Language testing adopted the tenets of audiolingualism and contrastive analysis, then incorporated test-making procedures of psychometrics, and finally became more eclectic in its approach. (SW)

Suggests that giving students two copies of a language test allows the student the opportunity to check his answers, know his results immediately, and possibly add points to his original score through self-correction. (CHK)

Cloze testing and language performance is discussed as are two techniques for awarding partial credit: the quick performance measurement and feedback technique and the three-stage scoring hierarchy for partial credit. A figure and tables are included. (EJS)

It is shown that drilling tends to become contaminated with elements of testing. The two activities are defined, and suggestions are given for designing drills free of testing. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Advocates the study of poetry in FL classes and suggests methods by which students could be tested on poetry. (KM)

Discusses the value of self-evaluation to the adult second language learner; the tools of self-evaluation; and the relationship of self-evaluation to other forms of evaluation, to learning, and to instruction. (AM)

A basic issue in second language (L2) teaching is whether the learner's first language (L1) should be used in the process. Differing views of language teaching authorities and various experiments carried out to test the use of translation in foreign language teaching are presented briefly. The author's experiment, involving teaching two groups of…

The persistent problems in foreign language testing are considered under four headings: (1) validity, (2) scope, (3) efficiency, and (4) the problem of how tests relate to the wider context of instruction. The first consists of insuring that the measurements and assessments obtained reflect what they are intended to reflect. The problem of scope…

Ways of improving the present procedure for administering this test were determined in an experiment in which this procedure was compared with three others. (KM)

The author reports on the organization and methodology of her Japanese program for the primary grades in Canberra, Australia. (PMP)

This conference address touches on a variety of issues in second language learning and underlines points that the speaker considers areas for thought and discussion. Initial remarks concern second language learning in Ireland. In his statements concerning second language learning in general, the speaker emphasizes the importance of contact between…

Examines the hypothesis that certain errors occurring in oral foreign language tests are due to the recurrence of phonological features both in the questions and in the answer. (AM)

A brief summary of this conference, focussing on foreign and second language testing, is given. Topics covered include: publishers' tests, semantic aspects of error analysis, factor analysis and language proficiency, learning style identification, the foreign language placement test of the U.S.A.F. Academy, assessment of language dominance, and…