Evaluates the distinction between competence theories and processing theories of second-language acquisition by examining Chomsky's definitions for competence and performance, and by setting out criteria for competence theories. (70 references) (JL)

Provides reactions to an article, "The Relative Contribution of L2 Language Proficiency and L1 Reading Ability to L2 Reading Performance: A Test of the Threshold Hypothesis in an EFL Context" published in an earlier issue of this journal (v31 n4). The authors of the article respond to these reactions. (Author/VWL)

The results of a behavioral anchoring analysis of student performance on three English as a second language reading comprehension tests indicated that, for each of three proficiency levels, the higher ability students could comprehend questions with implicit information sources. All students showed competence with linguistic structures that…

This article presents and discusses some exercises designed to help the second language learner develop both receptive and productive sociolinguistic competence. (Author)

Examines theoretical and practical issues in ESL testing including inadequacies of definitions of language proficiency with respect to test taker characteristics; empirical evidence in support of relationship between test taker characteristics and performance on language tests; and guidelines to dealing with test taker characteristics and language…

Presents study administered to Egyptian FL students to identify optimal combinations and weights of subscales of English language proficiency for predicting ESL proficiency while following constraints posed by syllabus. Results show error identification, grammar accuracy, vocabulary, and composition as best predictors. (Author/BK)

The purpose of this investigation was to discover the relative rank order of efficiency of eight distractor categories in multiple-choice foreign language vocabulary tests. Type of test question used was clarified, types of distractors defined, selection process described, test design discussed, and resulting data tabulated and interpreted. (CHK)

On tests of English proficiency, 55 Iranian students studying in the United States scored between levels achieved by Fourth- through seventh-grade native speakers. The subjects indicated that association with Americans and time spent in the United States rather than studying English in Iran contributed to their success in English. (PMJ)

Offers a critical review of arguments for and against T-unit analysis in second language research. Maintains that T-unit length is a valid measure of syntactic complexity and a true index of overall development in second language acquisition. (PMJ)

Provides a detailed evaluation of the oral proficiency interview and its underlying assumptions of validity and value. The similarities and differences between interviews and conversations are examined, and some of the major problems of proficiency interviewing are illustrated and discussed. (39 references) (Author/VWL)

Nonnative and native speakers of a language vary in their knowledge and control of the elements of communicative competence. This article introduces an interpretation of Coseriu's neo-Saussurean model that takes into account universal, language-specific, and culture-specific factors and illuminates the teacher's task. (45 references) (Author/LB)

Suggests how transcripts of academic lectures and pseudo-cloze exercises developed from these transcripts may be used to help foreign students to become aware of the skills (e.g., recognition of conventions and cues which signal important information in lectures) involved in the process of listening to lectures. (SL)

Ten objective measures of writing proficiency were used to evaluate advanced ESL students' compositions. Only those objective measures taking the absence of errors into account discriminated among holistic evaluations of the compositions by experienced ESL teachers. (PMJ)

Research was carried out on Japanese children in the United States to test the hypothesis of early age sensitivity in second language learning. The results did not support this hypothesis. Acquisition proceeded at a fast rate initially, but the amounts of gain diminished with time. (CFM)