Discusses diversity which has arisen in testing of productive skills at GCE O level. Criteria to apply in assessment of foreign language acquisition, and writing and speaking tests in particular, are discussed, as well as the weighting of writing and speaking at O level. (RM)

Describes analysis made of the results of candidates in 1973 Mode 1 examination in French of the North Western Secondary School Examinations Board which showed that less able language students performed disproportionately badly on tests of written self-expression. Implications for teacher and examiner are discussed. (RM)

Discusses a system for evaluating student performance in the language laboratory, grading for comprehension and correctness, with four categories: complete, limited, severely limited, unsatisfactory. Evaluation of laboratory performance is more objective, being based on what has been taught and learned under stable conditions. (Text is in German.)…

A testing technique is reported for testing oral production which attempts to combine the advantages of the interview test and the standardized, discrete-point test and to improve standardization of tests of oral production. (RM)

The current tendency toward uniformity of teaching methods and tests in the Hauptschulen ("terminal" junior high schools) is applauded. Using a picture story as an example, a list of criteria is given for the evaluation of student performance. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

The need for testing oral proficiency in the foreign language is discussed and several kinds of testing procedures described. A specific oral language production test is suggested. (RM)

Alternatives to prose translation as a language test are discussed, and an experimental reorientation test in French given to 128 prospective A level candidates is described in detail. (RM)

The "dictee" as a method of language testing is discussed. Commonly made mistakes are described, and ways to help the student perform well discussed. (RM)

Detailed discusion of the theoretical papers presented at the second conference on "Problems in Foreign Language Testing" held at the Idyllwild campus of the University of Southern California, November 1968, and a brief summation of the practical ones. Paper presented at the TESOL Convention, March 1969. (FWB)

A suggestion is made for solving the problem of testing spoken English. The students were from the Economics Department of a university in Finland. Their needs (practical ones), their courses in spoken English, the form of the test--oral, reading, and writing--and the marking system are considered. (SCC)

While most foreign language programs list communicative language use as a primary goal, classroom tests seldom reflect this objective but rather focus on discrete-point linguistic competence. The authors present a model of the communication process and point to the main task in constructing tests of communicative competence: devising simulated…

A testing model is developed for teachers in multiracial classes in British schools who want to assess their pupils' proficiency in using English for learning, thinking, and communicating. The model serves as a framework for the design and administration of tests for communicative competence in foreign and second languages. (SCC)

The oral interview may be viewed as a criterion-referenced test for making either/or decisions about functional use of spoken language. Speech production can be tested by either the oral interview or the Valdis (1972) "Performance Objectives for Speaking," and dialogue between the two systems can be profitable. Current literature on…

The effects of a language versus a dialogue emphasis and a structured versus an unstructured follow-up in intensive language instruction were assessed using eighty-three students destined for missionary work in Spanish-speaking countries. A 2 X 2 analysis of variance design was employed, with students assigned to one of four treatments: language…

This position paper on the measurement of achievement in language instruction contains nine articles by leading authorities. Three articles, written in German, cover: (1) testing: necessities and dangers, (2) supervision and evaluation of oral achievement in certification examinations, and (3) development of a higher level of an adult education…