The "Diplôme d'études de langue française" (DELF) has recently gained attention in Canada for its potential as a national French second language (FSL) proficiency test. This article explores the perceptions of students, teachers, and parents in various school jurisdictions across Canada on a range of issues related to the DELF test and…

In line with expanded conceptualizations of validity that encompass the interpretations and uses of test scores in particular policy contexts, this report presents results of a comparative analysis of institutional understandings and uses of 3 international English proficiency tests widely used for tertiary selection--the "TOEFL iBT"®…

One consequence of test use in the English-language teaching community is the negative washback of tests on teaching and learning. Test preparation courses are often seen as part of the more general issue of washback. IELTS and TOEFL iBT tests, focusing on communicative competence, are anticipated to have positive washback effect on how English is…

A study compared the influence of two forms of discourse completion test (DCT) on the elicitation of rejection of advice. An open questionnaire providing scenarios alone was compared with a classic dialogue completion task in which a conversational turn is provided. The tasks were given to 32 graduate students, 19 native and 13 non-native…

The guide is designed to assist second language teachers in developing and conducting reliable and valid assessments in their classrooms. A wide range of formal and informal evaluation techniques is discussed, including a number of alternative approaches. An introductory chapter gives an overview of the uses and aims of evaluation and previews the…

The development of the Polish Proficiency Test, a standardized, nationally-normed test of listening and reading comprehension for English-speaking learners of Polish, is reported. An introductory chapter provides background information about the test's development, including discussion of the relationship between the test and Polish language…

The purpose of this study was to review and evaluate the Basic Inventory of Natural Language (BINL) to help determine whether it should continue to be used in Honolulu's Students of Limited English Proficiency (SLEP) Program. The study looked at four critical aspects of the BINL: its content validity, its test-retest reliability, its effectiveness…

Research suggests that the learner is the only one who knows, intuitively, the relationship between the objectives of the evaluation and his or her actual knowledge at any given time. Experience shows that students use some form of self-assessment in the normal classroom setting. The University of Ottawa's Centre for Second Language Learning…

This study investigated the utility and feasibility of administering achievement tests to adults in a continuing education course in French, in Scotland, in which student progress is not usually formal assessed. Subjects were 18 adults in elementary-level classes, aged 18 to over 60 years. Students were tested three times, at 3-4 week intervals,…

A study compared four tests of English as a Second Language (ESL) used for placement of students of varying language backgrounds and skill levels in an intensive ESL program. The tests were a text-based listening and reading test, a listening dictation, a self-assessment questionnaire, and a self-reported vocabulary size test. All measures were…