Two Toronto community English-as-a-second-language (ESL) programs used oral interview tests to place adults in appropriate programs. Instruments used included: Foreign Service Oral Interview; Ilyin Oral Interview; object-oriented testing; group testing; performance in authentic situations; Ontario Test of English as a Second Language; and George…

A description of the French language training program used in Canada's Public Service Commission outlines its two components, a core course for lower levels and an independent study package, and other program aspects, including program characteristics, application of the communicative approach, notions as organizing principles, methodology, tests,…

A study investigated: (1) the average language proficiency level as determined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) attained by 271 college seniors majoring in 6 languages (Spanish, French, Russian, German, Japanese, Italian); (2) current and projected uses of the ACTFL OPI by…

This Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII project was designed to increase English Language proficiency in limited English proficient students in Lau categories A, B, and C (non-English speaking, English as a second language, or bilingual). The intensive, 9-month program included both English language instruction and teacher training…

A bulletin for teachers and students provides specific information about the design, construction, and scoring of Alberta's Grade 9 French Language Arts Achievement Test that was administered in June 1986. An introductory section describes the purpose, nature, and administration of the achievement testing program in general, the students tested,…

To determine whether students enrolled in one Ontario region's early French immersion (FI) programs developed English reading skills comparable to their non-FI peers, a monitoring process was begun in the first FI program year (grade 3) in which formal English instruction is given. The FI cohort and a control group matched for mental abilities and…

This guide to Spanish language proficiency standards is intended to aid the University of Minnesota's staff in developing curricula and tests for the university's language courses, and to help foreign language teachers outside the university understand the university's language programs. The standards are geared toward the language skills expected…

This guide to French language proficiency standards is intended to aid the University of Minnesota's staff in developing curricula and tests for the university's language courses, and to help foreign language teachers outside the university understand the university's language programs. The standards are geared toward the language skills expected…

This guide to German language proficiency standards is intended to aid the University of Minnesota's staff in developing curricula and tests for the university's language courses, and to help foreign language teachers outside the university understand the university's language programs. The standards are geared toward the language skills expected…

An administrative policy adopted at the University of Washington providing an alternative to relying entirely on English language proficiency tests for determining foreign students' ability to succeed in an academic program is described. Issues from which this program evolved are discussed and the related literature is reviewed. The issues include…

A STUDY WAS MADE OF THE LEVELS OF PROFICIENCY ATTAINED BY FOREIGN LANGUAGE MAJORS IN U.S. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND OF THE FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ATTAINMENTS OF THESE LEVELS. THE MLA FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TESTS FOR TEACHERS AND ADVANCED STUDENTS WERE ADMINISTERED IN 1965 TO 2,775 SENIORS MAJORING IN FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN,…

Attention is focused on the 10-year (grades 3-12) Spanish sequence in the Hackensack schools. Program expenses, student test scores, and a subjective evaluation of the project's effectiveness are included. Also discussed are enrollment trends, students who discontinue studying Spanish, the transference value of language skills, and the reasons for…

Analysis of error patterns in a test taken by 698 Finnish university students shows errors are made in this declining order of frequency: grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and use. More talkative students were proportionately more proficient per utterance, and higher proficiency also correlated with sex (female) and high matriculation test…

Methods used to rectify imbalances in student proficiency levels within and between courses are described. One year after changes were made in promotion and placement procedures, examination development, and course and program objectives, course enrollment patterns improved, and there was evidence of improved student achievement in higher level…

Issues related to the use of academic English by foreign students in the United States are discussed, and two college programs are presented as examples of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) preparatory programs available to these students. The programs are the American Language Program at Columbia University (New York) and the ESL Program at City…