Language program evaluation has the potential for positive program impact by providing an opportunity for program stakeholders to reflect on their goals, examine their outcomes, and determine ways to move forward to maximize a program's effectiveness. However, many stakeholders are either unaware of the affordances of program evaluation or unable…

Language program evaluation is a pragmatic mode of inquiry that illuminates the complex nature of language-related interventions of various kinds, the factors that foster or constrain them, and the consequences that ensue. Program evaluation enables a variety of evidence-based decisions and actions, from designing programs and implementing…

Japan is known to be a country that manicures its socio-cultural borders. In this article I will examine discourses regarding openness, closedness and cultural diversity in relation to policies and practices that draw heavily on mythologies of English language as an inroad to greater openness and diversity. To do this I will examine two English…

To nudge students to study English and to improve their English proficiency, many universities in Taiwan have imposed an English graduation benchmark on their students. This article reviews this policy, using the theoretic framework for education policy analysis proposed by Haddad and Demsky (1995). The author presents relevant research findings,…

Program and /or course evaluation is a process in which different types of data are collected systematically in order to study the virtues and weaknesses of a language instruction program. Program evaluation is, in fact, one of the essential aspects of any curriculum. It is a kind of quality control in which various aspects of an instructional…

This article reports on the implementation of diagnostic assessment in an advanced Spanish language program at the university level. Particular attention is given to the use of dynamic assessment practices as a way to assess language abilities, intervene in learning, and document learners' growth. Dynamic assessment is conceptually based on…

The study is an evaluation of an English as a Second Language (ESL) program at a southeastern technical college. Thousands of adults who enroll in ESL programs are individuals who appear to be intelligent. They have worked diligently for a year or more to learn to speak, read, write, listen and improve English comprehension skills. However, some…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how and why Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) has developed a system aiming to effectively place students in freshman and developmental English programs. The placement system includes: triangulating data from external test scores, with scores from a panel-marked hand-written essay (HWE),…

State-funded programs in Washington for providing vocational and English-language training for Indochinese refugees were evaluated. The evaluation was conducted by means of a survey and site visits. Although data show both strengths and weaknesses, programs share some common positive features: (1) dedication of program staff, (2) use of a wide…

Reviews the history of the "pilot scheme" for introducing French into the curriculum of British primary schools, highlighting the project's limitations and the negative findings of the National Foundation for Educational Research report, and assesses the prospects for the future of the project. (AM)

The Ainsworth School Spanish Partial Immersion Program (Portland, Oregon) was established in 1987 to provide an elementary foreign language magnet program to children in the district. The program's major goals are bilingual proficiency and increased understanding of the second language culture. During 1989-1990, the program enrolled 205 students…

This report presents the results of a study conducted by a professional research firm in order to answer 19 evaluation questions formulated by the Illinois Office of Education. A review and assessment of primary and secondary data sources was conducted, state and local bilingual education officials were consulted, and field data in a Chicago…

A review of the literature concerning second language program evaluation looks at definitions of program evaluation, approaches taken to it, and the purposes that evaluation has fulfilled. Use of program evaluation to educate those working in or with second-language programs is recommended. (MSE)

A major challenge for the English-as-a-Second-Language program evaluator is to address the questions posed by those individuals who want the evaluation without compromising academic research standards. Development of a form of "disciplined inquiry" that maintains standards while addressing real-world concerns is discussed. (71 references)…

The Austin Independent School District developed a proposal for Chapter 2-Discretionary funds to be used to offer enrichment and supplemental instruction at 12 schools experiencing significant losses of students resulting in low enrollment, racial balances with lower than expected Anglo percentages, and under-utilized building space. Eight schools…