Describes the development and evaluation of a test designed to measure the level of achievement in Hebrew as a second language. Suggests procedures for developing a similar second language achievement test. (EKN)

Examines the hypothesis that there are fundamental differences between using language in different situations or for different purposes and that these differences may be accounted for in terms of the requirements of the task to be solved, on the basis of knowledge represented in a particular way. (Author/MES)

Describes a testing program initiated by the University of New Brunswick (Saint John Campus) to evaluate the French proficiency level of their students according to norms standardized throughout Canada. The evaluators used the Public Service Commission tests which were administered to a group of volunteer students for two succeeding years.…

Describes study conducted using high school foreign language students to identify and examine effects on learning of three learning strategies--practicing, monitoring, and inferencing. Results suggest strategies have positive role in classroom, but their use is related to attitude not aptitude of language learner.

While proficiency tests make a positive statement about the language ability of those who pass, it says nothing about those who don't. Since the proficiency test's questions are too general, a "sufficiency" test was developed to determine if students had "enough" English to meet the needs that motivated their study. (PJM)

Measurement (using Carol Chomsky's methodology) of the acquisition of five complex English structures by adult Israeli and Egyptian learners reveals that first and second language learners of English encounter similar difficulties. The creative construction hypothesis can be applied to second as well as first language acquisition. (PMJ)

Reports the results of a large-scale survey on the demand for business German in German-American companies. Results showed German proficiency was not considered a key qualification, but a significant portion of oral communication in these companies took place in German. German proficiency was most needed in management and marketing departments.…

Examines the discrepancies between students' perceptions of their foreign language performance and teachers' perceptions of their students' performance in the foreign language. Focuses specifically on where the discrepancies are in terms of different skills (e.g., reading, speaking), the level at which most discrepancies are most evident; and the…

Discusses the results of a study designed to observe, compare, and assess the teaching practices used in two language programs (French and Spanish). The study was conducted to find out just how different proficiency-oriented and acquisition-oriented classes are. (five references) (GLR)

Describes two related experiments into the effect of prereading on the text comprehension of a population of second-language (L2) learners at three proficiency levels. Indicates that the more constraining, schemata-provision formats used in experiment one are more effective as aids to text comprehension. (MG)

Arguments raised against the Critical Period Hypothesis of second language learning are refuted. It is suggested both that sufficient research evidence exists to support the hypothesis and that the hypothesis was not represented accurately or contradicted convincingly in the criticisms. (Author/MSE)

Responds to criticism against the use of the oral proficiency interview for foreign language testing through examination of the concept of logic and language testing, components of speaking ability, and the limits of linguistic theory. (20 references) (CB)

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 study investigated the feasibility of C-testing as a valid measure of language proficiency, which avoids the problems with cloze testing with native and non-native speakers of English. Results refute the claims on C-testing. (JL)