Neither the race of the examiner nor the race of the child depicted in the stimulus materials affected the language performance of randomly selected Black and White elementary children (N=79) when language performance was measured in terms of response length and reponse latency. (Author/CL)

Discusses the origins and uses of proficiency-based systems in government and education, an initial application of proficiency-based foreign language oral skills assessment in one corporate setting, and the wide range of potential applications of proficiency-based systems for business, industry, and the professions in general. (SED)

Reports on an analysis of two administrations of two reading tests--the first time without the reading passages and the second time with the passages--in order to determine the extent to which questions can be answered without reading the texts on which they are based. (SED)

Thirty visually impaired children (6-12 years old) were administered The Word Test which does not use visual stimulus. Correlation between age and scores and comparisons of test results for individuals with test norms indicate that The Word Test can be used in assessing language disorders among visually impaired children. (Author/CL)

The article analyzes software for assessing language, noting advantages and disadvantages of such programs as Computerized Language Sample Analysis and Lingquest 1 Language Sample Analysis. In addition, software for assessing phonetic and phonological performance is also considered. (CL)

The article suggests that comparability, representativeness, and typicality must be considered along with length when collecting language samples. A framework is offered for selecting or devising tasks, and one successful battery is described which has been field tested on language-disordered children with syntax problems. (CL)

A course devoted to the teaching of the pronunciation of German begins with a systematic comparison of English and German sounds. During each class, troublesome sounds are practiced or reviewed, new sounds are practiced, weekly reading assignments are discussed, and the day's assignment is read aloud. (SED)

Discusses each of the questions, the correct answers, and how student responses were evaluated in the Vergil and Catullus-Horace essay sections of the Latin Advanced Placement exam. (EKN)

Suggests that the English-as-a-foreign-language field would benefit by using the same types of tests as those of "Graded Objectives in Modern Languages," which are used in British schools to test foreign language learning. Presents test items which are typical of the British tests. (SED)

Thirty language and articulation tests for preschool children were reviewed using 10 psychometric criteria appropriate to norm-referenced tests. Half of the reviewed tests met no more than two criteria, and only three tests met over four criteria. Most frequently unmet criteria were those requiring empirical evidence of validity and reliability.…

Discusses the historical and present situation in second language testing in the United States, with respect to the major measurement trends represented. Suggests a number of desirable development activities for the future that may help to build on several current initiatives in the field that already show substantial promise for facilitating…