The paper examines the need to analyze free expression as part of an overall expressive language evaluation in school aged children. Seven language characteristics are identified which may help in recognizing disorders of self-expression. (Author/PHR)

The article describes a 10-stage symbolic play language scale and relates the language concepts and structures associated with each developmental play stage. (PHR)

The report describes a Prescreening Checklist which has been used to supplement speech, hearing, and language screening tests of preschool children. The Checklist is designed to gain information from the preschool teacher about the child's linguistic functioning in the classroom. (Author/PHR)

This article discusses the controversy between advocates of the discrete-point test and the integrative test as measures of the language proficiency of students of English as a second language. (CFM)

Reviews briefly the development of testing since World War II. Presents the criteria for informal and standardized tests, and explains the difference between norm-oriented and criterion-oriented tests. Considers technical aspects of testing, but stresses the importance of pedagogical aspects. (IFS/WGA)

This experiment tested college students whose first language is English with the TOEFL examination. The major conclusion was that TOEFL scores do not relate to academic aptitude or performance of domestic students and to evaluate English competency of native speakers with this test is inappropriate. (CHK)

Second in a two-part series, this article focuses on the internationalization of the Advanced Placement (AP) Program. Once exclusively American, the AP program has expanded to 100 countries. Includes information about the expansion of the AP Program abroad, the AP International Language examination, and AP international professional development…

Investigated the psychological factors that affect access to metalinguistic knowledge in second language (L2) production. A verbalization task was used to assess the metalinguistic knowledge about target uses and a judgment test was administered to determine relative prototypicality of these uses of 64 adult Chinese learners of English.…

Describes a three-phase process model for interface design, drawing on practices developed in the software industry and adapting them for computer-based languages tests. Describes good practice in initial design, emphasizes the importance of usability testing, and argues that only through following a principled approach to interface design can the…

Summarizes relevant research on bilingual language development and discusses implications for bilingual language assessment. Also discusses limitations in current language ability testing practices for bilinguals and proposed future directions for the development of assessment tools and practices with bilinguals. (SLD)

Discusses theoretical and practical issues pertaining to translation or adaptation of educational assessments in the United States. These include the role of language proficiency and academic background in performance on standards-based achievement tests in different languages, factors affecting the decision to translate tests in different…

Greek has two verbs of agency that can be used interchangeably to mean "to look for." Examined whether children will obey the principle of contrast to diagnose that one verb is mentalistic and the other is to be construed behaviorally. A study of mothers' verb use confirmed that the verb preferred in home use gave below chance performance on a…

Examines recent research on teaching culture in the foreign language classroom. Proposes a model for culture teaching that responds to a clearer definition of cultural proficiency. Focuses on classroom testing and proficiency assessment. (Author/VWL)

Investigates whether it may still be possible to develop a word association test for assessing proficiency in a foreign language. A multiple-response word association test was constructed with careful consideration of prompt words as defining criterion. The test was administered to learners, and scores were correlated with C-test scores. Results…

Explores the role of task and task-based assessment in a collegiate foreign language department that shifted its entire undergraduate curriculum from a form-based normative approach to a language-use and language-meaning orientation for instruction. Examines how demands for specificity that characterize task-based assessment contributed…