Classroom language has not yet been recognized as an important aspect of foreign language learning and teaching, but it can make a meaningful contribution to language instruction. Providing for teacher training in this field not only implies provision of information and practice, but also involves changing teacher attitudes about the…

This study investigated the construct validity of five perceptual traits (auditory discrimination, visual discrimination, visual memory, visual-motor coordination, and auditory to visual-motor coordination) with five simulated work samples (union assembly, resistor reading, budgette assembly, lock assembly, and nail and screw sort) from the Jewish…

Part I discusses the many benefits of having an item bank of four-option multiple-choice questions for test construction in English language instructional programs. The advantages of the item bank include: increased effectiveness, efficiency, and professionalism among teachers and administrators in test development, design, writing, review, and…

The two most commonly used language proficiency tests offered in the United States by foreign countries' chambers of commerce are those of Spain and France. The Spanish test has been introduced recently and has no rigorous and uniform set of rules governing its administration at all centers. Issues arising from the administration of this exam…

This paper presents a history of Danish studies in reader response research, including the addition of questionnaires to the research. The paper describes nine studies in reader response research, including information on their stages, persons responsible, supporters, funding institutions, internal reports, and publications. Five additional…

A study attempted to estimate the instructional sensitivity of items in three reading comprehension tests in English as a second language (ESL). Instructional sensitivity is a test-item construct defined as the tendency for a test item to vary in difficulty as a function of instruction. Similar tasks were given to readers at different proficiency…

The paper, originally given at a 1986 Ethnic and Multicultural Symposium, examines implications of research on assessment procedures for limited-English-proficient (LEP) handicapped students. The discussion includes a report on a longitudinal study to identify techniques that effectively distinguish between LEP students who are handicapped and…

A discussion of the evaluation of writing in English as a second language looks at conflicting approaches and viewpoints in the literature and suggests strategies for classroom evaluation. Conflicts are found in the literature concerning the importance of writing evaluation, the types of assessment to be used, and procedures for scoring writing…

In 1972, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia instituted the Regents' Testing Program (RTP) to provide systemwide information on the status of student competence in reading and writing and to provide a uniform means of identifying those students who fail to attain minimum levels of competence in these areas. Since 1972, some…

The work in second language education of the Assessment of Performance Unit, established by the Department of Education and Science of England and Wales to monitor certain areas of the public education curriculum is described. The focus is on the development of a rationale for testing, the elicitation procedures used in the assessment of speaking…

A statistical model is presented for analyzing the results of group conversation tests in English, developed in a Finnish university study from 1977 to 1981. The model is illustrated with the findings from the study. In this study, estimates of percentile curves for the number of errors are of greater interest than the mean regression line. It was…

A discussion of foreign language education, evaluation, and communication in the context of the Finnish comprehensive school focuses on communication as a "graded" property that can be achieved at various levels of accuracy. Problems in designing summative tests for mixed-ability groups and shortcomings in the existing system are…

A study investigated the effectiveness of the Rasch procedure in measuring response appropriateness, especially for the detection of cheating on multiple-choice language tests. The report gives background information on appropriateness measurement and its potential uses, reviews recent research on cheating and its detection, and describes three…

This leader's manual for a workshop on planning bilingual student assessment describes the workshop, presents information necessary to provide instruction leading to workshop exercises, and provides step-by-step instructions for conducting the workshop. The workshop leader should become familiar with this manual as well as with the workshop text…

This participant's handbook is designed to be used in conjunction with a workshop for planning bilingual student assessment. The following materials are included: (1) simulation materials, including descriptions of simulated programs, tests, test manuals, and printouts; (2) checklists, diagrams, and charts illustrating important points of the…