Reviews the development over the past ten years of a postgraduate course for translators and interpreters offered by the School of Modern Languages at the University of Bath in England. (CLK)

Opportunities for foreign language Ph.D.'s in business are discussed. (CHK)

The Department of Italian Studies at the University of Toronto focuses on language training by relating other components of foreign language study (literature, linguistics, etc.) directly to the language training process. The department features a streaming system (beginner, native-speaker, and matriculant) which places students of linguistically…

The issues confronting Australian tertiary institutions in the assessment of non-English-speaking-background students are discussed. A survey of tertiary institutions that identified test instruments currently being used is described and some of these test instruments (SST and CULT tests) are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Communicative oral language tests have claimed high content validity, but have also elicited concern that the assessment scales are based on theory with little empirical justification. A new approach to construct validity can be found in discourse analysis, which could lead to the development of new communicative discourse tests in all skills. (CB)

Results of two experiments investigating phonological skills of illiterate, unschooled adults and formerly illiterate, unschooled adults from shantytowns in Portugal suggest that learning to read, though not strictly necessary, plays a decisive role in the development of the ability of many individuals to focus on phonological length of…

Discusses what learning conditions promote memory stamina. Reviews study findings which suggested that spacing of practice during rote learning of a foreign language vocabulary can produce lasting memories. (ML)

Discusses the problem of measuring the validity of interview ratings in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI), proposes frameworks to distinguish abilities from testing methods, and considers factors affecting test performance. Suggestions for research and development on the ACTFL OPI…

Discusses the ACTFL/ETS Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in relation to current models of communicative skills and argues that the OPI fails to measure important aspects of communicative ability. Two Situation Tests, one written and one oral, are described as alternative measures of communicative ability. Examples are given in Appendices.…

A case study investigating the effect of grammar instruction on formal accuracy in spontaneous and monitored second language performance indicated that formal instruction appeared to have very little effect on spontaneous production but was very beneficial for controlled performance. (CB)

The undereducation of Hispanic Americans spells serious problems for the United States and higher education. Reasons for Hispanic students' withdrawal from college include need to support self or family, lack of motivation, time conflicts, inability to cope with college demands, academic underpreparedness, and poor academic performance. (MLW)

Presents the instructional episodes engaged in by bilingual first graders. Findings indicate that peer instruction occurred frequently and that proficiency in English was not a determining factor in the language choices made by individual students. (Author/CB)

Assessed differential contribution of personality to the explanation of variance in achievement in the mother tongue and mathematics at high school level in 1,200 Afrikaans-speaking students. The results indicated that personality, as measured by the High School Personality Questionnaire, aided the explication of variance in achievement in the…

Makes a case for the continued emphasis on the incorporation of reading and listening skills in the second language proficiency movement and considers ways in which this movement has advanced such skill development. (CB)

Describes the National Endowment for the Humanities foreign-language institutes sponsored by Purdue University, including their results in improving foreign-language teachers' language skills, disseminating effective teaching techniques, the production of stimulating instructional materials, improving teachers' confidence and morale, and…