Whether test takers should be allowed access to dictionaries when taking L2 tests has been the subject of debate for a good number of years. Opinions differ according to how the test construct is understood and whether the underlying value system favours process-orientated assessment for learning, with its concern to elicit the test takers' best…

This article describes the shortcomings of one of the major testing tools in the foreign languages field, the Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI), with regard to the elicitation of the function of description. In doing so, the article raises questions about the applicability of the SOPI as a surrogate for the Oral Proficiency Interview…

The second language acquisition (SLA) literature reports numerous studies of proficient second language (L2) speakers who diverge significantly from native speakers despite the evidence offered by the L2 input. Recent SLA theories have attempted to account for native speaker/non-native speaker (NS/NNS) divergence by arguing for the dissociation…

Twenty-seven middle school English learners participated in a study to determine the efficacy of the Think-Aloud Strategy, one of several metacognitive strategies created to help students strategically negotiate appropriate meaning from text. Students were grouped by level of English-language proficiency and were administered a reading…

Limericks and tongue twisters for learning short vowel sounds in English are presented in this illustrated booklet for speakers with limited English proficiency. After proclaiming that "English is so crazy it makes you want to cry," the book presents first the sounds of the English alphabet, then long and short vowels, a limerick for…

Rapid Profile, developed by Manfred Pienemann of National Languages Institute of Australia/Language Acquisition Research Centre, is a computer-based procedure for screening speech samples collected from language learners to assess their level of language development as compared to standard patterns in the acquisition of the target language. Rapid…

A model for describing the oral language competence of bilingual speakers is presented. The model provides for the evaluation of the speaker on the phonological (based on native-speaker judgment), morphological (based on the formal written language), syntactic (based, in part on the complexity of the constructions used) and semantic pragmatic…

The possibility is discussed of using a generic guide for syllabus construction across the less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) to facilitate the development of proficiency/ communicatively-oriented syllabuses and materials in the LCTLs. Issues addressed include the degree of overlap among LCTLs and the most desirable unit for constructing such…

The role of the computer in the classroom can range from "toy" to be used when boredom sets in to mechanical monster that monopolizes precious classroom time with little residual benefit. However, a middle ground exists. At Auburn University (Alabama), the computer is used in an intermediate French course to complement rather than…

Research on brain hemisphere functions appears to indicate that (1) lateralization occurs from about age five to puberty; (2) both hemispheres are involved in language learning in ways not yet fully understood; (3) after age fifteen, pronunciation learning becomes difficult; (4) older language learners learn more quickly, but younger learners…

Selected papers from a symposium that was a component of the National Institute of Education's Assessment of Language Proficiency of Bilingual Persons Project are presented. The project's objectives were to pursue basic research on the nature of language proficiency and its measurement and to provide teachers with current knowledge of language…

Primary and late entry French immersion programs in Ottawa and Carleton schools were evaluated. French proficiency was tested among former immersion students enrolled in grade 10 bilingual programs and compared with that of grades 8-12 bilingual program students. Spoken and written French were assessed and a detailed error analysis was performed.…

Drawing on the 1982 English Language Proficiency Survey, where the English skills of students from language-minority households were compared with the skills of students from homes where only English was spoken, and on special tabulations of the 1980 census, this report presents estimates of national and state levels of the English proficiency of…

The Cree and Cherokee syllabary systems were designed by gifted amateurs, such as Sequoyah, who received no funding or significant institutional support. Although he had influential kinsmen in his matrilineage, his project encountered active, widespread opposition from his contemporaries prior to its validation in 1821. Sequoyah found it necessary…

An experimental study investigating the interaction of linguistic complexity and performance in child language acquisition tests the hypothesis that children learning a first language acquire relatively complex sentences somewhat later than less complex sentences. In one of three tests, the subjects, 44 children aged 3.6 to 6 years, were presented…