The ETS Matched Pictures test was used in the longitudinal study to measure children's comprehension of certain grammatical features, such as past and future tenses, negation and prepositions. The task materials for both I and II consist of a set of cards, with each card having a pair of black and white pictures. Both pictures in a pair contain…

Brief annotations of currently available basic learning tests, which were either specifically designed for adults or modified for use with adults, are presented. Information given for each measure includes author; the source from which it may be obtained; the purpose of the instrument; the nature of the materials; groups for which it is intended;…

This guide for teachers of Spanish outlines course objectives and general educational goals. Contents include information on (1) philosophy and long-range goals, (2) student recruitment, (3) program counseling, (4) English in the classroom, (5) grammar, (6) articulation, (7) independent study, (8) grouping for student-centered work, (9) reading in…

This guide for teachers of Russian outlines course objectives and general educational goals. Contents include information on: (1) philosophy and long-range goals, (2) student recruitment, (3) program counseling, (4) English in the classroom, (5) grammar, (6) articulation, (7) independent study, (8) grouping for student-centered work, (9) reading…

This guide for teachers of German emphasizes the primacy of listening and speaking skills at all levels of instruction. Contents include information on: (1) philosophy and ultimate goals, (2) student recruitment, (3) program sequence, (4) English in the classroom, (5) grammar, (6) articulation, (7) independent study, (8) grouping for…

Because of the recent Lau vs. Nichols decision by the Supreme Court, school districts will be looking for various instruments to determine language functionality in bilingual students. Nine tests are reviewed: the Leiter International Performance Scale (LIPS), the Michigan Oral Language Productive Tests Structured Response, the Michigan Oral…

Spanish students in four inner-city high schools were first tested for conceptual tempo and then given the Test of Oral Proficiency in Spanish (TOPS). It is concluded that speeded and timed tests not only allow impulsive examinees to answer too soon, but often pressure normally reflective examinees to respond impulsively. (EJS)

Reports on the progress being made in an attempt to establish a second language acquisition index of development that would gauge a learner's second language proficiency. A project was undertaken involving the analysis of 212 compositions written by university students of English as a second language. (CFM)

Data from responses to a grammaticality judgement test by 26 learners of English as a second language at two proficiency levels were used to investigate syntactic acquisition. Four syntactic structures were examined. Results suggest that less proficient subjects use syntactic strategies, while more proficient learners use semantic-based…

Fifty-one adult Spanish speakers at three levels of ESL ability were tested in both their elicited imitation (production) and act-out (comprehension) of complex sentences that were structurally identical. Analysis of variance results indicate that production tests, not comprehension tests, principally evaluate a learner's structural knowledge.…

Describes a study of the development of a new oral proficiency test which could replace the existing English as a Foreign Language Oral Matriculation test in Israel. The deficiencies of the existing Oral Matriculation test are specified, and the components of the experimental test are described. (Author/SED)

Iranian Journal of Language Studies (IJLS) is a quarterly journal devoted to all areas of language and linguistics. Its aim is to present work of current interest in all areas of language study. No particular linguistic theories or scientific trends are favored: scientific quality and scholarly standing are the only criteria applied in the…

The purpose of this paper is to review the theoretical and empirical literature relevant to language performance assessment. Following a definition of performance assessment, this paper considers: (1) theoretical assumptions underlying performance assessment; (2) purposes of performance assessment; (3) performance assessment procedures; (4) merits…

This study investigated the effects of three aspects of language testing (test task, familiarity with an interviewer, and test method) on both tester and tested. Data were drawn from several previous studies by the researcher. Concerning test task, data were analyzed for the type of topic students wanted most to talk about or preferred not to talk…

This paper examines both overseas and domestic tests of English speaking ability from the viewpoint of the crucial testing elements such as definition of speaking ability, validity, reliability, and practicality. The paper points out problems to be solved and proposes suggestions for constructing an oral proficiency test in order to determine the…