This study investigated factors facilitating acquisition of Irish in Irish-medium playgroups designed for children who are native English-speakers. Data were gathered in four visits each to two such playgroups, each containing approximately 20 children. Four aspects of conversational exchanges were examined: understanding; code mixing; formulaic…

This document consists of the separately published test booklet, two student answer booklets, and test administration guide for Alberta's beginning-level French as a second language test. The student test booklet contains instructions, largely in English, and questions, largely in French, on aspects of daily life in and out of school. Three…

This document is the United States/Canada edition of the information bulletin for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Spoken English (TSE). The bulletin provides information and registration forms necessary for taking the TOEFL or TSE. The purpose of the TOEFL is to evaluate the North American English proficiency of…

In 1984, the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the creation of mastery tests in mathematics and language arts (listening, reading, and writing skills) for grades 4, 6, and 8. Criterion-referenced tests were developed to assess the essential skills that should be mastered at the end of grades 3, 5, and 7 and to identify students in need of…

In 1984, the Connecticut General Assembly established mastery tests in mathematics and language arts (listening, reading, and writing skills) for grades 4, 6, and 8. A criterion-referenced test was considered most appropriate for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of every student. The specific skills to be mastered were identified by…

A study used two auditory tests of reaction time to compare second language learners' and native speakers' detection of ambiguity or acceptability of sentences. The subjects were Finnish learners of English as a second language and native English-speakers. The investigation found that Finnish-speakers' reactions were generally similar to the…

Principles of test selection in English as a second language (ESL) are introduced to teachers of Indochinese refugees. No previous knowledge of ESL testing on the part of the teacher is assumed. A discussion of the characteristics of a good ESL test emphasizes the appropriateness of the test for non-native speakers, validity, reliability, and…

Twelve teenagers of Puerto Rican origin were interviewed to determine their proficiency in speaking and understanding Spanish. Three levels of oral Spanish proficiency were established as reference points on a continuum by using self-ratings, peer-ratings, and self-reports of usage. These impressions were verified by the number and type of errors…

This is the teacher's manual for the listening comprehension portion of a course in English as a second language for adult nursing aide students. Eleven units cover basic nursing skills. Each unit consists of combinations of stories, lectures, and dictations read by the teacher, often with visual aids. There are "practice listening" sessions and…

Book four, part two, of an intermediate-advanced level German refresher course for college students is presented. The volume consists of 25 lessons of text material and 50 prerecorded tapes. A typical lesson with its two accompanying tapes is made up of interrogation, military terminology drill, and a comprehension test. The materials of the first…

Volume 4 of the Basic Course in French contains 10 lessons, one for each day of the fifth and sixth weeks of the intermediate phase. Every fifth lesson is a review lesson. The objective of the intermediate phase is to enable the student to distinguish and use the most essential structures of French. The approach is audio-lingual and…

This work is intended to find replies to practical questions, such as how well native speakers of Spanish are decoded by native speakers of English, which errors interfere with decoding by the listener, and what the implications of the study might be for teaching. Fifteen Chileans were asked to tell stories in English, and several panels of native…

An analysis of French oral proficiency and guidelines for evaluating and testing the development of such proficiency in learning French as a second language are the keynotes of this dissertation. The speech patterns (structural complexity, rate of production, and hesitation) of three groups of French students with various levels of audiolingual…

Modifications of current assumptions both about the nature of the spoken language and about its functions in relation to personality development are suggested in this book. The discussion covers an explanation of "oracy" (the oral skills of speaking and listening); the contributions of linguistics to the teaching of English in Britain; the…

Progress in the teaching of oral comprehension depends partly on the isolation of factors which block comprehension. Research in conjunction with an experimental course in English as a second language led to the definition of errors due to: (1) insufficient knowledge of the language and the cultural context of its use, and (2) a failure to…