An instructional module designed to help prepare college-level teaching assistants (TAs) for their duties in second language instruction is presented. The module focuses on helping learners become skilled at second language listening. The first part provides background information about this language skill. It introduces the process of listening…

The study investigates strategies and contexts for supporting the literacy development of young, augmented speakers, whose difficulties in literacy learning are not explained by their levels of cognition alone. Indeed, quantitative and qualitative differences exist in their literacy experiences at home and school. In this study, four primary…

Utilizing a pre- and posttest research design, with an instructional intervention of good practices in notetaking, the notes taken by examinees during a computer-based listening comprehension test prior to and following the instructional intervention were examined for particular notetaking strategies. Questionnaires probed perceptions of the…

This conference proceeding presents abstracts, complete papers, and presenter biographies from the 1995 Computer Assisted Language Instruction Consortium (CALICO) annual symposium on computers and collaborative learning. Presented topics included courseware, preconference workshop reports, and conference papers presented, including guest speaker…

A discussion of the use of movies for teaching English as a Second Language looks at some basic principles in using movies as instructional materials and discusses a number of issues in selecting materials and developing classroom instruction. It is argued that film communication offers links between classrooms and society, contains a wide range…

Changes to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) that will be introduced in the 1993-94 academic year are reviewed, with attention to edumetric factors such as relationship of curriculum and instructional practice to test design and the impact of the changes. The new SAT will put increased emphasis on critical reading skills to reflect developments…

A selection of papers from the 1987 meeting of the applied linguistics association includes the following: "Applied Linguistics in Society" (John Trim); "European Developments in Applied Linguistics" (Theo van Els); "Translation and Interpretation: Retrospect and Prospect" (Peter Newmark); "Clinical Linguistics:…

The Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) test is a measure of ability in understanding spoken and written English. It is designed for use with students entering grades 7 through 12 whose native language is other than English. Previously offered on a limited basis at test centers established by the Educational Testing Service, the SLEP is now…

The development and validation of a test of listening comprehension for English as a second language at the Dutch National Institute for Educational Measurement (Cito) is described. The test uses two distinct item formats: true-false items and modified cloze items with two options. Both item formats were found to measure foreign language listening…

Presented in this symposium reader are nine papers, four of which deal with the theory and impact of the Rasch model on language testing and five of which discuss final examinations in secondary schools in both general and specific terms. The papers are: "Introduction to Rasch Measurement: Some Implications for Language Testing" (J. J.…

Representatives from major institutions teaching African languages convened to discuss the design of African language textbooks and to propose guidelines for the writing of new textbooks and evaluation of existing ones. Conference papers include: "Language Acquisition Theory and Materials Construction" (Stephen Krashen); "The Structures of Verbal…

Intended for speech teachers and classroom teachers who work with elementary school children, this guide focuses on the sequential development of oral language skills and related skills. Following an introduction is a brief orientation lesson guide designed to interest children in the speech program and introduce the basic forms of communication.…

The development of a comprehension-based graduate-level intensive course and instructional materials in English for Special Purposes is described. The 2-week course and materials were designed for visiting Latin American faculty members in agricultural education. Course goals were to improve participants' academic English proficiency, to prepare…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 22 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: a remedial reading program for Marine recruits; methods for improving reading flexibility and rate, spelling ability, vocabulary comprehension, and study skills in…

An ESL (English as a Second Language) program has been set up for international students at a small, two-year college for women, Immaculata College, in Washington, D.C. It has been integrated into the regular school curriculum and the courses carry academic credit. Courses emphasize specific language skills. Spoken English empasizes oral facility…