The listening comprehension and structure subtests of the Comprehensive English Language Test (CELT) were administered to 211 secondary students from an urban center on Canada's west coast. The subtests appeared to be powerful enough to separate immigrant students of English (Second Language) from Canadian born bilinguals and monolinguals. (EJS)

This article outlines a plan for developing listening comprehension materials for advanced students of English as a second language, based on formal and informal speech samples of natural discourse. (CFM)

Since foreign language methodology has, in the past fifteen years, included aural-oral skills as well as reading and writing skills, achievement tests for foreign language courses should also include these skills. (Text is in French.) (MLA)

Criticizes currently available tests on listening comprehension, presenting some new ones, with explanations of their innovative features. Sees danger in overemphasis on objectivity, as it tends to exaggerate the choice-making aspect of the orientation level (Grades 5 and 6), thus contradicting its pedagogical purposes. (Text is in German.)…

Analyzes characteristics of Spanish language news broadcasts and discusses their peculiarities and discourse structure. A newscast that can be used in the classroom to improve students' listening comprehension is also outlined. (LMO)

Assesses the influence of religious-specific background knowledge on adult ESL listening comprehension. Sixteen Moslems, 20 Christians, and 28 religion-neutral students listened to two passages, one on prayer rituals of Islam and one on those of Christianity. Students better recalled and understood the passage related to their respective religious…

Discusses foreign language testing methods, particularly of receptive skills, and how the choice of method for any particular government agency is subject to the constraints imposed by the following factors: (1) method of correction, (2) ease of production and number of exam versions required, (3) content of the test, and (4) administration of the…

A study investigated whether preassessments of general and specific knowledge can predict children's listening comprehension. Topical knowledge, assessed by multiple-choice questions, did predict story comprehension; topical interest, however, did not correlate either with topical knowledge or comprehension. (Authors/PP)

Reviewed 45 assessment instruments with respect to content domains, response and scoring procedures, administrative feasibility, target populations, and potential sources of test bias. Identified priorities for future research and development in communication competence testing. (PD)

Listening to native speakers' taped situational interchanges on a frequent basis from the onset of instruction offers numerous advantages to the language learner. Gives suggestions to the instructor on how to make, obtain, and use such tapes. (PMJ)

Sentence Verification Technique tests were administered to 151 third and fourth graders on 3 occasions over a school year. Results indicate that reading and listening comprehension can be measured with the tests and that the 2 comprehension modalities develop independently, with reading comprehension being more sensitive to instruction. (TJH)

After a review of the literature on learning a second-language sound system, a study is reported that used only perceptual training to improve both pronunciation and perception of /r/ and /l/ among 39 Japanese university students of English. Results suggest that listening practice can improve pronunciation and perception. (Contains 32 references.)…

A study exploring the differences between first- and second-language word recognition strategies revealed that second-language listeners used more higher level information than native language listeners, when access to higher level information was not hindered by a competence-ceiling effect, indicating that word processing strategy is a function…

A total of 36 mothers and their first and third grade children were questioned regarding their conceptions of listening. Mothers' and children's beliefs revealed dissimilarities in their understandings of the criteria by which listeners should regulate their behavior and their conceptions of the actions listeners should take when confused.…

Review of research on trends in teaching second-language listening focuses primarily on strategy instruction and a strategy-based approach but also refers to developments in terms of listening and "high-tech contexts," interactive listening, and academic listening. Classroom listening textbooks are discussed, with attention to the mismatch between…