An experiment was conducted to determine the possibility of adding a listening comprehension test to the English matriculation exam in Israel. The testing method and teachers' and pupils' reactions are noted, and the test itself is included. (Available from English Inspectorate, Ministry of Education and Culture, P. O. Box 292, Jerusalem, Israel.)…

The use of a comprehension question, involving reading a Latin paragraph and then answering related questions, is thought unnecessary for the British Ordinary-level examination. Suggested alterations are: reconsideration of skills being tested; use of such questions only where not redundant; comprehension as part of literary reading instead. (CHK)

Table lists skills for second language learning on one axis and levels of complexity on the other. Uses of table by classroom teacher in assessment are discussed. (RM)

An alternative model for the 16+ examinations presently being tested by examining boards is suggested which would allow for differing levels of achievement for different student populations. (RM)

Examines extent to which teacher control of syllabus content, examination papers and examining techniques is practiced in the Yorkshire Regional Examinations Board's region. (RM)

The typical day of a student travelling in France is outlined, with discussion of the different types of language he would be exposed to. Ways in which classroom teaching can provide similar experience are suggested, and abilities involved in listening and reading which are not language-specific are discussed. (RM)

The factor-referenced kits developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) are assessed. With support from the National Science Foundation, the researcher surveyed the total range of research done over the past 65 years on the identification of cognitive abilities, principally through factor analysis. From a corpus of an estimated 2,000 data…

Conference papers on aspects of motivation and language teaching include: "Motivate Who?" (Frederick D. Eddy); "Motivation and Language Learning the following: Psychological Aspects" (W. E. Lambert); "Discussion of Professor Lambert's Presentation" (Karl S. Pond); "Linguistics and Motivation" (Robert L. Politzer); "Discussion of Professor…

This guide to Alberta's French 30 standardized test describes the testing program and administration, the test parts, and test scoring for both teachers and students anticipating taking the test. Dates and times of test administration and scoring dates in 1990 are charted. The two parts of the test are described in some detail, including their…

This volume presents papers that dicusss the need for more systematic and rigorous research programs to monitor the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines and their various implementations. "A Progress Report on the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, 1982-1986" (David V. Hiple), traces the…

This guide briefly discusses the uses, strengths, and limitations of various assessment instruments in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes for adults. The types of instruments selected for discussion are limited to those that are used in Adult Education Cooperatives in Texas, or those that are readily available to those cooperatives. The…

It is argued that the close relationship between learning and testing is best exemplified in achievement tests, which are designed both to reinforce learning and to provide feedback about the effectiveness of teaching. Of the four types of achievement tests (placement, formative, diagnostic, and summative), two (formative and diagnostic) are…

The paper reviews the ways in which the cloze testing procedure measures the reading comprehension skills of students in the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom. The construction and scoring of the test and the interpretation of the scores are discussed and the reliability and validity of the cloze procedure for testing reading skills…

Data from a sample of 2,593 high school seniors (58% female) were used to study the relationship between courses taken and scores on the American College Testing (ACT) English Usage Test, the ACT Mathematics Usage Test, the ACT Social Studies Reading Test, and the ACT Natural Sciences Reading Test. For English and Mathematics, test performance…

Data from three subtests (language, mathematics, and social) scales of the Head Start Measures Battery (HSMB) were analyzed using principal components analysis (PCA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS). The HSMB measures preschool development in language, mathematics, nature and science, perception, reading, and social development. The…