The author, a secondary school teacher in Tanzania, presents a test designed to be used as a diagnostic test before a controlled program of integrated grammar and composition teaching and as an achievement test afterwards. (FB)

The Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test was administered to 56 males and 52 females from 45 to 80 months of age to investigate sex differences in the expressive vocabulary of Head Start children. Data indicated no significant sex differences. (Author/PN)

Discusses an English test the authors designed to determine areas of interference between the lexical systems of Italian and English. Fourteen Italian students were asked to complete two multiple-choice vocabulary exercises, correct vocabulary items in a short reading passage, and translate a dialog from Italian into English. The complete test and…

Describes the development and evaluation of a test designed to measure the level of achievement in Hebrew as a second language. Suggests procedures for developing a similar second language achievement test. (EKN)

To examine language performance and its subskills, the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities were administered to 30 three- and four-year-old children. The contradictory findings of verbal performance examined by age suggests that component skills contributing to verbal language behavior may vary significantly with age in the preschool years.…

Discusses the development of a language aptitude test designed to help select students to study German. Four areas of assessment are memory ability, ability to deal with stress and intonation patterns, inductive reasoning ability, and ability to recognize grammatical case. (EKN)

The use of the Test of Standard Written English (TSWE) with older students at the junior and graduate level was validated. Scores were found to be predictive of academic performance in an environment with a restricted grading system. (GK)

Study evaluated sensitivity of two independent rapid naming tests--Naming Pictured Objects and Producing Names on Confrontation--in differentiating 16 children (7 and 8 years old) with language and learning disabilities from 16 age peers with normal language development and academic achievement. The interrelationship between total naming time and…

Describes development of testing program to evaluate listening comprehension in second language classes. Suggests it is necessary to incorporate the aural component into classroom activities to a greater degree. Time and effort must be spent in developing the ability to understand and process the spoken word. (Author/BK)

Describes project whose purpose is specification of second-language communication needs for a large category of employees of the Public Service of Canada. Results were used to design and develop tests for evaluation of communicative proficiency in a second language. (Author/BK)

Describes second language testing methods including discrete-point tests, integrative tests, criterion-referenced testing, FSI test of oral proficiency, tests of functional ability. No way has yet been found to reliably measure communicative competence in second languages. (BK)

In a case involving language proficiency testing of credentialed and tenured bilingual and ESL teachers, the New Jersey Education Association challenged the Educational Testing Service (ETS) on the grounds that the tests were unfair, unreliable, and poorly administered. NJEA succeeded in requiring ETS to disclose these tests to the court. (SJL)

The emphasis on spoken language tends to diminish attention to writing. As examples, three currently used German teaching texts are cited. This situation is seen as unfortunate, in view of the importance of writing ability in the most important examinations in German as a foreign language. Some teaching hints are given. (IFS/WGA)

Findings suggest that caution should be used in interpreting results of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) with preschool rural Black children. (Authors/CJ)