Reviewing the test specifications to improve the quality of language tests may be a routine process in professional testing systems. However, there is a paucity of research about the effect of specifications review on improving the quality of small-scale tests. The purpose of the present study was twofold: how specifications review could help…

The paper takes 414 graduates from ZJU in 2011 and 2012, NIT as a case, analyzing the status of their writing of graduation thesis. It is found that a considerable number of students have problems in selection and report of topics, writing of each part and debating in the whole process of graduation thesis. In view of the situation, based on the…

Chinese characters have been an obstacle preventing the development of Chinese proficiency for learners of Chinese whose native language does not have characters. A substantial literature review identified linguistic, pedagogical, and political factors as causes such difficulties. Tone changes represent different meanings of a word. Compound…

What is the capacity of online programs? Can these types of programs enroll more students than their face-to-face counterparts or not? This article looks at research on achieving cost-efficiencies through online learning, identifies the parts of an online program that can be changed to increase enrollments, and discusses whether a program's…

This is a current guide to linguistics programs in the United States and Canada. One hundred and sixty-seven institutions are listed which offer five or more courses broadly defined as "linguistics" and which also offer a degree in linguistics or a degree in another area with a major or minor in linguistics. The institutions are listed…

The integration of smartphones in the language learning environment is gaining research interest. However, using a smartphone to learn to speak spontaneously has received little attention. The emergence of smartphone technology and its video recording feature are recognised as suitable learning tools. This paper reports on a case study conducted…

This study was conducted in order to inspect the impact of podcasts as learning and teaching tools on Iranian EFL learners' motivation for listening as well as on their listening comprehension ability. It also investigated the learners' perception towards podcasts. 34 intermediate learners who were homogeneous in terms of listening ability were…

This article presents a small qualitative study which aimed to gain an understanding of how lecturers and international students perceive the English language policies and practices at their institutions. The findings show that most participants perceive current policies and practices as unfair. However, there were discrepancies in lecturers' and…

Ten programs at California colleges and universities that focus on the Pacific Rim and Basin are discussed, along with the state's needs for additional activities regarding this area, and five statewide policy issues raised by three California Postsecondary Education Commission reports. The Pacific Rim includes those lands with actual coastline on…

This study examined four cohorts of recent college graduates--those who earned BA or BS degrees while working full-time, those who earned the degrees in continuing education, those who earned the degrees while working part-time, and those who earned an advanced degree while working full-time--to determine whether the jobs they obtained after…

The number of persons aged 25-64 enrolled in school has increased dramatically between 1978 and 1993, but it is not clear that these adult students are reacting to labor market incentives to a much greater extent than before. The data indicate that most of the increase in the number of older persons enrolled in school results from a rise in the…

Forensics program administration raises a number of troubling liability concerns. The potential liability exposure of forensics administrators may vastly exceed the litigation risks that arise as a result of ordinary teaching duties. Potential liability exposure may result from the failure of program directors to act in accordance with college or…

This survey reports the current state of development of pollution prevention education in Universities in the United States based on a national survey conducted between December 1991 and February 1992. Over 140 individuals (from 80 institutions) believed to be active in pollution prevention education were contacted and of these 89 (from 59…

This article describes the new associate of arts degree in entrepreneurship at Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, Kansas. Offered in Haskell's Center for Tribal Entrepreneurial Studies, the program comprises four culturally appropriate courses. The first course, Introduction to Entrepreneurship, assists students in analyzing whether or…

This proceedings of a conference on outdoor recreation and education contains conference papers and summaries of presentations and panel sessions. Following a summary of conference activities, the 14 entries are: "Working Together in Outdoor Programming: How Can It Work for You?" (W. T. Taylor, Jim Gilbert, Patsy Kott, Linda…