Second language teachers responded to a questionnaire eliciting their opinions about the proficiency movement in second language education. Teachers had varying opinions and definitions of proficiency, of the potential benefits of teaching and testing for proficiency, and of theoretical and practical obstacles to implementating proficiency…

This paper suggests group role-play as an oral exam alternative, describes how such an exam can be set up, and provides examples. The examples discussed draw on vocabulary, grammar structures, and topics presented in most textbooks and can be designed for use in the first two years of language learning. (JL)

Working definitions of proficiency and performance in language testing are established, and their role in multidimensional testing is examined. The discussion also covers the relationship between proficiency and performance, a comparison of both types of tests, and performance test scoring dilemmas. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/LB)

This study investigated the nature of progress made in learning Chinese as a Foreign Language by adult learners in an intensive summer program in an American university setting. Chinese language ability of 22 students was measured by a multiple choice test and an interview test. Data are interpreted and discussed in terms of implications for…

Second-language (L2) researchers suggest that C-tests, developed as norm-referenced measures for proficiency and placement testing, can be used in L2 vocabulary research. This article illustrates how researchers can use measurement theory for L2 research by weighing validity justifications. A theoretical definition of vocabulary ability is…

Examines the relative contributions of linguistic and strategic competence to the performance of international teaching assistants (ITAs) on a teaching task. Study one examines the relative contribution of language and teaching skills to overall test performance, and study two examines the effect of a one-semester training class on the retest…

Bachman's framework of language testing and standard of authenticity for language testing instruments were used to evaluate three instruments--the SPEAK (Spoken Proficiency English Assessment Kit) test, OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview), and a performance test--as language tests for nonnative-English-speaking teaching assistants. (Contains 53…

Expert judgments of prompt difficulty in essay tests were examined to discover whether they could be used at the item-writing stage of test development. Findings show that "expert judges" share considerable agreement about prompt difficulty and prompt task type, but they cannot predict which prompts will result in high or low scores for…

This study explored the development of verbal behaviors of infants during two mother-infant games. The verbal behaviors produced during games were compared with the results of language tests administered during experimental sessions. Strong correlations were found between the results of these two measures of language. (JL)

This article examines the effects of test format and task type on candidate output in direct and semidirect versions of the oral interaction subtest of the Australian Assessment of Communicative English Skills. Results are discussed in relation to the degree of interactiveness and other factors that appear to influence lexical density and to the…

The abilities measured by the First Certificate of English (FCE) administered by the Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate are compared with the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service. The analyses suggest that the FCE and TOEFL appear to measure the same common aspect of language…

This report discusses a study on the use of modern media techniques in long-distance oral testing that preserve the possibility of interaction by using video teleconferencing. Two test administration modes, face-to-face and screen-to-screen, are compared in an experimental design. (10 references) (VWL)

Examines the widely held assumption that a language interview is a structured conversational exchange. Specifically, the structural organization of 20 audio- and videotaped oral-skills course placement interviews were analyzed for features of conversation and interviews by using conversation analysis techniques. (40 references) (VWL)

Based on a comprehensive language proficiency assessment project, this article reports on a four-level scale that assesses literary interpretation. The notional components are sequenced from the specific and concrete to the general and abstract, with focus on literary components that can be used to interpret any work. (Author/LB)

Eight preschool children with specific language impairment (SLI) and 30 nonimpaired children were selected on the basis of specified mean length of utterance (MLU) ranges and compared on word class production. The high-MLU and low-MLU groups of SLI children could not be empirically differentiated based on their word class profiles, whereas the…