Discusses a study of the expressive qualities of oral language. Results suggest that there is a natural rather than an arbitrary relationship between words and their meanings. Practical applications of this theory of phonetic symbolism in the area of commercial advertising are presented. (CFM)

Discusses the development of an interview test of English proficiency in the 0 to 1+ range on the Australian Second Language Proficiency Rating Scale. Items were written toward 29 specified objectives using specially developed algorithms. A sample set of algorithms used in one of the tests and 23 references are appended. (Author/LMO)

Using a questionnaire given to oral examiners working in the field, this study investigates the different perspectives that examiners bring to their assessment of conversation on a prepared topic. The oral examination studied consisted of three parts--discussing stimulus material, conversing on a prepared topic and discussing issues of personal…

Reviews and comments on the syllabus and lower level examinations held in German used by the Institute of Linguists. Topics include target groups, task-based proficiency examinations, skills examined in L2, skill integration in L2, language integration, task briefs, a listening test, oral tests, and cultural awareness. (CK)

By order of the Civil Service Commission of Belgium, Didascalia, the University of Antwerp developed an adaptive system for evaluating second-language proficiency. A computer model based on probability and information theory was developed; the first module of the ATLAS test currently assesses approximately 15,000 civil servants yearly. (one…

A descriptive review of research on language-in-education policy and planning is offered. It covers national languages (North America, Southern Africa, Central Asia); minority languages (New Zealand, North America); European minority languages and language policies in the European Community; testing and evaluation; teacher education; and literacy.…

Examines the major characteristics of nontraditional or alternative assessment in language learning, the uses of alternative assessment procedures, and different types of alternative assessment. An annotated bibliography discusses eight important works in the field. (75 references) (MDM)

Presents criterion-referenced language test development as a means for linking English-as-a-Second-Language curricula, teacher experience, and language tests. The article concludes with an examination of data from teachers who have used criterion-referenced language test development and discussion of the benefits as a proactive process for…

Reports a study that investigated syllable duration and pausing in Chinese speakers learning English as a Second Language. (nine references) (JL)

Discusses the development and use of a computer-adaptive test (CAT) for learners of Chinese. Each time the examinee answers a question, the CAT program registers the answer and, based on the examinee's response, decides whether the next question should be harder or easier. (23 references) (MDM)

Compared clinical and psycholinguistic approaches to the measurement of verbal behavior according to their ability to discriminate among individuals with schizophrenia, manic- depression, and controls. On the linguistic measures, the speech of individuals with schizophrenia differed significantly from the other two groups in productivity and…

Discusses the applications of summative rating scales to assess frequency of language learning strategy use, describing the most widely employed strategy scale, the English-as-a-Second-Language/English-as-a-Foreign-Language version of the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). Studies of strategy use frequencies and factor analytic…

The assumption called PIRC (proportional item response curve) was tested in which PIRC was used to predict item scores of selected examinees on selected items. Findings show approximate accuracies of prediction for PIRC, the three-parameter logist model, and a modified Rasch model. (12 references) (Author/LB)

The effect of five types of topical structure (including initial sentence element, mood subject, and surface subject) on the item difficulty of reading comprehension questions was investigated. Results indicated differences in the item difficulty of questions according to the type of topical structure on which the questions were based. (21…

Examines the sensitivity of second-language (L2) working memory (ability to store and process information simultaneously) to differences in reading skills among advanced L2 learners. Subjects with larger L2 working memory capacities scored higher on measures of L2 reading skills, but no correlation was found between reading and passive short-term…