Instructional sensitivity indices are compared from four perspectives: (1) criterion-referenced testing; (2) classical test theory; (3) item response theory; and (4) Bayesian theory. Instructional sensitivity is defined as the tendency of a test item to vary in difficulty as a function of instruction. The instructional sensitivity of the items in…

Results of a survey of students of the University of Dublin concerning their language learning experiences and attitudes are reported. The study was undertaken within a larger study of self-directed language learning. The questionnaire had seven sections. The first and largest covered these topics related to students' language background: (1) the…

As part of an examination required by the Alberta (Canada) Department of Education in order for 12th grade students to receive a diploma in French, this test, to be accompanied by the questions booklet, contains the reading selections portion of Part B, the language and literature component of the June 1988 tests. Representing the genres of…

As part of an examination required by the Alberta (Canada) Department of Education in order for 12th grade students to receive a diploma in French, this booklet contains the 80 multiple choice questions portion of Part B, the language and literature component of the June 1988 tests. Representing the genres of poetry, short story, the novel, and…

A study investigated the effects of specific guidelines in the taking and rating of tests of summarizing ability. The subjects were 63 native-Hebrew-speaking students enrolled in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses at the Seminar Hakibbutzim Teacher Training College in Tel Aviv (Israel). The subjects were given two sets of instructions…

Undergraduate English faculty and faculty in six graduate fields were surveyed about students' academic listening needs. The objectives were (1) to obtain perceptions of the importance to academic success of various listening skills and activities, (2) to assess the degree to which both native and non-native speakers experience difficulties with…

A review of literature serves as the basis for a discussion of various aspects of criterion-referenced tests. The aspects discussed are: teaching and evaluation objectives, criterion- and norm-referenced measurement, stages in construction of criterion-referenced tests, construction and selection of items, test validity, and test reliability.…

While language testing specialists agree on the importance of their field and that the intelligent application of language testing approaches, techniques, and methods to the classroom can improve the overall quality of language learning and teaching, that opinion may not be shared by teachers. Few teachers have training in language testing, and…

This manual is designed to accompany the student's text in a self-instructional course intended to assist the student in attaining a high degree of competence in French pronunciation and a basic knowledge of how French sounds correspond to the writing system. The material is divided into ten chapters. Each chapter has three parts: (1) conversation…

This volume contains six workshop papers, each of which deals with one or more aspects of communicative competence. These papers are primarily reports of certain techniques which have been found successful for teaching and testing the ability to communicate in a foreign language. "Communicative Competence: Safety Tips for Riders on the Latest…

Assessment of the Spanish-speaking bilingual child's language dominance is essential to bilingual education, but to date there is no universally accepted way of doing this. There are many tests on the market which purport to measure language dominance and achievement, and which involve various criteria and methods. This paper describes four tests,…

The "nuts and bolts" of test construction concern the following areas: (1) common problems in test construction, (2) successful test formats, (3) specific testing concerns in the French individualized program (IFP) at the Ohio State University, and (4) references to help the test constructor. The specific problems considered deal with whether or…

This book covers various aspects of the "graded objectives movement" in England and is intended to help teachers understand the ideas behind the movement and to form working groups to implement it. Graded objectives are understood as those objectives which represent steps in a continuum that could be attempted by all learners who would…

A recent task force of the Speech Communication Association identified three situations in which native English speaking adults require communicative competence--occupation, citizenship, and maintenance. These situations give rise to five main contexts in which adult learners of English as a second language (ESL) need communicative proficiency:…

It is required by Michigan Public Act 294 that local school districts having an enrollment of 20 or more students of limited English-speaking ability establish and operate bilingual instruction programs, and that the State Board of Education approve a testing mechanism suitable for evaluating the proficiency in English language skills of students…