Since the writing section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) computer based test (CBT) is a single-prompt essay test, it is very important to ensure that each prompt is as fair as possible to any subgroups of examinees, such as those with different native language backgrounds. A particular topic of interest in this study is the…

This paper reports the results of generalizability theory (G) analyses done for new writing and speaking tasks for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For writing, a special focus was placed on evaluating the impact on the reliability of the number of raters (or ratings) per essay (one or two) and the number of tasks (one, two, or…

This study examines the score dependability of writing and speaking assessments from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) from the perspectives of univariate and multivariate generalizability theory (G-theory) and presents the findings of three separate G-theory studies. For writing, the focus was on evaluating the impact on…

A study was carried on to analyze a data set in order to determine whether evidence can be found to support or refute the unitary factor hypothesis of language proficiency, which asserts that there is a single language dimension or factor underlying different language tests. The subjects were 50 advanced adult learners of English as a second…

Findings are presented from the Teachers Language Skills Survey, the first national survey undertaken to estimate how many teachers currently employed in public schools have the backgrounds, experience, education, and skills needed to teach students with limited-English proficiency. Information was gathered on teachers teaching in the 1976-77…

This study was conducted to evaluate the tests developed by elementary foreign language teachers of French, Japanese, and Spanish in a school district in South Carolina. The tests were designed to determine the level of end-of-year student learning and to provide a basis for evaluating the curriculum of each of the three languages. The French and…

The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective way to prepare teacher candidates to work with English learners and students with disabilities by surveying teacher candidate perceptions regarding their preparation. A forty-item instrument was developed probing teacher candidates? perceptions of their level of preparation for working…

The aim of this paper is to investigate the factors involved in applying multimedia in teaching English as a foreign language. In particular, it deals with the non-courseware factors affecting the use of multimedia in improving the pronunciation and oral communications skills of students majoring in English for Specific Purposes at the Jordan…