Describes a study of the development of a new oral proficiency test which could replace the existing English as a Foreign Language Oral Matriculation test in Israel. The deficiencies of the existing Oral Matriculation test are specified, and the components of the experimental test are described. (Author/SED)

EFL learners from three language institutes in Brazil answered the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning--SILL--to self-report how they go about learning English. They emerged as balanced users of various strategies with a tendency to use metacognitive and social strategies to learn the language. This tendency, further reinforced by factor…

This handbook for Iowa school districts was first published many years ago. Since that time, several significant sociopolitical and educational changes have occurred. For example, there has been an increase in the number of languages and cultures represented both in Iowa and in the political arenas of the nation. Immigrants and refugees from…

The purpose of this paper is to review the theoretical and empirical literature relevant to language performance assessment. Following a definition of performance assessment, this paper considers: (1) theoretical assumptions underlying performance assessment; (2) purposes of performance assessment; (3) performance assessment procedures; (4) merits…

This collection of papers presents research on language processing among second language learners and bilinguals. The nine papers include the following: (1) "The Bilingual's Language Modes" (Francois Grosjean); (2) "The Voicing Contrast in English and Spanish: The Relationship between Perception and Production" (Mary L. Zampini…

In the past decade over 30,000 young college graduates from overseas have been employed in Japan by the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET). The stated goals of the program are to enhance foreign language education, to internationalize the country's viewpoint, and to promote mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. This study…

This paper examines both overseas and domestic tests of English speaking ability from the viewpoint of the crucial testing elements such as definition of speaking ability, validity, reliability, and practicality. The paper points out problems to be solved and proposes suggestions for constructing an oral proficiency test in order to determine the…

The Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP) developed and field-tested the REEP Family Literacy Curriculum during the REEP Family English and Learning Project. The project was intended to help parents improve their English language skills and increase their involvement with their children's schooling. The curriculum was developed to…

This digest focuses on teaching Spanish to native or Hispanic heritage language students in the United States. Heritage language students are students who speak another language (in this case Spanish) as their first language either because they were born in another country or because their families speak another language at home. The entrance of…

Part 1 of this document describes the background, format, and early groundwork that went into the development of a test sponsored entirely by private enterprise. The discipline imposed by a financial bottom line imposes special pressures but also offers new opportunities. This private enterprise model is a multi-constructional process where…

A study of limited-English-speaking Vietnamese children (K-12) showed that the best predictors of reading performance were grade, Vietnamese language background, amount of English spoken at home, higher level paternal occupation, and ESL class participation. Predictors not found significant included gender, siblings, television viewing, library…

Points out that the emphasis in English language teaching should shift from spoken to written English since international communication today generally means gaining access to written information. (CFM)

A study was conducted to determine the effect of different techniques used in teaching English as a second language to children in bilingual elementary schools. (CFM)

Discusses a survey designed to ascertain parent and student attitudes regarding second-language learning in high school and to determine the popularity of Indonesian, if offered. Findings reveal that Japanese is the preferred language, parental attitude is important, cultural background greatly influences language preference and students…

Reports on a study of adult learners' use of the simple past tense that showed that past tense acquisition occurs in stages determined by the lexical aspects of verbs. The article also describes a pedagogical approach for increasing accurate past tense use through contextualized examples in authentic texts and focused noticing exercises. (Contains…