Purpose: This study compared English grammatical performance of bilingual school-age children who spoke either Spanish or Vietnamese at home, focusing on their first-language influence on the acquisition of 13 English grammatical forms. Method: Scores from 30 children on a cloze task were analyzed for accuracy, developmental patterns, and error…

Drawing from an overview of cloze research, this paper sets forth the thesis that the validity of the cloze technique and its usefulness as a measuring device have been clearly established, but its usefulness as a teaching device has not been so determined. Salient points of research are summarized as follows: (1) if rates of developing…

Error patterns identified in cloze tests for independent, instructional, and frustration reading levels could be useful in diagnostic work and placing of students in appropriate reading levels. (Editor)

Describes the advantages of the Cloze procedure for teaching composition where the context is restricted, i.e., in writing business letters and reports. Advantages include: ease of administration, no marking, immediate knowledge of results, feedback to teacher, adaptable scoring system, flexibility, opportunity for student correction, and…

This paper presents some reasons for reconsidering the use of discrete structure-point tests of language proficiency, and suggests an alternative basis for designing proficiency tests. Discrete point tests are one of the primary tools of the audio-lingual method of teaching a foreign language and are based on certain assumptions, including the…

In response to the need for dynamic foreign language materials with a communicative focus, this report addresses the relationship between learner characteristics and success in language learning. It suggests that a self-pacing individualized option should be available to students to deal with unique problems. The problems may be dealt with by…