Among over 600 Arizona students in grades 1-8 in maintenance bilingual programs, fluent Spanish-speaking students outperformed limited-Spanish-speaking students on a measure of Spanish reading, mathematics, social studies, and science achievement; girls achieved higher reading scores than boys; and 16 of 18 grade mean scores were equal to or…

A total of 102 university English majors were administered 4 different language tests to form a General Language Proficiency measure against which the C-test was evaluated. Results confirmed its reliability and validity and also provided data on text difficulty/appropriateness, word structure, content, and different scoring methods. (13…

A study investigated the relationship between university students' individual writing process skill and product quality in Japanese and either English or Chinese. Results show no clear relationship between process and product but show similarity in writing process across languages and correlation between general Japanese language skill and written…

Reports on a process/product study undertaken to increase understanding of the nature of language instruction and its effect on language proficiency. Also discussed are a number of pedagogical issues arising from the study. (30 references)

A total of 951 school psychologists responded to a survey about language learning disabilities and speech/language referral practices. Findings suggest limited training about speech and language disorders and a need to develop greater awareness of appropriate assessment measures among school psychologists. (SLD)

Because of national concern about the effect of having basic college mathematics courses taught by so many international teaching assistants whose English skills may be limited, this paper reports on the use of language in teaching by regular college faculty, rather than teaching assistants, at Georgia State University. (eight references)…

German-speaking students, of differing ages and years of English instruction, were given two lexical decision tasks, one in German and one in English. Results showed that response time for German stimuli was related to age, whereas response speed for stimilus items in English was related more to experience with English as a Second Language than to…

This study surveyed 216 teachers of English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL), the majority of whom were nonnative speakers of English, concerning their language attitudes and self-image. It found that the higher the nonnative teacher's proficiency level in English, the less self-conscious, hesitant, and insecure they felt in the classroom.…

This article discusses the training of nonnative teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL), focusing on the need for such teachers to develop a high level of English language proficiency. A survey of Sri Lankan ESL teacher trainees found that most considered language proficiency to be the most important aspect of their curriculum. (12…

Researchers investigated Spanish learning outcomes for fluent and nonfluent limited-English-proficient Hispanic subjects in a maintenance bilingual program. Spanish reading and mathematics achievement were analyzed for each group using Texas norms. Both groups performed at or above the norms for 11 of 12 grade clusters for Spanish reading or…

A discussion of three years of French experimentation with foreign languages in the elementary schools looks at successes, lessons learned, and issues yet to be resolved, including expansion of languages taught, linguistic objectives of instruction, articulation with secondary education, program administration questions, and design of teacher…

How the ultimate proficiency in a second language is affected by the age at which learners begin learning the target language was studied. Results showed a striking difference in mean reaction time for native versus nonnative groups, even for early bilinguals. (16 references) (Author/LB)

A study found that trained standardized patients could provide a reliable assessment of English proficiency of foreign medical graduates by comparison with a standardized language test, but further research is needed to determine whether it is necessary to provide a clinical context for language assessment. (MSE)

Interviews with 6 English teachers and 71 Arab students studying English at a Saudi college of education revealed that student deficiencies in speaking English were related to negative attitudes toward speaking held by students, teachers, and peers; limited opportunities for speaking English; and inappropriate curriculum and teaching methods.…

Researchers investigated how prepared recent California State University teacher education graduates felt to teach limited English proficient (LEP) students. Results indicated subjects believed they had inadequate preparation in methods and adapting instruction in content areas. They felt they lacked opportunities to teach LEP students under the…