UNDER TITLE VI OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION ACT THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (MLA) UNDERTOOK IN 1960 TO PREPARE A SERIES OF TESTS IN FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, RUSSIAN. AND SPANISH FOR USE OF TWO LEVELS--(1) AFTER THE 2D YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL LANGUAGE STUDY, OR THE SECOND SEMESTER IN COLLEGE, AND (2) AFTER THE 4TH YEAR OF HIGH…

THIS HANDBOOK IS TO GUIDE SCHOOL PERSONNEL IN DEVELOPING OR EVALUATING STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS IN HIGH SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY IN MICHIGAN. CHAPTER 1 CONSISTS OF A DISCUSSION OF THE EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL OBJECTIVES FOR EXCHANGE PROGRAMS. CHAPTER 2 LISTS THE PROGRAMS SUCCESSFULLY OPERATING IN MICHIGAN, AND DISCUSSES THE RESPONSIBILITIES…

A collection of tests measuring language proficiency and/or language dominance is described; twenty-eight of the tests are commercially available and twelve are available from non-commercial sources. There are no evaluative judgments made. The descriptive information for each test includes: title; author; where to order (or where to inquire, for…

A contribution to the debate on innate factors in children's language acquisition is rendered by cross-linguistic comparisons of children's languages. Russian, for example, is sufficiently different from English to serve as a useful contrast. Early syntactic development is very much the same in both languages. A small class of "pivot words" and a…

The speaker addresses some concerns he, as a representative of private enterprise, has about education and the country. He sees a number of changes that have taken place since the founding of the country that may have brought about a crisis of the American promise. These changes have taken place in three areas: in the decline of our belief in…

In this paper the author hopes to "persuade methodologists and foreign language teachers to attack the problem of foreign language acquisition" from what he considers to be a "more strategic angle." He is concerned with how language proficiency, rather than the individual skills, can be taught. The author doubts whether it is…

Redundancy in language reduces the possiblity of error and permits communication where there is interference in the communicating channel. The relationship between creativity (the basic distinction between language-like behavior and knowing a language) and redundancy has been clearly established. Knowledge of rules is the key factor in creativity…

This study investigated the hypothesis that high level language proficiency is associated with low observable aggression and low language proficiency is associated with high aggression. Sixteen black and eight Puerto Rican male fifth graders were the subjects of a test of this hypothesis. Four variables were examined: language proficiency,…

This test booklet is divided into four parts: (1) Oral Comprehension of Commands; (2) Visual Oral Comprehension; (3) Oral Comprehension of Common Verbs; and (4) Oral Questions. General instructions and teachers' instructions for grading are given in English and instructions for the student in Spanish. There are eight double pictures which are to…

Examined were the effects of the elicitor on the language obtained from nine language-impaired children (3 to 6-years-old) in a clinical setting. (Author/IM)

Discusses the teaching of interpretation. The importance of delayed interpretation, as opposed to simultaneous interpretation, is stressed, because of the emphasis on semantic meaning. (Text is in Spanish.) (NCR)

A test instrument which can be economically administered and scored is described here. The test was used for research purposes in Nigeria to measure proficiency in English of Yoruba-speaking students. (CHK)

A discussion of Krashen's monitor theory and its applications to foreign language teaching includes consideration of the very important role input plays in language development and examination of the relationship between the development of grammatical competence and traditional instruction in grammar. (CB)

The concepts of language acquisition and interlanguage as they relate to second language teaching methods are discussed. The aim of such teaching should be error-free communicative competence. Formal teaching is not enough to ensure a high level of proficiency. (CB)

Argues against the current oral proficiency testing approach in favor of an approach in which researchers come to understand what it means for real speakers to interact with each other in the everyday world of human activity. Problematic trends are addressed, and a principled theory of oral proficiency is identified. (DJD)