The test development plan described here is an outgrowth of a 3-year California state project to address the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) placement needs of adult education agencies in the state. The test development plan provides specific directions for the development of operational instruments anchored to the state's standards, and…

This digest discusses the unprecedented U.S. need for individuals with highly developed competencies in English and one or more other languages and the untapped language resource: heritage language speakers. Sections address the range of proficiencies of heritage language speakers, the fragility of heritage languages, the limitations of current…

The ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners expand on the second language proficiency guidelines established in 1982 by focusing on second language use by students who participate in elementary, middle, and high school foreign language programs. Unlike adult language users, K-12…

The task of teaching grammar in language courses is difficult because many American students lack a thorough grounding in the structure of their own language that could serve as a model framework for learning the grammar of another. It is helpful therefore for language teachers to stress parallel structures in the two languages, and to introduce…

Failure to progress on the language proficiency scale is often due to lack of linguistic accuracy. Even motivated students are sometimes unable to improve proficiency ratings beyond a particular level. Pedagogical factors contributing to this problem include: focus on form and meaning at the same time; fossilization; overuse of communicative…

Discussion of oral communication between native and non-native speakers focuses on proficiency-related differences in interactions where the non-native speaker is experienced and those in which he is a novice. Research in oral proficiency development, discourse domains, and communication strategies is reviewed. It is argued that the ways in which…

This article describes the need for a test of the first 1,000 words of English, the essential vocabulary for simplified teaching material. It examines the development of basic word lists and the difficulties involved in testing the first 1,000 words. It then presents 2 versions of a 40-item true/false test that can be used to determine what…

The purpose of this test is to evaluate a non-native speaking student's speaking knowledge of the basic structures of English, using the most frequently used words in the English Language. The test does not attempt to determine vocabulary level or student's ability to learn vocabulary effectively, rather the test focuses exclusively on aural/oral…

Faculty at McNeese State University (Louisiana) and local civic, educational, and cultural groups encouraged their community to commemorate the anniversary of the births of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, German scholars who recorded fairy tales, myths, legends, and folk songs that are now an important part of the western world's cultural heritage,…

A study investigated success and efficiency of second language learners at varying proficiency levels in communicating intended meaning, including examination of factors contributing to communication breakdown and delay. Three groups of adults (native English-speakers and low- and high-proficiency learners of English as a Second Language)…

The dangers of translation are discussed when the translator does not try to create textual equivalence, but settles for formal correspondence (i.e., with simple transcoding at a linguistic level) during the process of translating. Difficulties of explaining, commenting, or summarizing rather than translating are also discussed. Pedagogical and…

Since the initial inquiry into oral proficiency and oral proficiency testing by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) in 1981, the growing interest in this form of testing is evidenced by increased participation in workshops, conference sessions, and training sessions devoted to it. Intensive language programs and an…

The phenomenon of limited bilingual language proficiency is reported to have negative academic and/or cognitive consequences, especially among Mexican-American minority language students. Where such students have been diagnosed, fears of concomitant congitive retardation are also expressed. Research was undertaken to understand the phenomenon…

Discusses the contemporary abuse of language in communicative behavior and in literature, and suggests that the speech profession concern itself with the aesthetic use of language as well as with messages and message sending. (MH)

Factors affecting student listening comprehension include those inherent - age, IQ, hearing ability, knowledge of the foreign language, memory - and those relating to material - content, complexity, length, use of visual clues. Suggestions are made for adapting text material to effective listening exercises. (CHK)