Concerns research in the use of cloze tests to measure a particular language skill when a standardized paper-and-pencil test is not an obviously appropriate validating instrument. The conversational cloze test proved to be superior to a written or prose cloze test in measuring the students' oral ability. Statistical tables are given. (Author/PJM)

Gives the format of a listening exercise in which students perform two tasks while listening to a dialog: they answer 15 true-false questions and they label the rooms of a house on a plan provided. The dialog was selected for naturalness, predictability, and distribution of reference words. (PJM)

Discusses various test types, and specifically the placement test for German as a foreign language at Bonn University, describing the segments: multiple-choice questions and "fill-in" dictations based on given texts. Test content varies according to students' nationality. Grading procedures are also described. (IFS/WGA)

This article analyzes how semantic differences between English and Japanese affect the discourse when Japanese speakers engage in negotiation in English, and how and to what degree English-language proficiency affects discourse. Results of the study show the importance of language and cultural knowledge in cross-cultural negotiation. (Auth/JL)

For teachers of English as a Second Language, there are two tools that must be kept honed to maintain professionalism: (1) the quality of skills in the language being taught, even for native speakers, and (2) willingness to learn or improve skills in other languages. Both can be important in providing a high-quality learning experience for others.…

Argues that tests have always been used as a means of political and social control. Maintains that test results are unreliable, especially at the extremes, that their predictive power is weak and that language testers need to be skeptical and need to insist on complete information on candidates' backgrounds for selection decision making. (10…

Evaluated the effectiveness of multimedia computer-assisted reading in business Chinese. The study concluded that the reading proficiency of second-year business Chinese learners can be much more efficiently achieved with the assistance of multimedia technology. (Author/JL)

Argues that coordinated language-learning sequences provide continuity for learners and clearer understandings about the interrelationships of curriculum, instruction, outcomes, and evaluation for teachers. The article discusses articulation in French, German, and Spanish programs; vertical models of articulation; horizontal articulation; program…

Describes an approach to lexical meaning in multilingual primary classrooms illustrated in the "Word-Weaving" project in a British school. Word weaving is a set of strategies to identify lexical demands of learning topics and to build opportunities for word meaning exploration into classroom discourse. (SLD)

Examined the use of the mutual exclusivity constraint in naming objects among young children monolingual in English or bilingual in English/Urdu or in English/Greek. The study used three tests of the constraint: disambiguation, rejection and restriction. Findings revealed that bilingual children used the constraint to a lesser extent than…

Examines perceived competence in a second language (L2) as a function of actual competence and language anxiety. Anglophone college students with varied competency in French completed scales of language anxiety and a modified version of the "can-do" test, which assessed their self-perceptions of competence on 26 French tasks. Findings indicate…

Considers different approaches to teaching culture within foreign language (FL) classes in Great Britain with the object of making a realistic suggestion on how to integrate language and culture. Particular focus is on FL students at the lower and intermediate levels, where cultural input is often omitted. (six references) (CK)

Examines the patterns found in repair-work behavior (e.g., apologies, excuses) in Austrian German as they relate to situational variables and cultural themes, using data collected from university students during closed role-play situations. Findings reveal a complex interplay of situational variables informing the repair-work behavior. (46…

Examines the effect annotation type has on second language incidental vocabulary retention in a multimedia reading setting. Compared three annotation types: text-only, picture-only, and a combination of the two. Indicates the combination group outperformed the text-only and picture-only groups on the immediate tests. There was significant…

Describes an extensive reading program conducted in three rural secondary or middle schools in Malaysia aimed at motivating the students to read extensively in English and helping them overcome their problems in understanding English texts as a means towards increasing their proficiency in the language. (Author/VWL)