The Test of Auditory Comprehension of Language was used to evaluate language comprehension of Chicano and Anglo kindergarten children in rural Wyoming. Children were tested upon entering kindergarten and after 20 weeks of regular instruction. Both groups made significant gains; Anglo children did significantly better than Chicanos on both tests.…

Evaluation of mastery at the various stages of language acquisition is more appropriately carried out through the use of creative testing on hybrid achievement tests, which retain certain features of achievement tests and incorporate proficiency-based tasks that require authentic communicative language use. (Author/CB)

Describes processes of facilitation involved in exolingual conversation (interactions between persons who are dynamically adjusting their respective linguistic performances) between foreign language learners and native speakers, concluding that such behavior is dynamic and creative, and incapable of being described and defined within predetermined…

A study of native English-speakers' (N=36) and English-as-a-second-language students' (N=60) understanding of conjunctions while reading indicated that more advanced ESL students were more capable of inferencing or using available logical relationships than were intermediate ESL students. (Author/CB)

Data on the early prediction of learning problems was summarized by a meta analysis of 58 studies reporting correlations between measures administered in kindergarten or first grade and later reading achievement. The best single predictors of achievement were attention-distractibility, internalizing behavior problems, and language variables.…

Gives results of a national survey of foreign language teachers, department chairpersons, and state coordinators and consultants to find out their most pressing questions about foreign language teaching and learning. Respondents' concerns included testing and evaluation, promoting interest in foreign language study, developing oral proficiency in…

Describes the development of the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) Test specifications and the performance of each item type during administration of the test in other countries. Innovative formats such as multiple-choice cloze and multiple-choice dictation are discussed and described. In addition, the findings of a validity study…

Describes language lab listening activity designed to serve needs of the English as a second language class comprised of students at different levels of language proficiency, divergent native languages, multicultural backgrounds, and varying levels of formal education. Multilevel tasks are drawn from a common text, allowing students to do…

This is the first book to present a practical, problem-solving approach and hands-on tools and techniques for assessing English-language learners and culturally diverse students in K-12 settings. It meets a crucial need among practitioners and special educators working in today's schools. Provided are research-based, step-by-step procedures for…

This paper uses a sociohistorical lens to examine complex issues surrounding language-in-education policy in Micronesia. It is motivated by the realization that language policy and practice in this region, like many other parts of the world significantly impacted by outside contact, rarely align. This is especially evident in contexts where…

The present study examines college students' English contact, which is one of the individual difference factors in foreign language learning. Exposure to a foreign language has been emphasized as one of the crucial conditions in order to achieve proficiency in that language (Dornyei & Skehan, 2003; Freeman, 1999). On the other hand, the lack…

This digest reports on a study that examined the impact of participation in a two-way immersion program on the language and achievement outcomes of former program participants and on their current schooling path and college plans. The study explored outcomes for three groups of students: (1) Hispanic students who began the two-way program as…

This pamphlet explains the U.S. Department of Education's mission to ensure equal access to education and promote educational excellence. The Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students (OELA) provides national leadership in promoting English language proficiency…

This paper examines the demographic and socioeconomic patterns of 7 Mexican-origin and U.S.-born subgroups living in 13 midwestern states in 1990. Mexican-born immigrants are categorized into five subgroups based on the period of U.S. entry: pre-1965, 1965-74, 1975-81, 1982-86, and 1987-90. U.S.-born Mexican Americans (as well as those born abroad…

Quantitative educational research with ethnic minorities has a long history, characterized by assumptions that are still operative, such as the assumption that the white male is the standard against which other groups should be compared. It has also been assumed that assessment instruments are applicable across all groups, and that sources of…