Discusses the development of an interview test of English proficiency in the 0 to 1+ range on the Australian Second Language Proficiency Rating Scale. Items were written toward 29 specified objectives using specially developed algorithms. A sample set of algorithms used in one of the tests and 23 references are appended. (Author/LMO)

Reviews and comments on the syllabus and lower level examinations held in German used by the Institute of Linguists. Topics include target groups, task-based proficiency examinations, skills examined in L2, skill integration in L2, language integration, task briefs, a listening test, oral tests, and cultural awareness. (CK)

Given the growing numbers of limited-English-proficient students in American schools, it is necessary to evaluate particular teaching methods for mathematics. The importance of teachers' awareness of language-related issues in math is emphasized. (Contains 21 references.) (LB)

A set of recommendations is offered for using portfolio assessment with elementary and secondary limited-English-proficient students. Characteristics of an exemplary portfolio procedure are described along with a rationale for monitoring students' language development and a planning model. (Contains 42 references.) (LB)

By order of the Civil Service Commission of Belgium, Didascalia, the University of Antwerp developed an adaptive system for evaluating second-language proficiency. A computer model based on probability and information theory was developed; the first module of the ATLAS test currently assesses approximately 15,000 civil servants yearly. (one…

Investigated pragmatic declarative and procedural knowledge as realized by routine formulas and conversational strategies with 19 American college students learning German as a Second Language. The results suggest that language instruction that has the goal of developing metapragmatic declarative and procedural knowledge results in real progress…

Reports on reaction time experiments investigating subject-verb agreement and null subjects in 33 Korean learners of German and a control group of 20 German native speakers. Results found that the two phenomena do not covary in the Korean learners, indicating that properties of agreement and null subjects are acquired separately from one another.…

Reports a study that investigated syllable duration and pausing in Chinese speakers learning English as a Second Language. (nine references) (JL)

Discusses the development and use of a computer-adaptive test (CAT) for learners of Chinese. Each time the examinee answers a question, the CAT program registers the answer and, based on the examinee's response, decides whether the next question should be harder or easier. (23 references) (MDM)

The prepositional phrases used in free play discourse by 45 African American preschoolers from low-income homes were analyzed. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between amounts of African American English (AAE) form use and relational semantic complexity. No significant relationships were found between simpler…

Studied effects of an interactive book-reading program with children attending day-care centers whose language development was delayed by 10 months. Children were read to by teachers and parents; read to by parents only; or in a control group. Educationally and statistically significant effects of the reading intervention were found at posttest…

Examined the use and importance of lectal power among candidates interviewed for admittance to a teacher education college in multilingual Singapore. At the syntactic level, the competent or incompetent use of syntactic features such as tag nouns chosen by the interviewees revealed the extent of the lectal power in their possession. (27…

The involvement of culturally and linguistically diverse parents is critical to meeting the unique educational needs of their children. The main points discussed are effective communication, comfort level of parents, barriers between school and parents, and parental literacy. The goal is ultimately to involve these parents in educational decision…

Describes the author's efforts to use the ideas of the psychologist Vygotsky to build on the home language skills of young bilingual children in England and to turn communication breakdowns into learning opportunities. Talking to children about the forms of speech and their roles in communication can accelerate conceptual development. (SLD)

Examined the language learning strategies employed by 374 English-as-a-Second-Language students at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) instrument. Results found higher overall strategy use by women than by men and significant differences by proficiency level and gender in students'…