Discusses some common misconceptions about foreign language learning and the foreign language teaching profession. Lists some basic needs for the profession if language education is to continue to be developed and promoted. (EKN)

Describes the planning for and the presentation of the first language career workshop at a college in California. The workshop was publicized in the college and in the community. The four panelists spoke for 45 minutes then answered questions for one hour on career opportunities for persons proficient in foreign languages. (AMH)

Investigated the effects of preferred play partnership on the conversational competence of preschool children. In general, preferred partners appeared to use language more effectively while playing. (Author/RH)

Examines the hypothesis that there are fundamental differences between using language in different situations or for different purposes and that these differences may be accounted for in terms of the requirements of the task to be solved, on the basis of knowledge represented in a particular way. (Author/MES)

Describes project whose purpose is specification of second-language communication needs for a large category of employees of the Public Service of Canada. Results were used to design and develop tests for evaluation of communicative proficiency in a second language. (Author/BK)

Describes a testing program initiated by the University of New Brunswick (Saint John Campus) to evaluate the French proficiency level of their students according to norms standardized throughout Canada. The evaluators used the Public Service Commission tests which were administered to a group of volunteer students for two succeeding years.…

Presents interview questions and procedures for determining the verbal proficiency levels of new English as a second language (ESL) students. (SK)

Attempts to distinguish factors which contribute to low educational attainment by Hispanic American children. Studies the variables of socioeconomic background and English language proficiency with respect to final educational outcomes. (APM)

Describes study conducted using high school foreign language students to identify and examine effects on learning of three learning strategies--practicing, monitoring, and inferencing. Results suggest strategies have positive role in classroom, but their use is related to attitude not aptitude of language learner.

Describes second language testing methods including discrete-point tests, integrative tests, criterion-referenced testing, FSI test of oral proficiency, tests of functional ability. No way has yet been found to reliably measure communicative competence in second languages. (BK)

Presents a system for coding and analyzing dialogue involving preschool age children. Each participant assumes roles of initiator and responder and is evaluated according to different scales. Illustrates the system through recorded dialogue between mothers and their three-year-old daughters. (Author/BK)

While proficiency tests make a positive statement about the language ability of those who pass, it says nothing about those who don't. Since the proficiency test's questions are too general, a "sufficiency" test was developed to determine if students had "enough" English to meet the needs that motivated their study. (PJM)

Examines the relationship between proficiency in oral language and later school performance--particularly in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Subjects were 74 five and six year olds enrolled in preschool programs in Texas. (MP)

Measurement (using Carol Chomsky's methodology) of the acquisition of five complex English structures by adult Israeli and Egyptian learners reveals that first and second language learners of English encounter similar difficulties. The creative construction hypothesis can be applied to second as well as first language acquisition. (PMJ)

In examining the Kopchuk case (dismissal of an industrial arts teacher due to lack of French language competence) the author asserts that school boards should make reasonable efforts to retain proven teachers (including retraining and leave of absence) where dismissal would occur for reasons other than incompetence or insubordination. (MB)