Current practice in language testing has not yet integrated classical test theory with assessment of language skills. In addition, language testing needs to be part of theory development. Lack of sound testing procedures can lead to problems in research design and ultimately, inappropriate theory development. The debate over dimensionality of…

A study conducted in the intensive English language program at Indiana University investigated: (1) the effects of students' language learning background (formal learning of English, exposure to and use of English in class, and extracurricular exposure to and use of English) on their performance on the Test of English as a Foreign Language…

This paper focuses on the issue of whether pedagogical mediation will facilitate the acquisition of conversational skills. It argues that it is possible to describe casual conversation, that it has a grammatical structure, and that it is of benefit to English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners for the structure of conversation to be explicitly…

This publication presents an overview of international teaching assistant (TA) training programs at universities in the United States, along with analyses of major themes that emerge from these program descriptions. Section 1, the bulk of the document, consists of one- to two-page descriptions of programs for international TAs that are in place at…

This paper describes Business Japanese (BJ), a HyperCard based tutorial designed as courseware for use in a third-year Japanese course at the University of Texas, Austin (UTA). A major objective was to develop good courseware based on proven language learning theory that would integrate theory, practice, and technology. BJ stresses a realistic and…

A study compared demographic and test data on the Vietnamese mothers or primary caregivers of Amerasian offspring (hereafter, Amerasian mothers) with those of non-Amerasian peers at the Philippine Refugee Processing Center. Eight hypotheses concerning the educational level, illiteracy rate, English language skills, husband's education, and…

The symposium from which these papers are gathered was one component of the Assessment of Bilingual Persons Project to pursue research on the nature of language proficiency and to keep teachers informed of related assessment issues for classroom assessment improvement. The papers include: "A Sociolinguistic/Discourse Approach to the…

A study compared the foreign language proficiency levels and language and cultural attitudes of students involved in two kinds of elementary school Spanish language programs: immersion and Foreign Language in the Elementary School (FLES). The study also investigated the variation in achievement among children in the same program. Fifth and sixth…

A longitudinal study examined how long it took 23,044 limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in grades K-12 in New York City to lose their legally-mandated entitlement to bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes. Findings show that although most students in the population of new-entrant LEP students will lose their entitlement…

The oral proficiency scale of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) and the Educational Testing Service is reviewed as an instrument for measuring the levels of language proficiency for college undergraduates and high school students. The scale is a modification of the U.S. Government's Foreign Service Institute Scale,…

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) measures the English language proficiency of foreign students who apply for higher education in the United States. It is administered according to a strict schedule through the International and Special Center (I&SC) testing program or at ad hoc intervals by institutional users as part of the…

Developments in one major corporation's ongoing program to evaluate employees' English language proficiency are discussed. The testing program was developed by the multinational E. I. DuPont de Nemours corporation for use with international employees. The history and rationale for the selection of the five English tests used are outlined, the…

This publication is a framework for the development of local curricula that will integrate principles of second language acquisition with New York State program requirements and the Board of Regent's goals for elementary and secondary education. The syllabus places emphasis on communicative proficiency and the understanding and appreciation of…

A survey was conducted to learn more about the population of immigrant amnesty applicants in California, which comprises 55% of the population nationwide applying for legalization through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Findings are reported separately, in most cases, for immigrants who have resided in the United States since…

The Netherlands' secondary education system is highly differentiated, with four different school types for four scholastic ability levels. Final examinations must accommodate these four levels, and require a test-independent definition of the intended final ability levels as well as a sample-free evaluation of the range of ability levels at which…