This research is a practical investigation of the effectiveness of the methods and modes which have been used to increase the listening comprehension skills of Chinese speakers learning English as a second language (ESL). A twelve-minute videotape, "Hawaii, Chinese Style," was chosen for the experiment because the language was authentic…

A selection of seven articles on teaching reading to high school students is presented in this report. The topics discussed are: (1) a structured approach to reading expository prose, (2) the effectiveness of sustained silent reading, (3) readability variations in secondary remedial high interest books, (4) the effects of previewing difficult…

Children residing in McLean County, Kentucky, and attending grades three through six who either had or had not attended kindergarten were compared in terms of academic aptitude, total reading, language expression, and math application scores on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). It was found that students who had attended kindergarten…

This study of a group of American teenagers living in Mexico uses a series of questionnaires to measure their degree of bilingualism (in English and Spanish) and biculturalism (in American and Mexican culture). The main hypotheses of this investigation were: (1) after five or more years in Mexico, the teenage subjects will be at least functionally…

The existence of a global language proficiency factor is discussed. This factor, cognitive/academic language proficiency (CALP), is directly related to IQ and to other aspects of academic achievement. It accounts for the bulk of reliable variance in a wide variety of language learning measures. Three propositions concerning CALP are reviewed. (1)…

This report discusses specific findings of a review of language training and requirements in the Department of Defense. It contains: (1) a letter to the Secretary of Defense from the Office of the Comptroller General of the U.S.; (2) an Appendix giving a description of the Defense Language Institute and an outline of areas that need improvement;…

THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES CANDIDATES WITH INFORMATION ON THE NATURE AND CONTENT OF THE TESTS, WHERE AND WHEN THEY ARE GIVEN, REGISTRATION PROCEDURES, HOW TO TAKE THE TESTS, AND MEANING AND USES OF TEST SCORES. THE TESTS MEASURE COMPETENCE IN THE AREAS OF LISTENING COMPREHENSION, SPEAKING, READING, WRITING, APPLIED LINGUISTICS, CIVILIZATION AND…

This is an evaluation of a Title VII Bilingual/Bicultural Education Program conducted in New York City in 1979-1980. Bilingual education was offered to Spanish, Greek, and Italian speaking students. The evaluation describes the features of the program and its goals for both English and Non English speaking students, and briefly outlines…

A Clovis, New Mexico, project designed to develop over five years a model English-Spanish bilingual program for limited English proficiency students from nursery school through grade 6 did not fully meet its objectives during the 1979-80 school year, the project's fifth and final year. One hundred forty students enrolled in grades 3-6 in two…

The Oral Language Proficiency Scale is used to determine initial placement of Spanish-speaking students in English as a second language (ESOL) programs, at one of five ESOL proficiency levels. Proficiency is assessed in four areas: oral comprehension, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. The scale is based on student responses to a 20-question…

In a survey of the Maori population of New Zealand, it was determined that the use of Maori is in alarming but not irreversible decline. The decline is most evident in urban areas, where Maori speakers face pressures from an English-speaking majority. Younger Maori were generally found to be less proficient than their older relatives. Even rural…

UNDERGRADUATE TEACHER-TRAINING IN LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES WITH HIGH MODERN LANGUAGE ENROLLMENTS AND GOOD GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION WAS SURVEYED WITH REGARD TO COURSE REQUIREMENTS, PRACTICE TEACHING, AND FUTURE TEACHER-TRAINING PLANS. RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED FROM THE CHAIRMEN OF 335 FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENTS IN 244 COLLEGES. SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE…

Successful language study in college depends on intelligent placement of entering students. The types of placement tests must first be determined, then norms must be established by the specific college or university doing the placing. The variables affecting student achievement in high school language courses can serve as a guide for the student's…

State after state is wrestling with federal legislation's mandate to respond to the needs of students whose native language is not English. Much ambiguity, confusion, and frustration surrounds the issue of bilingual-bicultural education. This paper begins by describing the confusion which often surrounds the English component in a bilingual…

This monograph consists of the foreign language sections of the seven "Mental Measurements Yearbooks" (1938-1972) and "Tests in Print II" (1974). The brief foreign language test descriptions from TIP II, totaling 105, are provided first, followed by the lengthier reviews, which total 184, from each of the seven MMYs. In…