Viewing language learning as another skill acquisition process allows correction to be seen differently. An "error" occurs when knowledge is faulty, a "mistake" when only the performance is faulty. Mistakes can be corrected when (1) the student desires correction; (2) knows what is correct; (3) knows a mistake has occurred; and…

Determines the accuracy of teacher judgment of the oral proficiency of pupils in French and Spanish high school classes. Results indicate that (1) teachers consistently overrate pupil performance and (2) the letter grade of the student in the foreign language class severely biases the accuracy of the teacher's judgment regardless of actual oral…

Describes the study of learning strategies employed by successful (defined in terms of oral communicative abilities) Chinese learners of English. These strategies are compared to those of less successful learners and those of other population types from other studies. The test of oral communicative abilities is described. A strategies…

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…