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| foreign language proficiency test: Foreign Language Proficiency in Higher Education Paula Winke, Susan M. Gass, 2018-12-18 This volume comprises of chapters that deal with language proficiency relating to a wide range of language program issues including curriculum, assessment, learners and instructors, and skill development. The chapters cover various aspects of a broad-based proficiency initiative, focusing on numerous aspects of foreign language learning, including how skills develop, how assessments can inform curriculum, how learners and instructors view proficiency and proficiency assessment, and how individual use of technology furthers language learning. The concluding chapter points the way forward for issues and questions that need to be addressed. |
| foreign language proficiency test: A Principled Approach to Language Assessment National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Committee on Foreign Language Assessment for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, 2020-09-19 The United States is formally represented around the world by approximately 14,000 Foreign Service officers and other personnel in the U.S. Department of State. Roughly one-third of them are required to be proficient in the local languages of the countries to which they are posted. To achieve this language proficiency for its staff, the State Department's Foreign Service Institute (FSI) provides intensive language instruction and assesses the proficiency of personnel before they are posted to a foreign country. The requirement for language proficiency is established in law and is incorporated in personnel decisions related to job placement, promotion, retention, and pay. A Principled Approach to Language Assessment: Considerations for the U.S. Foreign Service Institute evaluates the different approaches that exist to assess foreign language proficiency that FSI could potentially use. This report considers the key assessment approaches in the research literature that are appropriate for language testing, including, but not limited to, assessments that use task-based or performance-based approaches, adaptive online test administration, and portfolios. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Testing Academic Language Proficiency Marco Mezzadri, 2017 This book focuses on the development of the process of teaching and assessing foreign language competence for study purposes in a pluricultural and plurilingual context. It addresses not only the individual who is learning the language for academic purposes (LAP), but also other stakeholders, like teachers, schools and universities, and external boards, such as examination boards for language testing. The book highlights an ongoing research project at the University of Parma, Italy, aimed at developing teaching programs and evaluative tools for language for academic purposes. Starting from a reflection upon the nature of language for study purposes stemming from the tradition of English for Academic Purposes, it describes the model of an LAP test implemented in Italian secondary schools and universities, and shows the findings concerning the performance in the test of both students whose mother tongue is Indo-European and those who speak non-Indo-European languages. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Language Testing Robert Lado, 1964 |
| foreign language proficiency test: The Construct of Language Proficiency Ludo Verhoeven, John H. A. L. de Jong, 1992-01-01 This books aims to open up new perspectives in the study of language proficiency by bringing together current research from different fields in psychology and linguistics. All contributions start out from empirical studies, which are then related to applications in language assessment. The book also serves as a survey of recent developments in psycholinguistic research in the Netherlands. The book starts out with a thorough introduction of international literature on models of language proficiency, language development and its assessment. Section 1 deals with first language proficiency and addresses such problems as grammar in early child language, grammatical proficiency and its (in)variance across a range of ages, reading abilities, and writing skills. Section 2 focuses on multilingual proficiency and deals with test bias in relation to the background of the second language learner, bilingual proficiency in ethnic minority children, the development of the second language learner lexicon, communicative competence of school-age children in the context of second language learning, the assessment of foreign language attrition and the dimensionality in oral foreign language proficiency. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Diagnosing Foreign Language Proficiency J. Charles Alderson, 2006-11-01 This book addresses the need for tests that can diagnose the strengths and weaknesses in learners' developing foreign language proficiency. It presents the rationale for, and research surrounding, the development of DIALANG, a suite of internet-delivered diagnostic foreign language tests funded by the European Commission. The word 'diagnosis' is common in discussions in language education and applied linguistics, but very few truly diagnostic tests exist. However, the diagnosis of foreign language proficiency is central to helping learners make progress. This volume explores the nature of diagnostic testing, emphasizing the need for a better understanding of the nature of appropriate diagnosis. The book starts with a debate about how diagnostic testing might most appropriately be developed. Charles Alderson argues that the field has neglected to construct diagnostic tests, partly because other forms of testing have dominated the field. Alderson examines how proficiency has been diagnosed in the key areas of language: reading, listening, writing, grammar and vocabulary. The value of self-assessment is discussed and exemplified as a key component in developing learners', and teachers', awareness of the complexity of language learning. The book ends with a consideration of and recommendations for future developments in the diagnosis of foreign language proficiency. |
| foreign language proficiency test: English Language Proficiency Assessments for Young Learners Mikyung Kim Wolf, Yuko Goto Butler, 2017-05-25 English Language Proficiency Assessments for Young Learners provides both theoretical and empirical information about assessing the English language proficiency of young learners. Using large-scale standardized English language proficiency assessments developed for international or U.S. contexts as concrete examples, this volume illustrates rigorous processes of developing and validating assessments with considerations of young learners’ unique characteristics. In this volume, young learners are defined as school-age children from approximately 5 to 13 years old, learning English as a foreign language (EFL) or a second language (ESL). This volume also discusses innovative ways to assess young learners’ English language abilities based on empirical studies, with each chapter offering stimulating ideas for future research and development work to improve English language assessment practices with young learners. English Language Proficiency Assessments for Young Learners is a useful resource for students, test developers, educators, and researchers in the area of language testing and assessment. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Second Handbook of English Language Teaching Xuesong Gao, 2019-10-23 The Second Handbook of English Language Teaching provides a comprehensive examination of policy, practice, research and theory related to English language teaching in international contexts. Over 70 chapters focus on the research foundation for best practices, frameworks for policy decisions, and areas of consensus and controversy in second-language acquisition and pedagogy. In countries around the globe, English has become the second language taught most frequently and intensively. In many countries, particularly in Asia, government policies have made English a part of the curriculum from primary school on. Demand for English teaching by parents and adult learners is fueled by the desire to increase economic competitiveness, globalization of the workforce, immigration, and a move toward lifelong learning. Immigration has led to an increased demand for English-language teaching even in countries where English is the dominant language. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Local Language Testing Slobodanka Dimova, Xun Yan, April Ginther, 2020-02-20 Local Language Testing: Design, Implementation, and Development describes the language testing practice that exists in the intermediate space between large-scale standardized testing and classroom assessment, an area that is rarely addressed in the language testing and assessment literature. Covering both theory and practice, the book focuses on the advantages of local tests, fosters and encourages their use, and provides suggested ideas for their development and maintenance. The authors include examples of operational tests with well-proven track records and discuss: the ability of local tests to represent local contexts and values, explicitly and purposefully embed test results within instructional practice, and provide data for program evaluation and research; local testing practices grounded in the theoretical principles of language testing, drawing from experiences with local testing and providing practical examples of local language tests, illustrating how they can be designed to effectively function within and across different institutional contexts; examples of how local language tests and assessments are developed for use within a specific context and how they serve a variety of purposes (e.g., entry-level proficiency testing, placement testing, international teaching assistant testing, writing assessment, and program evaluation). Aimed at language program directors, graduate students, and researchers involved in language program development and evaluation, this is a timely book in that it focuses on the advantages of local tests, fosters and encourages their use, and outlines their development and maintenance. It constitutes essential reading for language program directors, graduate students, and researchers involved in language program development and evaluation. |
| foreign language proficiency test: How to Improve Your Foreign Language Immediately Boris Shekhtman, 2003 This book provides a unique set of tools designed to enhance an individual's success in communicati0n in a foreign language environment. The devices presented allow the speaker of a foreign language to demonstrate the level of his/her language more impressively. These techniques were developed and tested by the author with adult professionals in such varied fields as journalism, diplomacy, government, and international business. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Aligning Frameworks of Reference in Language Testing Erwin P. Tschirner, 2012 |
| foreign language proficiency test: Raising Global Children Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, Marshall S. Berdan, 2013-11-01 Today’s children need to develop a global mindset – an indispensable tool for success. Together, as parents and educators, we must instill in our children an interest in learning about the world early on. Raising Global Children provides the rationale and concrete steps you can take to open up the world to young people – and to do so in a fun and entertaining way without spending a whole lot of money. Packed with practical information, hundreds of tips and dozens of real-life stories, this combination parenting-educational advocacy book is the first of its kind to detail what raising global children means, why global awareness is important and how to develop a global mindset. Inside the pages of Raising Global Children, the authors make a strong case for the importance of both small and big ways that adults can influence and shape the development of a global mindset in children, including: Encouraging curiosity, empathy, flexibility and independence Supporting learning a second language as early as possible Exploring culture through books, food, music and friends Expanding a child’s world through travel at home and abroad Helping teens to spread their own global wings Advocating for teaching global education in schools Enthusiastically praised by parents and professionals alike, Raising Global Children is filled with inspiring advice that will change the way you think about raising and educating children. Raising Global Children is published by The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), which is dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction. Find out more at www.actfl.org. PRAISE: “In the increasingly interconnected and competitive world that our young people find themselves in, Stacie and Mike Berdan’s Raising Global Children is one sure fire way for today’s busy parents to help give their kids a step up and get ahead.” —Curtis S. Chin, former U.S. Ambassador and international business executive Raising Global Children is an essential guide for preparing our children for a successful future in a globally competitive and interconnected world, one that is far different than the world we grew up in. —Diane Gulyas, President of DuPont Performance Polymers Raising Global Children is a book for parents who know the world is changing and want their children to experience it, embrace it and benefit from it. It is a must have guide for bringing up globally aware kids. —Carolyn Tieger, President of entrePReneur Communications, LLC “The Berdans have done an excellent job of outlining how adults can influence and shape the development of a global mindset among children. Raising Global Children clearly illustrates how parents and educators can open up the world to the young people in their lives by developing the necessary skills and attitude to fully embrace it!” —Marty Abbott, Executive Director, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages |
| foreign language proficiency test: Developing C-tests for Estimating Proficiency in Foreign Language Research John Norris, 2018 This book explores the development of C-tests for providing efficient measures of foreign language proficiency in eight different languages: Arabic, Bangla, Japanese, Korean, Turkish, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. These demonstrate innovative and rigorous test development practices in diverse languages. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Privacy and Abstraction: American Painting, Late Modernism, and the Phenomenal Self Christa Noel Robbins, 2010 It has been a common theme in histories of sixties and seventies art to contend that, with the advent of Minimalism in the early sixties, artists turned away from representations of artists' inner and private worlds and began to engage moving, perceiving bodies. Alex Potts, in an oft-quoted turn of phrase, termed this move away from represented and toward actual bodies, sixties art's phenomenological turn. In Privacy and Abstraction: American Painting, Late Modernism, and the Phenomenal Self, I demonstrate that, in fact, the postwar interest in the phenomenal self is inseparable from and dependent upon a postwar theorization of the self as private. Through an analysis of three instances of postwar conceptions of privacy--constitutional, bodily, and epistemological--in conjunction with three postwar pictorial techniques-- expressionism, post-painterly abstraction, and serial painting--I historicize the concept of privacy as it entered as a key term in defining modernist identities. Through this historicization, Privacy and Abstraction explains how a mid-twentieth-century concept of privacy and a distinctly phenomenological approach to the self coincide, not only historically, but also conceptually--a relation that is only legible, I demonstrate, in the context of the cold war discourse of privacy, which conceptualized privacy as an attribute of the phenomenal, publicly situated self. By rereading such canonical artists as Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Kenneth Noland, and Frank Stella in light of the shared cultural space that the subject of privacy illuminates, this dissertation rethinks the divisions that have long defined this period. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Making Languages Our Business American Council on the teaching of Foreign Languages, 2019-05-15 |
| foreign language proficiency test: Building a Validity Argument for the Test of English as a Foreign LanguageTM Carol A. Chapelle, Mary K. Enright, Joan M. Jamieson, 2011-04-06 The Test of English as a Foreign Language TM (TOEFL®) is used by more universities worldwide than any other test to assess English language proficiency for academic admission and placement decisions, and to guide English language instruction. This landmark volume provides a detailed description and analysis of Educational Testing Service’s research and development efforts to develop a major revision of the TOEFL® test. The result is a book that serves as a case study of test design drawing upon theory in the complex domain of English language proficiency while attempting to meet standards of educational measurement. Building a Validity Argument for the Test of English as a Foreign LanguageTM is distinctive in its attempt to develop a coherent story of the rationale for a test or its revision, explain the research and development process, and provide the results of the validation process. Through its treatment of one test, it expands on and tests principles and approaches to educational measurement, providing an in-depth, integrated perspective on the overall process of test revision. Moreover, because the conceptual foundation and history are presented alongside the empirical studies and validity argument, these sometimes disparate areas are presented in a way that demonstrates their connections – an approach which represents a departure from, or extension of, conventional materials on test revision. This volume is particularly relevant for professionals and graduate students in educational measurement, applied linguistics, and second language acquisition as well as anyone interested in assessment issues. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Prepare Yourself for the Chinese Language Proficiency Exam (HSK). Elementary Chinese Language Difficulty Levels Muhammad Wolfgang G. A. Schmidt, 2019-07-10 This book is the first part of a series of three textbooks to help Western students of Chinese prepare for the official Chinese Language Proficiency Test (HSK) in the People's Republic of China. It covers all the language material (Chinese characters, vocabulary, grammar points) required for the first two HSK exam levels 1 and 2 at the elementary stage of Chinese language studies, following the most recent official curricula and guidelines of the competent examination body (Hanban). These three essential material main areas of Chinese language studies are covered in depth and will help the student pass the respective language proficiency tests successfully. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Frontiers in Language Assessment and Testing Vahid Aryadoust, Thomas Eckes, Yo In’nami, 2020-12-30 This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Current Assessment Activities United States. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment, 1980 |
| foreign language proficiency test: Trends in Language Assessment Research and Practice Vahid Aryadoust, Janna Fox, 2016-02-29 Despite prodigious developments in the field of language assessment in the Middle East and the Pacific Rim, research and practice in these areas have been underrepresented in mainstream literature. This volume takes a fresh look at language assessment in these regions, and provides a unique overview of contemporary language assessment research. In compiling this book, the editors have tapped into the knowledge of language and educational assessment experts whose diversity of perspectives and experience has enriched the focus and scope of language and educational assessment in general, and the present volume in particular. The six ‘trends’ addressed in the 26 chapters that comprise this title consider such contemporary topics as data mining, in-class assessment, and washback. The contributors explore new approaches and techniques in language assessment including advances resulting from multidisciplinary collaboration with researchers in computer science, genetics, and neuroscience. The current trends and promising new directions identified in this volume and the research reported here suggest that researchers across the Middle East and the Pacific Rim are playing—and will continue to play—an important role in advancing the quality, utility, and fairness of language testing and assessment practices. |
| foreign language proficiency test: English Language Proficiency Testing in Asia Lily I-Wen Su, Cyril J. Weir, Jessica R. W. Wu, 2019-11-19 As the demand for English language education grows in Asia, there has been a parallel growth in the development and implementation of standardized tests at the local level. Offering much-needed context on locally produced tests in Asia, contributors examine emerging models for English language assessment and the impact these large-scale tests have on the teaching and learning of English. Chapters address the following well-known and developing high-stakes tests in different regions across Asia: the GEPT, the TEPS, the VSTEP, the CET, the EIKEN and TEAP, and the ELPA. Brought together by world-renowned testing assessment scholar Cyril Weir and the Language Training and Testing Center (LTTC), one of Asia’s leading testing institutions based in Taiwan, this volume is a useful reference for evaluating, developing, and validating local tests of English and their societal impact. Comprehensive and research-based, chapters cover historic backgrounds, sociocultural contexts, test quality, international standing, and future considerations. Ideal for graduate students, researchers, and scholars in language assessment, TESOL/TEFL, and applied linguistics, this book will also be of interest to language teaching professionals, language test developers, and graduate students in Asian studies and international education, intercultural communication, and intercultural studies. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Language Test Construction and Evaluation J. Charles Alderson, Caroline Clapham, Dianne Wall, 1995-05-26 This book describes the process of language test construction and reviews current practice. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Measurement and Prediction of Foreign Language Speaking Ability United States. Adjutant-General's Office, 1959 Statistical analyses were undertaken to determine the feasibility of predicting speaking ability with group administered paper and pencil fluency and understanding ability tests. The analyses were conducted to establish the relationships between test and performance in an interpreter work situation of 116 examinees claiming training or ability in Russian and 122 examinees claiming training or ability in Chinese-Mandarin--Preliminary page. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Self-assessment of Foreign Language Skills Mats Oskarsson, 1984 A review of research in self-assessment techniques for foreign language skills is based on a survey of the literature and the results of a survey of teachers, researchers, and administrators in adult education centers in many areas of the world. Two late 1970s surveys of self-assessment research and pilot experiments concerning the general validity and usefulness of learners' estimates are described, and more recent research is reviewed. A growing body of research on the use of self-assessment procedures for continuous evaluation purposes is also examined, and the survey results are reported. The pattern emerging is of consistent overall agreement of self-estimates and external criteria, but the need for practice in autonomous learning and self-directed evaluation is emphasized in some of the sources, and it is suggested that teacher training in these areas is a further prerequisite for effective development of self-evaluation techniques. A variety of self-assessment aids are described and illustrated, and it is noted that the kind of instrument seeming to yield the most accurate information consists of descriptions of concrete linguistic situations that the learner can interpret and evaluate in behavioral terms. Implications of the findings and areas needing further study are discussed. (Author/MSE) |
| foreign language proficiency test: Medialogies David R. Castillo, William Egginton, 2017-01-01 We are living in a time of inflationary media. While technological change has periodically altered and advanced the ways humans process and transmit knowledge, for the last 100 years the media with which we produce, transmit, and record ideas have multiplied in kind, speed, and power. Saturation in media is provoking a crisis in how we perceive and understand reality. Media become inflationary when the scope of their representation of the world outgrows the confines of their culture's prior grasp of reality. We call the resulting concept of reality that emerges the culture's medialogy. Medialogies offers a highly innovative approach to the contemporary construction of reality in cultural, political, and economic domains. Castillo and Egginton, both luminary scholars, combine a very accessible style with profound theoretical analysis, relying not only on works of philosophy and political theory but also on novels, Hollywood films, and mass media phenomena. The book invites us to reconsider the way reality is constructed, and how truth, sovereignty, agency, and authority are understood from the everyday, philosophical, and political points of view. A powerful analysis of actuality, with its roots in early modernity, this work is crucial to understanding reality in the information age. |
| foreign language proficiency test: The Way of the Linguist Steve Kaufmann, 2005-11 The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey. It is now a cliché that the world is a smaller place. We think nothing of jumping on a plane to travel to another country or continent. The most exotic locations are now destinations for mass tourism. Small business people are dealing across frontiers and language barriers like never before. The Internet brings different languages and cultures to our finger-tips. English, the hybrid language of an island at the western extremity of Europe seems to have an unrivalled position as an international medium of communication. But historically periods of cultural and economic domination have never lasted forever. Do we not lose something by relying on the wide spread use of English rather than discovering other languages and cultures? As citizens of this shrunken world, would we not be better off if we were able to speak a few languages other than our own? The answer is obviously yes. Certainly Steve Kaufmann thinks so, and in his busy life as a diplomat and businessman he managed to learn to speak nine languages fluently and observe first hand some of the dominant cultures of Europe and Asia. Why do not more people do the same? In his book The Way of The Linguist, A language learning odyssey, Steve offers some answers. Steve feels anyone can learn a language if they want to. He points out some of the obstacles that hold people back. Drawing on his adventures in Europe and Asia, as a student and businessman, he describes the rewards that come from knowing languages. He relates his evolution as a language learner, abroad and back in his native Canada and explains the kind of attitude that will enable others to achieve second language fluency. Many people have taken on the challenge of language learning but have been frustrated by their lack of success. This book offers detailed advice on the kind of study practices that will achieve language breakthroughs. Steve has developed a language learning system available online at: www.thelinguist.com. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Dictionary Use in Foreign Language Writing Exams Martin East, 2008 This book provides an in-depth analysis of what happens when intermediate level learners of a foreign language use a bilingual dictionary when writing. Dictionaries are frequently promoted to people learning a foreign language. Nevertheless, teachers often talk about their students' inability to use dictionaries properly, especially when they write, and this can be problematic. This book paints a comprehensive picture of the differences a dictionary makes and brings out the implications for language learning, teaching, and testing practices. It draws on research in which participants in three studies took writing tests in two test conditions with and without a dictionary. They were also asked what they thought about the two test types. Their performances and opinions were analyzed in a variety of ways. Conclusions from the data highlight some of the practical issues to be kept in mind if we want to help foreign language learners to use bilingual dictionaries effectively when writing. |
| foreign language proficiency test: English Language Assessment and the Chinese Learner Liying Cheng, Andy Curtis, 2010-03-17 Building on current theoretical and practical frameworks for English language assessment and testing, this book presents a comprehensive, up-to-date, relevant picture of English language assessment for students in China (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) and for Chinese learners of English around the world. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Talking and Testing Richard Young, Agnes Weiyun He, 1998-01-01 A collection of papers that document various dimensions of the ways in which the language learner and the language proficiency interviewer use language to accomplish oral language assessment tasks. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Challenges in Language Testing Around the World Betty Lanteigne, Christine Coombe, James Dean Brown, 2021-02-17 This book combines insights from language assessment literacy and critical language testing through critical analyses and research about challenges in language assessment around the world. It investigates problematic practices in language testing which are relevant to language test users such as language program directors, testing centers, and language teachers, as well as teachers-in-training in Graduate Diploma and Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics programs. These issues involve aspects of language testing such as test development, test administration, scoring, and interpretation/use of test results. Chapters in this volume discuss insights about language testing policy, testing world languages, developing program-level language tests and tests of specific language skills, and language assessment literacy. In addition, this book identifies two needs in language testing for further examination: the need for collaboration between language test developers, language test users, and language users, and the need to base language tests on real-world language use. |
| foreign language proficiency test: The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing Glenn Fulcher, Fred Davidson, 2013-10-15 Winner of the SAGE/ILTA Book Award 2016 The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing will provide a comprehensive account of the area of language assessment and testing. Written by leading specialists from around the world, this volume brings together approximately 35 authoritative articles (around 8000 words each). The proposed outline for the Handbook (below) is divided into ten sections. The section titles reflect the contents of their Language Testing and Assessment –textbook in our RAL series and sketch a useful overview of the discipline. Each chapter has been carefully selected to relate to key issues raised in the respective topic, providing additional historical background, critical discussion, reviews of key research methods, and an assessment of what the future might hold. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Comprehensive Global Competence for World-Class Universities in China Jian Li, 2019-11-27 This book proposes the new concept of “comprehensive global competence” in order to explore how to advocate, cultivate, and implement global competence at China’s higher education institutions. The concept essentially refers to an organizational, cross-cultural capacity involving students, faculty members, administrators, and staff in a multidimensional learning domain that values, shapes, and promotes global competitiveness at higher education institutions. Unlike the other literature available, which has largely approached defining global competence it from four perspectives: an adaptation–change mode, an input–output mode, a willingness–tolerance mode, and a learning–competence mode, this book draws on the theoretical framework put forward in “Dimensions of Learning” (Marzano, 1992) in order to explain the meaning, implications, and justification of the concept of comprehensive global competence. Specifically, Marzano’s Dimensions of Learning Model offers a comprehensive research-oriented framework on learning cognition and the learning process. With the help of this resource, the book discusses in detail the conceptual, practical, and strategic aspects of creating comprehensive global competence. |
| foreign language proficiency test: The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing Paula Winke, Tineke Brunfaut, 2020-12-28 This Handbook, with 45 chapters written by the world’s leading scholars in second language acquisition (SLA) and language testing, dives into the important interface between SLA and language testing: shared ground where researchers seek to measure second language performance to better understand how people learn their second languages. The Handbook also reviews how to best measure and evaluate the second language (L2) learners’ personal characteristics, backgrounds, and learning contexts to better understand their L2 learning trajectories. Taking a transdisciplinary approach to research, the book builds upon recent theorizing and measurement principles from the fields of applied linguistics, cognitive science, psychology, psycholinguistics, psychometrics, educational measurement, and social psychology. The Handbook is divided into six key sections: (1) Assessment concepts for SLA researchers, (2) Building instruments for SLA research, (3) Measuring individual differences, (4) Measuring language development, (5) Testing specific populations, and (6) Measurement principles for SLA researchers. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Language Proficiency L.A. Arena, 2013-06-29 Louis A. Arena University of Delaware Newark, DE This monograph contains select, revised, and invited papers which deal with the topic, Language Proficiency: Defining, Teaching, and Testing. This topic was the theme of the eighth annual symposium held at the University of Delaware. The papers contained in this volume are invited papers or were originally scheduled for presentation and/or presented at the eighth annual Delaware Symposium on Language Studies. The papers combine research con ducted in the areas of teaching, testing, and defining second language pro ficiency within the profession of applied linguistics. They are divided into three principal sections: Applied Linguistics and Language Pro ficiency, Language Proficiency in Reading and Writing, and Testing for Language Proficiency. In Part I, Paul Angelis' Applied Linguistics: Realities and Projections re the Teaching Profession'; sketches a historical portrait of Applied Linguistics, its definition, presence, and role in the profession that teaches second language proficiency. Angelis concludes that Applied Linguistics is still a young discipline in terms of substance, organization, and strategy, and that these three components will determine the prospects for the future of applied linguistics re the teaching profession. The next six papers address the issue of second language proficiency from various points of view. Kensaku Yoshida's essay Knowing vs Believing vs Feeling: Studies on Japanese Bilinguals concludes that some Japanese bilinguals are actually not necessarily bilingual because they very often face problems requiring other kinds of proficiency, i. e. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Foreign Language Education in America Steven Berbeco, 2016-04-08 Foreign language teaching in America today falls into three distinct fields of influence and interest: public and private schools, college and other post-secondary programs, and courses for adult learners. At a time when academics and instructors in each of these fields seek to answer similar questions, too few published resources recognize and address the parallels among them. In response, Foreign Language Education in America is an edited book with contributions that represent the diversity in foreign language education today, including perspectives from elementary, middle schools, high schools, university-level courses, summer programs, federal government, and international learning. This is a practical guide to the state of the field that fills a much-needed gap for scholars, researchers, administrators, and practitioners who are looking for a resource that describes effective practices across the field. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Closing the Language Gap United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, 2011 |
| foreign language proficiency test: Longitudinal Studies of Second Language Learning Steven J. Ross, Megan C. Masters, 2022-11-30 Longitudinal Studies of Second Language Learning: Quantitative Methods and Outcomes provides a how-to guide to choosing, using, and understanding quantitative longitudinal research and sampling methods in second and foreign language learning. This volume will provide readers with exemplary longitudinal studies of language learning outcomes, as well as an overview of widely used methods of data analysis. Readers will understand how long-term data collection processes are organized and archived, and how the data are managed over time prior to analysis. Each of the chapters provide applied researchers with examples of how language learning outcomes gathered over time can be organized into data sets useful for insightful descriptive and inferential analyses of learning outcomes. As the only edited volume that focuses on longitudinal data analysis specifically for a second language acquisition (SLA)/applied linguistics readership, this will be an invaluable resource for advanced students and researchers of SLA, applied linguistics, assessment, and education. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Revisiting the Assessment of Second Language Abilities: From Theory to Practice Sahbi Hidri, 2018-01-12 This book presents an overview of revisiting the assessment of language abilities. It also showcases how the measurement of such constructs can result in negative or positive washback and how outcomes might be conducive to repercussions that decide on the future of many stakeholders. The 23 chapters were selected among tens of chapters received from different contexts that addressed the issue of revisiting the assessment of language abilities, such as Tunisia, Ukraine, Algeria, Russia, KSA, Sudan, Egypt, Canada, Kurdistan, UK, USA, Iran, Turkey, etc. These contexts have highlighted the necessity to revisit the different constructs which should be assessed with a clear and straightforward foundation on students’ learning objectives and their actual language ability. To do so, most of the chapters present hands-on use of relevant statistical tests that might serve in revisiting the construct definition both theoretically and operationally. Perhaps the sole and intricate question that the authors of these contributions ask is what it means to revisit the assessment of the construct of individualized language ability and how. In addition, the book accentuates the momentousness and significance of reflecting on test fairness and validation as the mainspring and backbone for democratization of assessment. This book appeals to a broad readership, such as English Language Teaching (ELT) practitioners, language teachers, students, testing organizations, policy-makers, test designers, writers of test specifications, testing experts, researchers, program evaluators, especially in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as well as other international contexts. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Encyclopedia of Linguistics Philipp Strazny, 2013-02-01 Utilizing a historical and international approach, this valuable two-volume resource makes even the more complex linguistic issues understandable for the non-specialized reader. Containing over 500 alphabetically arranged entries and an expansive glossary by a team of international scholars, the Encyclopedia of Linguistics explores the varied perspectives, figures, and methodologies that make up the field. |
| foreign language proficiency test: Reading acquisition of chinese as a second/foreign language Linjun Zhang, Zaizhu Han, Yang Zhang, 2023-07-12 |
FOREIGN Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of FOREIGN is situated outside a place or country; especially : situated outside one's own country. How to use foreign in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Foreign.
FOREIGN | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
FOREIGN definition: 1. belonging or connected to a country that is not your own: 2. Something can be described as…. Learn more.
FOREIGN Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Foreign definition: of, relating to, or derived from another country or nation; not native.. See examples of FOREIGN used in a sentence.
FOREIGN definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
Something that is foreign comes from or relates to a country that is not your own.
foreign, adj., n.², & adv. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford ...
Of or relating to countries other than one's own and related senses. The word foreign does not tend to be used of the countries of the United Kingdom in relation to each other.
What does foreign mean? - Definitions.net
Definition of foreign in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of foreign. What does foreign mean? Information and translations of foreign in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions …
Foreign - definition of foreign by The Free Dictionary
foreign - relating to or originating in or characteristic of another place or part of the world; "foreign nations"; "a foreign accent"; "on business in a foreign city"
foreign adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
Definition of foreign adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Foreign Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
FOREIGN meaning: 1 : located outside a particular place or country and especially outside your own country; 2 : coming from or belonging to a different place or country
Foreign - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
If it has to do with other countries or their people, it is foreign, like a French movie receiving a British award for Best Foreign Film. The adjective foreign is based on the Latin word foris, …
FOREIGN Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of FOREIGN is situated outside a place or country; especially : situated outside one's own country. How to use foreign in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Foreign.
FOREIGN | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
FOREIGN definition: 1. belonging or connected to a country that is not your own: 2. Something can be described as…. Learn more.
FOREIGN Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Foreign definition: of, relating to, or derived from another country or nation; not native.. See examples of FOREIGN used in a sentence.
FOREIGN definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
Something that is foreign comes from or relates to a country that is not your own.
foreign, adj., n.², & adv. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford ...
Of or relating to countries other than one's own and related senses. The word foreign does not tend to be used of the countries of the United Kingdom in relation to each other.
What does foreign mean? - Definitions.net
Definition of foreign in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of foreign. What does foreign mean? Information and translations of foreign in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions …
Foreign - definition of foreign by The Free Dictionary
foreign - relating to or originating in or characteristic of another place or part of the world; "foreign nations"; "a foreign accent"; "on business in a foreign city"
foreign adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
Definition of foreign adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Foreign Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
FOREIGN meaning: 1 : located outside a particular place or country and especially outside your own country; 2 : coming from or belonging to a different place or country
Foreign - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com
If it has to do with other countries or their people, it is foreign, like a French movie receiving a British award for Best Foreign Film. The adjective foreign is based on the Latin word foris, …
