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ERIC Number: ED269426
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1985-Jul
Pages: 204
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Oral Language Proficiency of Teachers in the United States in the 1980's--An Empirical Study. Self-Assessment of Oral Language Proficiency. Final Report.
Hilton, Thomas L.; And Others
A self-administering test of oral language fluency was developed for use with high school teachers of French and Spanish. Interviews were also conducted, and biographical data were collected. The original instrument was based on the Foreign Language Questionnaire Pretest developed for the Survey of Global Understanding Project. The focus of the new test was entirely on listening and speaking. It was pilot tested with 24 high school language teachers from five New Jersey schools, who taught French, Spanish, or both. The field study was conducted nationally, using 200 teachers. The questionnaire, which included questions asking for biographical information about foreign language experience, and the Language Proficiency Interview were completed. Correlations between interviews and questionnaire items supported the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Based on this finding, it was revised and used in the national survey without the more costly interview. Questionnaires were mailed to a national sample of teachers. Over 92 percent, or 878 teachers, responded. The self-ratings were accurate and highly correlated with native language, travel experience, and opportunity to speak the language at home. Extensive appendices include the Language Proficiency Interview, the Self Assessment of Oral Language Proficiency Survey, National Language Teachers' Survey, interviewers' instructions, and a printout showing intercorrelations of ratings and personal characteristics. (GDC)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department of Education, Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A