--- Forwarded Message from "Sue Breeyear" <[log in to unmask]> ---

>From: "Sue Breeyear" <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: UVM, College of Arts & Sciences
>To: LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 14:50:01 -0400EDT
>Subject: Re: #4815 language placement exams
>Priority: normal
>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>



Date sent:              Wed, 27 Jan 1999 11:50:13 EST
Send reply to:          Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
                <[log in to unmask]>
From:                   LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:                #4815 language placement exams
To:                     [log in to unmask]

--- Forwarded Message from [log in to unmask] (James Severance) ---

>Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 17:01:57 -0800
>To: [log in to unmask]
>From: [log in to unmask] (James Severance)
>Subject: language placement exams 

Good evening listmembers,

Here at the University of San Francisco we have been taking a second look
at our system of placing students in language courses. First of all, we
have placement exams that are rather old (not necessarily a bad thing) and
generally test for writing comprehension (syntax/vocabulary). Still we
consistently have problems with placing students in the proper level. For
example, native Spanish speakers that were educated in English tend to
place lower than they should because their reading and writing skills may
be lacking but when participating in class, they are likely to intimidate
the other students whose speaking skills, conversely, are lacking.

Ideally, it would help if we tested all aspects (esp. oral communication)
but we're not sure if we have the resources right now for such a
personalized approached (esp. for Spanish). I'm sure that some of you may
have already gone through the difficult process of tailoring a program that
fits your needs and works for you. Below, I have included some questions
and would appreciate it if any of you could share your success stories with
us here. It is not necessary to answer all the questions; if you prefer to
write a short note on a particular topic that we failed to consider, that
would be fine, too. In fact, any help would be welcome. Also, if anyone
would like me to pass on to them any feedback I receive, please let me
know.

We are a small to medium-sized Jesuit university (4,500 undergrads). We
offer Spanish, German, French, Italian, Mandarin, Russian, Japanese and
Hebrew. Spanish is taught to 60% of the 450 students enrolled in language
courses during an average semester.

Thanks for your time and feedback,

James Severance
Language Learning Center
University of San Francisco
[log in to unmask]
___________________________________________________________________


Do you have a centralized placement exam system?  Only in our College of A&S.

Who is responsible for testing? Departments? Individual faculty? Language
Center?  The Department of Romance Languages provides the test itself--it's administered 
by the Academic Computing Center; and only A&S students take it.

What technology/equipment do you use for the exams (VCR's, computers,
cassette decks, etc.)?
The exam has no oral component.  Computers are used for the 
written and grammatical components.

How often and when do you offer the exams?
We offer it for a short period of time (2-3 hours)  during each of the 
four summer orientation programs.  It is not mandatory, but only 
provides the student with an idea of where he/she should be placed.
- early registration (summer, registration, during semester)
- drop-ins

To what extent are the language professors involved in the testing process?
One or two of them is present at the testing site and will provide 
additional insight to the individual students if requested.

Are the professors happy/unsatisfied with the exams? Why?
They are unsatisfied with the results.  Many students either don't 
want to take the exams, since they're not mandatory; or don't have 
the time to take the exams due to all the other orientation 
activities.  Because placement can't be enforced, students who 
place high on the exam still put themselves into a lower level, 
thinking that they'll get easy "A's" by doing so.  Professors find 
that they still have to screen their students during the beginning 
days of the semester.
What skills do you test for? What is the breakdown (more or less)
percentage-wise?

Reading and writing only.

- oral
- listening
- reading
- writing comprehension (syntax/vocabulary)

How do you take into account the different varieties of a language (i.e.
the Spanish of different countries) in your exams?
We don't.
What is the undergraduate language requirement at your university?
There is no language requirement here.  Language is an option for 
students who don't wish to take a hard science with a lab 
component.  We used to have a requirement of four semesters of a 
language, but about the time everybody else beefed up their 
language requirements, we dropped ours by administrative decision.
 
--semesters/quarters?
--units?

specific to...

- liberal arts majors
- science majors
- business majors
- nursing majors
- other

In what ways can the language requirement be waived?

Again, thanks for your contribution, big or small!

Susan Breeyear, Language Resource Center Coordinator
200 Southwick Building
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont 05405

VOICE:802-656-7856
FAX:  802-656-0212
email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmlrc/index.html