PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT-BASED AND NONPROFICIENCY REQUIREMENT-BASED 2ND LANGUAGE PROGRAMS - HOW DO STUDENTS RATE

This status study endeavors to answer the research questions: (1a) Are there differences between the performance of CLA students at the Univ ersity of Minnesota and students of nonproficiency requirement-based p rograms at other institutions on the CLA Spanish Graduation Examinatio n of all four modalities? Further (1b) A re there differences between the performance of students from private institutions and those from p ublic institutions? Because a random sample was not feasible at the ti me the tests were given it seemed necessary to ask (1c) A re there dif ferences between the performance of volunteer groups and entire popula tion groups? This article also deals with a reasonable extension to th e original question, which is: (2) What might account for differential levels of performance that the test scores show? Although this study only includes Spanish students, the results should be applicable to ot her language programs. The testing instrument, the CLA Spanish Graduat ion Examination, which consists of four separate tests, one for each o f the four modalities, was administered during Spring 1990. The result s from these tests provide data which compare quantitative results on reading, listening, writing, and speaking proficiency of students from the proficiency requirement program at the University of Minnesota wi th those from six nonproficiency requirement programs at six other ran domly selected postsecondary institutions within the state of Minnesot a.