I__. - International Military Testing Association

e preferable to group languages into a small number of categories sharing
similar ability requirements and prediction characteristics.
Strategy for Development Effort
-_ -_.. .-. - - --- - -
The sequence of activities proposed in designing the new aptitude
battery is depicted graphically in Figure 1.
- - - - -
Define L
MeasUremerit
Options
-..__.
A
ACTWlY 4
ldentlfy Language
Ability Requirements
Figure 1
Produce DUB II
ACTIVITY 6
-’ GroupLanguages
By Ability
Requhemnts
The first activity listed is to define the components of the criterion
to be predicted--foreign language proficiency. A first cut might be the
the traditionally identified skill modalities of listening, seading,
speaking, and writing; these traditional categories will need to further
analyzed into much more specific task components.
The next three activities planned are to identify how languages differ
on proficiency dimensions, to identify abilities required to develop each
type of proficiency, and to identify language differences in ability
requirements. Note that the arrows in Figure 1 do not all point in a
forward direction toward higher numbered activiites. As explained below,
these activities are expected to be interactive and iterative processes and
to involve the synthesis of several types of information into a final
product based on consensus of project team members.
The contractor and DLIFLC decided that the accomplishment of Activities
1 through 6 would be best facilitated by an interdisciplinary approach
involving a DLI expert in language proficiency testing, a cognitive
psychologist specializing in the area of foreign language learning, and
foreign language curriculum specialists with expertise in a wide variety of
foreign languages. The intent was to combine insights from the traditional
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