Alan V Brown
Biographic Data
| ID | 5434591 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alan V Brown |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alan V |
| FAMILY NAME | Brown |
| SIGNATURE | BROWN A V |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Kentucky |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0144-4722 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 11 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 18 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 11 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Predicting lexico-grammatical competence in L2 Spanish writing through multiple lexical diversity measures
The present study compares several lexical diversity (LD) measures to determine which measure, or measures, best predict receptive lexico-grammatical ability in written L2 Spanish, and whether a composite LD score is better than any single measure. We analyzed 1,225 written responses with eight different LD measures: six popular measures, a composite score based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of those six measures, and the traditional TTR …
Temporal fluency and floor/ceiling scoring of intermediate and advanced speech on the ACTFL Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview–computer
The rating of proficiency tests that use the Inter-agency Roundtable (ILR) and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines claims that each major level is based on hierarchal linguistic functions that require mastery of multidimensional traits in such a way that each level subsumes the levels beneath it. These characteristics are part of what is commonly referred to as floor and ceiling scoring. In this binary approac…
How Foreign are the Spanish Advanced Placement World Language Exams? The Case of Ethnicity, Bilinguality, and Heritage Learner Candidates
This article presents a descriptive analysis of the evolution of the world language Advanced Placement (AP) exam candidates’ ethno-racial background, their heritage learner status, and language dominance, with particular emphasis on the two Spanish exams. The data come from aggregated national totals prepared by the College Board that include ethnicity, score, and exam taken from 1979 to 1993 as well as gender, heritage learner status (2004–14), …
The use of course grades as metrics in L2 research: A systematic review
A Comparative Discourse Analysis of Spanish Past Narrations From the ACTFL OPI and OPIc
The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and accompanying proficiency guidelines have become a mainstay in academic foreign language assessment. In 2006, an asynchronous electronic interface of the OPI was made available in which candidates are asked to record themselves responding to questions delivered aurally via computer, labeled the Oral Proficiency Interview‐computer (OPIc). Thompson, Cox, and Knapp ( ) found that both instruments produce…
The Evolution of Foreign Language AP Exam Candidates: A 36‐Year Descriptive Study
Using a data set exclusively prepared for and licensed to them by the College Board, the authors examined the growth of the Advanced Placement program in foreign languages and overall trends in regard to the number of candidates who sat for the foreign language exams, their gender, their scores, and their ethnicity over the 36‐year period covering 1979 to 2014. Results indicated that while the number of candidates for all exams grew, the Spanish …
Understanding the Relationship Between Language Performance and University Course Grades
This article presents preliminary data correlating students' scores on measures of speaking, listening, and reading with their grades in Spanish courses. As might be expected, students with higher grades generally scored higher on performance assessments than did classmates with lower course grades. However, large score ranges resulted within a single letter grade. In addition, some students with low course grades scored rather well on certain me…
Learning English on Her Own—Almost: The Facilitative Role of One Immigrant's Daughter
María's experiences as an immigrant learning English in the southwestern United States parallel those of others who desire to improve their English but lack the time or resources to enroll in ESL classes. María was originally observed during English conversation and interviewed in Spanish to assess her awareness and use of effective language-learning strategies on her own; however, during data collection it became apparent that María was not alon…
Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Foreign Language Teaching: A Comparison of Ideals
Foreign language (FL) teachers and students may have very similar or disparate notions of effective teaching, and the intersection of the two sets of beliefs has ramifications for language learning and the effectiveness of instruction. Horwitz (1990) , Kern (1995) , and Schulz (1996) have argued that mismatches between FL students' and teachers' expectations can negatively affect the students' satisfaction with the language class and can potentia…
Less Commonly Taught Language and Commonly Taught Language Students: A Demographic and Academic Comparison
Efforts to fund the teaching of critical languages, along with increasing enrollments in less commonly taught language (LCTL) classes, have evidenced a renewed interest in LCTL pedagogy. While much is known about enrollment trends, materials development, and professional training, far less research has compared LCTL and commonly taught language (CTL) students. Students from 83 classes (nine different languages) at a large university completed a q…
Effectively Educating Latino/a Students: A Comparative Study of Participation Patterns of Hispanic American and Anglo-American University Students
This article provides, first, a brief review of literature concerning the education of Hispanic American (Latino/a) students at the secondary and postsecondary levels and, second, the results of questionnaire research conducted with Latino/a and Anglo-American (White) students at a large university in the Southwest regarding classroom participation patterns. Latino/a students' responses reflected traditional Hispanic values (i.e., community and c…
The Evolution of Foreign Language AP Exam Candidates: A 36‐Year Descriptive Study
Using a data set exclusively prepared for and licensed to them by the College Board, the authors examined the growth of the Advanced Placement program in foreign languages and overall trends in regard to the number of candidates who sat for the foreign language exams, their gender, their scores, and their ethnicity over the 36‐year period covering 1979 to 2014. Results indicated that while the number of candidates for all exams grew, the Spanish …
Effectively Educating Latino/a Students: A Comparative Study of Participation Patterns of Hispanic American and Anglo-American University Students
This article provides, first, a brief review of literature concerning the education of Hispanic American (Latino/a) students at the secondary and postsecondary levels and, second, the results of questionnaire research conducted with Latino/a and Anglo-American (White) students at a large university in the Southwest regarding classroom participation patterns. Latino/a students' responses reflected traditional Hispanic values (i.e., community and c…
Less Commonly Taught Language and Commonly Taught Language Students: A Demographic and Academic Comparison
Efforts to fund the teaching of critical languages, along with increasing enrollments in less commonly taught language (LCTL) classes, have evidenced a renewed interest in LCTL pedagogy. While much is known about enrollment trends, materials development, and professional training, far less research has compared LCTL and commonly taught language (CTL) students. Students from 83 classes (nine different languages) at a large university completed a q…
How Foreign are the Spanish Advanced Placement World Language Exams? The Case of Ethnicity, Bilinguality, and Heritage Learner Candidates
This article presents a descriptive analysis of the evolution of the world language Advanced Placement (AP) exam candidates’ ethno-racial background, their heritage learner status, and language dominance, with particular emphasis on the two Spanish exams. The data come from aggregated national totals prepared by the College Board that include ethnicity, score, and exam taken from 1979 to 1993 as well as gender, heritage learner status (2004–14), …
A Comparative Discourse Analysis of Spanish Past Narrations From the ACTFL OPI and OPIc
The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and accompanying proficiency guidelines have become a mainstay in academic foreign language assessment. In 2006, an asynchronous electronic interface of the OPI was made available in which candidates are asked to record themselves responding to questions delivered aurally via computer, labeled the Oral Proficiency Interview‐computer (OPIc). Thompson, Cox, and Knapp ( ) found that both instruments produce…
Understanding the Relationship Between Language Performance and University Course Grades
This article presents preliminary data correlating students' scores on measures of speaking, listening, and reading with their grades in Spanish courses. As might be expected, students with higher grades generally scored higher on performance assessments than did classmates with lower course grades. However, large score ranges resulted within a single letter grade. In addition, some students with low course grades scored rather well on certain me…
Learning English on Her Own—Almost: The Facilitative Role of One Immigrant's Daughter
María's experiences as an immigrant learning English in the southwestern United States parallel those of others who desire to improve their English but lack the time or resources to enroll in ESL classes. María was originally observed during English conversation and interviewed in Spanish to assess her awareness and use of effective language-learning strategies on her own; however, during data collection it became apparent that María was not alon…
Effectively Educating Latino/a Students: A Comparative Study of Participation Patterns of Hispanic American and Anglo-American University Students
This article provides, first, a brief review of literature concerning the education of Hispanic American (Latino/a) students at the secondary and postsecondary levels and, second, the results of questionnaire research conducted with Latino/a and Anglo-American (White) students at a large university in the Southwest regarding classroom participation patterns. Latino/a students' responses reflected traditional Hispanic values (i.e., community and c…
Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Foreign Language Teaching: A Comparison of Ideals
Foreign language (FL) teachers and students may have very similar or disparate notions of effective teaching, and the intersection of the two sets of beliefs has ramifications for language learning and the effectiveness of instruction. Horwitz (1990) , Kern (1995) , and Schulz (1996) have argued that mismatches between FL students' and teachers' expectations can negatively affect the students' satisfaction with the language class and can potentia…
Less Commonly Taught Language and Commonly Taught Language Students: A Demographic and Academic Comparison
Efforts to fund the teaching of critical languages, along with increasing enrollments in less commonly taught language (LCTL) classes, have evidenced a renewed interest in LCTL pedagogy. While much is known about enrollment trends, materials development, and professional training, far less research has compared LCTL and commonly taught language (CTL) students. Students from 83 classes (nine different languages) at a large university completed a q…
Learning English on Her Own—Almost: The Facilitative Role of One Immigrant's Daughter
María's experiences as an immigrant learning English in the southwestern United States parallel those of others who desire to improve their English but lack the time or resources to enroll in ESL classes. María was originally observed during English conversation and interviewed in Spanish to assess her awareness and use of effective language-learning strategies on her own; however, during data collection it became apparent that María was not alon…
Understanding the Relationship Between Language Performance and University Course Grades
This article presents preliminary data correlating students' scores on measures of speaking, listening, and reading with their grades in Spanish courses. As might be expected, students with higher grades generally scored higher on performance assessments than did classmates with lower course grades. However, large score ranges resulted within a single letter grade. In addition, some students with low course grades scored rather well on certain me…
The Evolution of Foreign Language AP Exam Candidates: A 36‐Year Descriptive Study
Using a data set exclusively prepared for and licensed to them by the College Board, the authors examined the growth of the Advanced Placement program in foreign languages and overall trends in regard to the number of candidates who sat for the foreign language exams, their gender, their scores, and their ethnicity over the 36‐year period covering 1979 to 2014. Results indicated that while the number of candidates for all exams grew, the Spanish …
A Comparative Discourse Analysis of Spanish Past Narrations From the ACTFL OPI and OPIc
The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and accompanying proficiency guidelines have become a mainstay in academic foreign language assessment. In 2006, an asynchronous electronic interface of the OPI was made available in which candidates are asked to record themselves responding to questions delivered aurally via computer, labeled the Oral Proficiency Interview‐computer (OPIc). Thompson, Cox, and Knapp ( ) found that both instruments produce…
The use of course grades as metrics in L2 research: A systematic review
How Foreign are the Spanish Advanced Placement World Language Exams? The Case of Ethnicity, Bilinguality, and Heritage Learner Candidates
This article presents a descriptive analysis of the evolution of the world language Advanced Placement (AP) exam candidates’ ethno-racial background, their heritage learner status, and language dominance, with particular emphasis on the two Spanish exams. The data come from aggregated national totals prepared by the College Board that include ethnicity, score, and exam taken from 1979 to 1993 as well as gender, heritage learner status (2004–14), …
Temporal fluency and floor/ceiling scoring of intermediate and advanced speech on the ACTFL Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview–computer
The rating of proficiency tests that use the Inter-agency Roundtable (ILR) and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines claims that each major level is based on hierarchal linguistic functions that require mastery of multidimensional traits in such a way that each level subsumes the levels beneath it. These characteristics are part of what is commonly referred to as floor and ceiling scoring. In this binary approac…
Predicting lexico-grammatical competence in L2 Spanish writing through multiple lexical diversity measures
The present study compares several lexical diversity (LD) measures to determine which measure, or measures, best predict receptive lexico-grammatical ability in written L2 Spanish, and whether a composite LD score is better than any single measure. We analyzed 1,225 written responses with eight different LD measures: six popular measures, a composite score based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of those six measures, and the traditional TTR …
Psychology (9 works) · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning (8 works) · Mathematics education (8 works) · Linguistics (7 works) · Multilingual Education and Policy (6 works) · Second Language Learning and Teaching (6 works) · Pedagogy (5 works) · Foreign language (3 works) · Language assessment (3 works) · Language proficiency (3 works)