The Contract Institute of Indian Language was set up on the 17th July 1969 with a view to assisting and co-ordinating the development of Indian languages. The Institute was charged with the responsibility of serving as a nucleus to bring together all the research and literary output from various linguistic streams to a common head and narrowing the gap between basic research and development research in the fields of languages and linguistics in India.

The Institute and its five Regional Language Centres are thus engaged in research and teaching which leads to the publication of a wide-ranging variety of materials. Materials designed for teaching/learning at different levels and suited to specific needs is one of the major areas of interest in its series of publications. Basic research relating to the acquisition of language and study of language in its manifold psychosocial relations constitute another broad range of its interest. These materials will include materials produced by the members of the staff of the Central Institute of Indian languages and its Regional Languages Centres and associated scholars from universities and institutions both Indian and foreign.

Testing and evaluation is one of the neglected fields of study in India. When it comes to language testing and evaluation of linguistic performances, the picture is more bleak. Testing language competence is a difficult task, particularly in the absence of relevant research in the areas of language acquisition by children and adults, by first generation learners and those coming from educated homes, under monolingual and multilingual conditions. Dakin (1971) speaks of 'no reliable objectives means' for assessing language competence, while Clark (1973) and Palermo (1974) point out the difficulty in sorting out linguistic and extra linguistic strategies in communication.dialogue is difficult to determine in the absence of information on all the variables.

In short, whether it is testing and evaluation of the programme, the process or the product or it is of the skill, content and performance it is a complex phenomenon. If this monograph brings out some of this complexity, them its publication would be deemed to be worthwhile. Dr. K. V. V. L. Narasimharao deserves congratulations on the preparation of the manuscript expeditiously. All the other colleagues who have helped in seeing the book through the light of the day deserve all thanks.