The design of instructional materials for second language listening comprehension is discussed, based on the premise that such materials must reflect a view of the nature and processes of listening. Two distinct kinds of cognitive processes involved in listening are examined: bottom-up processing, or the use of incoming data as a source of…

Using Zahorik's framework, which classifies conceptions of teaching into three categories (science/research, theory/philosophy, and art/craft), this paper reviews different conceptions of second-language instruction prevalent in the English-as-a-Second-Language teaching field. The aim is to shift the focus of discussion from behavior/activity to…

Viewing language learning in terms of the development of proficiency has important implications for the process of curriculum development in English as a second language. A proficiency-oriented curriculum derives not from an analysis of the language code, but from an analysis of target language behaviors. The interest is in both the product and…