Discusses a reading project undertaken to encourage pupils to read more in English. The article describes instructional materials, including worksheets and flash cards, and suggests useful learning activities, including story reconstruction, discussing a book's main points, and inventing a monolog or dialog. (CK)

Tested the hypothesis that focusing attention on relative performance will promote ego involvement and undermine intrinsic motivation in school-age children but not in preschoolers who do not have a normative conception of ability. (PCB)

Three sociolinguistic perspectives are considered in a study focusing on the rationale of Israeli linguistic policy toward Arabic. These include (1) school language programs as a matter of linguistic policies of political centers; (2) the relationship of linguistic resources to group boundaries (principally ethnicity); and (3) language resources…

Investigated were factors affecting student choice of academic orientations in science in secondary schools of Israel. Selection of a physical science stream of course work was found to be related to socioeconomic background. (SL)

Discusses the use of puzzles and jokes to encourage student interest in an English-as-a-Second-Language class. The object of this project was to relate to a more human context, the playfulness that pushes aside arbitrary school time each spring when Purim comes. (CK)

Identifies characteristics of an effective language teacher (ELT) as perceived by both language teachers and students in the Israeli educational system. Various characteristics of an ELT were identified, such as the teacher's command of the target language; his or her ability to organize, explain, and clarify; and his or her ability to arouse and…

Examines Israeli Arab students' attitudes and cultural backgrounds in relation to their reading comprehension of Jewish and Arab stories. States Arab students' motivation toward learning Hebrew as a second language is instrumental. Finds students comprehend texts from their own culture (Arab) better than those from the unfamiliar culture…

Children's, teachers' and principals' reports are used to estimate the extent of tutoring activities in Israeli elementary schools and to provide information on their implementation. Eight studies evaluating the tutoring process and its effect on achievement, motivation, and self-concept are described. The data show that about 5% of elementary…

Describes a study of undergraduates in Israel that examined the relationship between two distance learning ICT (information and communication technology)-based configurations. Results indicate that psychological attitudes held by students differentially facilitate efficient use of distance learning approaches. Considers satisfaction with learning,…

This study examined the effect of loneliness, gender, and two dimensions of prospective life domains on adolescent future orientation. Future orientation was studied in four prospective domains: social relations, marriage and family, higher education and work and career. These domains are described in terms of two dimensions: theme (relational vs.…

Where English as a Second Language is taught as part of the regular school curriculum, student motivation may be limited. One solution is to encourage involvement in learning by having students write their own tests. For classroom tests used in formative evaluation, this approach can be applied to both group and individual work. A unit from an…

Instructors' conceptions of a "good university professor" were studied, with 51 Israeli instructors from two departments. Respondents selected the 3 most important characteristics of good professors from a list of 15. A main factor was the professor's ability to spark intellectual growth, while a secondary factor was teaching method…

Focuses on the merit of extensive reading in English as a tool for advancing the reading comprehension of non-English-speaking students. The article emphasizes that students who read more will eventually surpass their classmates who have not developed the reading habit. (four references) (Author/CK)

Discusses the Mabar experiment underway at WIZO High School in Rehovot, Israel. The experiment aims to make Bagrut exams accessible to students thought incapable or uninterested in taking the exam. (CK)

Computer games educate painlessly and incidentally, keeping students motivated and interested and enhancing instruction. Such games are particularly appropriate for English-as-a-Second-Language instruction, because they convey the meaning of language both visually and aurally, occupy all channels of the brain, provide a rich context for the…