Some ways are described that small group instruction is being used in the teaching of a second language, based on observations of 12 teachers in a rural Malaysian secondary school. Its application to reading and writing instruction, classroom problems, and the teacher's role at various stages are discussed. (Contains 15 references.) (LB)

This paper discusses how most students are not yet competent critical readers of academic or electronic texts. This is especially true of English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students. After describing the extent of the lack of critical reading skills, an extensive literature review on the subject…