Outlines the potential of the mother tongue as a foreign language instructional resource, including suggestions for classroom use such as eliciting language, giving instructions, checking comprehension, and testing. Dangers of overuse are also pointed out. (CB)

Examines the purposes and constraints of the language-learning experience, where participants learn a little of a foreign language to increase their understanding of the language-learning process, for development of teachers of English-as-a-Second-Language. (CB)

Instead of teaching as many facts as possible about the cultural background of the target language, second language learners should be taught explicit strategies for making inferences from the language. This enables learners to gradually construct their cultural background knowledge in the same way that native speakers construct their cultural…

A survey-interview exercise is described as it evolved through English-as-a-second-language students' efforts to develop better spoken language skills. The exercise provided students with experience in using spoken English in interaction, learning first-hand about local ideas and attitudes, and reflecting on and discussing the experience in the…

Activities which focus on form and communicative outcome are suggested for developing accuracy and fluency in second language students. Examples of such activities (with focus on the English as a second language learner) that vary the circumstances of communication in the classroom are presented. (Author/CB)

Considers several ways in which texts are used in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classrooms where communicative skills are taught. These texts fail to offer the EFL student the possibility of personal involvement of the sort that would be normal with a text in the native language. Suggestions are made for using texts in a way which encourages…

Describes how the use of methodology notebooks helped in an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher-training course which focused on language improvement at the expense of giving only brief attention to the teaching of methodology. (Author/CB)