This professional paper builds on the work of TESOL's issue briefs, "Implementing the Common Core State Standards for English Learners: The Changing Role of the ESL Teacher" (February 2013) and Overview of the Common Core State Standards Initiatives for ELLs (March, 2013). It discusses the shifting landscape surrounding the new Common…

The opinions of second language learning (L2) theorists and researchers are divided over whether to use authentic or simplified reading texts as the means of input for beginning- and intermediate-level L2 learners. Advocates of both approaches cite the use of linguistic features, syntax, and discourse structures as important elements in support of…

A framework for developing a coherent research agenda for discovering how language teachers think and work is suggested that includes the following: conceptions of teaching, dimensions of knowledge, and teachers' lives and careers. (Contains 21 references.) (LB)

It is suggested that feasible current approaches to language teaching are "principled," in that there is perhaps a finite number of general, widely accepted, research-based principles upon which classroom practice is grounded. Twelve such principles--categorized as cognitive, affective, and linguistic principles--are discussed. (13 references) (LB)

Discusses approaches and problems in teaching English as a second dialect writing. Also discusses the kinds of clues student writings provide on the students' progress in mastery of standard English. (EKN)

An exploratory study of six undergraduates under laboratory conditions aimed to clarify the role of explicit teaching of different kinds of second-language grammar rules. In this look at methodology, one hypothesis was supported: that explicit and deductive learning is better than implicit for simple categorical rules. (Contains 24 references.)…

Two papers by Alfred Stover and by Amy Schlessman-Frost and T. Frank Saunders are presented that were part of a panel discussion on "Research and the Classroom" at the University of Arizona Fourth Annual (1993) Roundtable of the Center for English as a Second Language. (seven references) (LB)

A study investigated whether markedness relationships within a target language influence the degree of difficulty in acquisition. The Intralingual Markedness Hypothesis was developed, stating that if structures in the target language differ from those in the native language, and if those structures in the target language are in a markedness…

Intended for writers of instructional materials for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), the list describes word lists and language corpora that may be of use in creating, simplifying, and refining vocabulary content in ESL materials. The sources are dated from 1944 to the present, and include a freeware computer program. Some limited…

Two studies measured the effects of overall and genre-specific extensive reading habits on performance on tests of school-based writing. Results suggest that, at most, extensive exposure to written texts may have little impact on nonnative writing proficiency. Further research is recommended. (13 references) (LB)

Ways in which curriculum development and methodology in teaching English as a Second Language can take account of learners are discussed. In addition, ways that teachers and researchers can collaborate in the process of developing a learner-center curriculum are examined. (28 references) (LB)

Argues for an alternative to the conventional linear model of language acquisition in the learning of second-language grammar, proposing a more organic approach. The two approaches are contrasted, drawing on research in second-language learning and discourse analysis that supports the organic view. Some pedagogical implications of this approach…

A 6-month case study of one adult composing in both his native and second language was undertaken to examine the complexity of second-language composing and the relationship between processes in the two languages. Two thinking-aloud protocols were collected from the subject, who was composing in response to a writing task. The first data were…

Researchers at the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom) have built a large database of every-day English and dictionary (COBUILD) for producing better English-as-a-Second/Foreign-Language teaching and learning materials. The lexical syllabus and the English course that has evolved from is are discussed. (23 references) (Author/LB)

This study presents direct observation of a 7-year-old, native Spanish-speaking female learning English in a mainstreamed first and second split classroom. Subject is described in the school setting, and it is shown how she worked, what she did during the mornings, how she responded to commands and directions, and how and with whom she…