The benefits of family literacy programs for children were examined in a 1997 follow-up study in which 154 parents and 237 children who had participated in a family literacy demonstration program in 1994-1995 were interviewed along with the teachers of a subsample of the children and the demonstration program coordinators. The demonstration…

This pack of materials is designed to help students working to improve their basic skills as part of their catering course. It consists of six sections: oral communication, reading, writing, communication without words, application of number, and information technology. The individual sections of the pack are divided into task sheets and fact…

The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was a collaborative effort by seven governments and three intergovernmental organizations to describe and compare the literacy skills of people from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Each country drew a probability sample from which results…

This study was conducted during 2 school years, involving one teacher and one classroom from each of four elementary (grades 1-2) and secondary schools. The study included writing activities on the word processor, videoconferencing, and World Wide Web use. The main data source was a series of videotapes of the above mentioned activities.…

Workplace literacy and basic skills may be defined as skills needed by employees at work: reading, writing, math, and problem solving. Workplace literacy and skill requirements are based on the needs of each workplace and its workers. These skills are important because the work force needs to be highly skilled and adaptable to compete in a global…

Direct interviews with 17 teachers and observation in 31 rural and urban Venezuelan classrooms (pre-school through grade 6 in nine schools) across 3 states revealed serious reading difficulties among Venezuelan students. Small rooms and multi-grade class situations were common and school supplies and equipment were scarce. Even more scarce were…

Intended for teachers, this document provides curriculum specifications for the Grade 12 Diploma Examinations in English 30 in Alberta, Canada. Introductory information (1) indicates the approximate time to be devoted to teaching various components of the language arts, the relative importance of concepts and skills, and priorities for instruction…

Intended for teachers, this document provides curriculum specifications for the Grade 12 Diploma Examinations in English 33 in Alberta, Canada. Introductory information (1) indicates the approximate time to be devoted to teaching various components of the language arts, the relative importance of concepts and skills, and priorities for instruction…

To assist Cree-speaking native Canadian students in English language acquisition, the Mighty Moose Reading Project was initiated with a threefold aim: to develop program materials designed specifically as supplementary beginning reading materials for native students; to determine the effectiveness of the materials in improving reading skills, oral…

This collection of papers examines approaches to teaching near-native ability in foreign languages. The 13 papers focus on the following: (1) "Principles and Practices in Teaching Superior-Level Language Skills: Not Just More of the Same" (Betty Lou Leaver and Boris Shekhtman); (2) "Toward Academic Level Foreign Language Abilities:…

The two issues in this volume of the "JALT Journal" contain the following articles: "Comprehension and Production Practice in Grammar Instruction: Does Their Combined Use Facilitate Second Language Acquisition?" (Takeo Tanaka); "Professional Development and the JET Program: Insights and Solutions Based on the Sendai City…

Designed primarily for adult literacy teachers and tutors, this curriculum describes the content of what should be taught in literacy programs. It assists them to meet the individual needs of adults through the selection and teaching of skills appropriate to those adults' needs. An introduction describes national standards and qualifications,…

This document describes a certificate given for English for Speakers of Other Languages in Australia. The course leading to the certificate has four levels, grouped into two stages. Each Stage represents one semester's full time study. The certificate has four core modules: oral skills covering listening and speaking, written skills covering…

The reasons for nonparticipation in adult literacy and upgrading programs were examined in a national study during which interviewers in 12 Canadian provinces conducted in-person interviews with 44 adults who had never participated in a literacy or upgrading program. Most interviewees indicated that they had experienced transition points at which…

This article reports a six-month study that used a matched-pairs pre-test, post-test control group design to measure the relative effectiveness of extensive reading with remedial reading students in a Philippines secondary school (n = 60). Ninety percent of students at the school come from low-income homes where reading materials tend to be…