Argues that second-language learners should be given the opportunity to listen to authentic discourse within the language classroom and practice forms of language that will facilitate successful exchanges beyond the classroom. Examines the main questions confronting the classroom teacher when integrating authentic spoken discourse into a language…

Response to criticism of oral grammar correction in second-language (L2) instruction which argues that while there are challenges and complexities in providing effective feedback, error correction should not be abandoned. Continued systematic, rigorous research to investigate whether different types of feedback are more effective, and to what…

This document contains the Arizona academic standards for Grade 7. The following 11 standards are reviewed: (1) The Arts Standard 2006--Grade 7; (2) Comprehensive Health Education Physical Activity Standards 1997--Essentials (Grades 4-8); (3) Foreign and Native Language Standards 1997--Essentials (Grades 4-8); (4) Reading Standard Articulated by…

Methods to contextualize tests in the four skill areas of listening, reading, writing, and speech are described. The roles of grammatical and lexical cues, recording semantic details, cloze adaptation, comprehensive questions, logical continuation items, global classification, and sociolinguistic factors are examined in relation to test formats.…

Views on the role of speech in the early stages of English as second language (ESL) acquisition are discussed in relation to experiences with elementary school children. In examining the roles of speech and grammar in the early stages of ESL acquisition in an English speaking elementary school environment, six types of expressive language were…

A PREVIOUSLY REPORTED SERIES OF SOUND QUALITY EXPERIMENTS WAS CONTINUED AND INCLUDED AN ANALYSIS OF ALL DATA OBTAINED. THE TESTS WERE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF THE SOUND QUALITY OF LANGUAGE LABORATORY EQUIPMENT ON THE LEARNING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES. ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON THE FREQUENCY RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOUND RECORDING…

A discussion of the role that interpersonal interaction plays in the perception and interpretation of oral expression looks at language styles, the use of the body for communication, the speaker's perspective on the audience, and the importance of oral skills in politics, business, and job seeking. (MSE)

The debate over whether classroom verbal exchanges should be evaluated by pedagogical or discourse criteria, and how this evaluation should be accomplished in class, is reopened. An approach combining the two types of analysis through development of "communication profiles" is recommended as the best means of clearly viewing the phenomenon of…

Describes Purdue University's two oral proficiency interviews that are a prerequisite to student teaching in a foreign language. Focuses on the procedures and content of the interviews for students of German. A three-member committee has the student read one page of materials and then asks the student questions. (SED)

Describes language laboratory program designed to help learners to move from comprehension of a spoken text through definite phases to their own utterance. Material used is an off-air recording from French radio. (Author/BK)

Problems arising from using ESL materials which rely heavily on contractions (orthographic phenomena) to present blendings (phonological phenomena) are identified. Discussion of the contractions of be, have, not, the modals, and several blending patterns will help teachers exploit orthographic clues in teaching pronounciation. (PMJ)

The inability to focus on the rhythmic pattern as a whole is one of the main deficiencies in the teaching of English rhythm, and it is partly responsible for syllabic rhythm in the speech of learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). A technique is proposed that isolates the segmental phones and sequences so that EFL learners recognize them.…

In an Israeli elementary school program to stimulate students' development of oral English skills, students write dialogs and conversation themes in areas of interest, then practice and conduct the conversations with amateur radio operators around the world. Challenges and successes are detailed. (MSE)

Entering an "English Impromptu Speech Contest" intimidates many students who do not have a good command of the English language. Some choose to give up before the contest date while others stand speechless on the stage. This paper identifies a range of problems confronted by contestants from my college, the Yuanpei Institute of Science…

This publication contains Arizona public schools' academic standards for grade 5. The contents of this document include the following: (1) The Arts Standard 2006--Grade 5; (2) Comprehensive Health Education/Physical Activity Standards 1997--Essentials (Grades 4-8);(3) Foreign and Native Language Standards 1997--Foundations (Grades 4-8); (4)…