To contribute to existing research that describes how L2 speakers avoid misunderstanding during conversation, the current study examines the strategies used by university students in Canada. The students (N = 104) were audio-recorded while carrying out two communicative tasks in pairs: exchanging personal experiences about moving to Canada, and…

This edited book documents practices of learning-oriented language assessment through practitioner research and research syntheses. Learning-oriented language assessment refers to language assessment strategies that capitalise on learner differences and their relationships with the learning environments. In other words, learners are placed at the…

way', iskwíst, "my name is", S?ímla?xw, and I am from Penticton BC, Canada. kn sqilxw. I am a Syilx (Okanagan, Interior Salish) adult language learner. My cohort and I are midway in our language transformation to become proficient speakers. Our names are Prasát, S?ímla?xw, C'?r?tups, X?wnámx?wnam, Sta?qwálqs, and our Elder, S?amtíc'a?.…

Despite an increasing need for culturally relevant curricula, what is considered culturally responsive and how it is assessed is under-researched. The present study examined the perceived cultural responsiveness and effectiveness of an early intervention program designed to teach early language skills and expose students to Indigenous culture, the…

This paper examines the use of mobile technologies such as iPods and tablets in promoting the development of oral competencies and literacy skills in early French immersion classrooms in Canada. The paper is based on a two-year collaborative action research project involving 16 teachers in two schools. Data collection involved digital ethnographic…

The following papers relevant to second language instruction are compiled here: (1) "The Three Most Critical Issues in Foreign-Language Education Today," by Lorraine A. Strasheim; (2) "A Bird's Eye View of Bilingualism in Canada," by Chavarche Tchalekian; (3) "'...To Educate the Multi-Faceted and Harmoniously Developed…

This guide provides descriptions of standards for assessing students' skills in French as a second language, accompanied by samples of student work in the four language skills (listening comprehension, reading comprehension, writing, and speaking) at each of nine competency levels. An introductory section discusses basic principles in reporting…

The assessment reported in this paper represents the first attempt by British Columbia to use the Canadian Ministry of Education's assessment program model with special programs; in this case, the French immersion program was chosen. Objectives of the assessment were as follows: (1) examination of the extent to which students are achieving…

This interim report on an experimental program to increase student motivation to learn French at the Cultural Centre of Intensive French (CCIF) examines objectives, evaluation procedures, and results of the experiment. Part 1 contains sections on: (1) French achievement in Ottawa, Canada, grade 8 classes, (2) Pimsleur listening comprehension test,…

The ten stories in this book were told by Cree storytellers Peter Vandall and Joe Douquette and recorded at the Saskatchewan Indian Cultural College in Saskatoon in 1982. Each story is written in Cree text, transcribed into phonetic Cree, and translated into English. All the stories were told together as parts of a single performance, each speaker…

A guide for teachers, counselors, and administrators of Manitoba high school programs enrolling limited-English-proficient (LEP) students is designed to provide background information and resources for helping these students develop English language skills for success in school and beyond while receiving a sound basic education in a full range of…