In this article the author tells the story of her experiences with a high school U.S. literature class composed of English language learners (ELLs). The students were from a variety of nations and cultures, spoke several different languages, and had a wide range of English proficiency levels. During their time together, the author and students…

In a project-based approach to teaching a foreign language at the university level, students are often required to participate in several task-based writing activities. In doing so, language learners not only write incorrect forms, but also correct forms of the same structures, both of which provide useful information on their strengths and…

In this article we examine how instructors make decisions about task design in telecollaboration and the factors that influence these decisions during the actual implementation of the tasks. We begin with a review of the recent literature of online intercultural exchanges to identify and describe a typology of 12 different types of tasks and task…

Draws upon author's experience in developing and modifying a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) program for elementary school students to make suggestions about how requirements and grades can serve as "carrots and sticks" to motivate students to conscientiously use CALL programs. (Author/CB)

Argues that the notion of writing as the expression of a fixed and unified individual identity is inappropriate for the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) student. Suggests that composition teachers recognize that writing in English engages the nonnative speaker in a dialectic of identity and difference and promote this difference rather than…

With the implementation of Israel's New Curriculum in English, English teachers are considering the type of assignments that help students transition from isolated skills to communicative ability. Suggests that assignments dealing with relationships are a good starting point. (Author/VWL)

Notes that English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers have been carefully nurturing student ability to produce language, while neglecting the receptive side of learning. Proposes that increased amounts of reading should be assigned at all levels of ESL programs. Suggests ways to restructure programs and to teach reading and vocabulary…

Four ideas for use in the English-as-Second-Language classroom are presented: (1) using the World Series to practice name recognition; (2) current events portfolios; (3) creating standards sheets for writing assignments; and (4) decreasing the likelihood of stragglers in class. (Author/VWL)

Describes an initiative that enabled applied linguistics' students to collaborate on academic writing assignments outside the classroom using a network of wireless laptops to facilitate flexible meeting times and locations. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the use of writing assignments to improve the capacity of literature students to read and analyze assigned texts in the foreign language. The approach provides a higher level of motivation for self-correction that will enable students to overcome, rather than formalize, their errors. (Author/JL)

Suggests an approach to compositions that addresses the special character of intermediate foreign-language writing through process assignments that involve strategic corrections and a series of interrelated, in-class writing activities, including expansion exercises intended for use during the revision period. This essay design also coordinates…

This theme issue focuses on strategies to enhance learning of English as a second language and on the importance of bilingual education. In "Bilingual Education Makes the Difference in Learning," Roberto Feliz, who was born in the Dominican Republic and is now a doctor, describes how bilingual education saved him from academic failure…

Considerations for identifying the stages of cultural learning of individual students of English as a second language (ESL) are discussed. It is suggested that culture shock, or the shock of the new, is a common experience for those learning a second language in a second culture, and that anger, unhappiness, frustration, and even illness may…

Describes the use of a questionnaire on ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) students' methods of vocabulary learning as a springboard for class discussion of helpful strategies suggested in the literature. Background for the activity is described, procedures and results are outlined, and suggestions for using a similar questionnaire in other ESL…

Progress in travel, technology, and other domains has contributed to the breaking down of barriers between countries and allowed for the development of an increasingly global society. International cooperation and competition are now pervasive in areas as diverse as business, science, arts, politics, and athletics. Educating students to navigate…