This book presents an international range of conversation analytic (CA) studies of classroom interaction which all discuss their empirical findings in terms of their theoretical and methodological contribution to the field of second language studies and their potential pedagogical relevance. The volume is thus unique in its focus on the…

Discusses the use of humor in the language classroom, and provides some sample activities in Italian. (AM)

Mnemonic devices summarize and simplify grammar rules, especially when applied to the verb forms found in Romance languages. The article presents two mnemonic devices helpful in summarizing the uses of two verb tenses. These include coining a word to illustrate a rule and projecting irregular verb forms on a Mexican "sombrero." (four references)…

This paper analyses the language practices of a teacher in an Italian bilingual class. The children were learning Italian in Year One of elementary school. The teacher consistently spoke Italian with the children. The description of the teacher's talk shows how she used Italian for classroom management, for instructions, for teaching subject…

Using examples in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, the article suggests various activities to promote the learning of descriptive adjectives and to expand students' active vocabulary. These activities include describing oneself or a friend, finding a person who possesses certain characteristics, choosing an ideal companion, and…

John Dewey High School has initiated a program which hopes to compensate for a lack of interesting and relevant materials in Italian instruction. Programs such as independent study and open classroom, which emphasize active participation and individual needs, and which serve to broaden the ordinary classroom experience are described. (AM)

An examination of various Italian textbooks shows that the element of fun is absent from the process of learning. There is too much emphasis on dull exercises emphasizing morphology and syntax. Textbooks can be improved through the imaginative intervention of the teacher. Games that will recall and/or expand the vocabulary of a given lesson and…

A series of short articles are presented featuring aspects of the American Bicentennial and stressing classroom activities and projects suitable for foreign language students and teachers. (Author/CLK)

Discusses the nature of good writing strategies, illustrates principles of correction and evaluation, and describes the elements of a writing curriculum for college students of Italian. The author suggests a series of writing activities and evaluation criteria to assess writing proficiency at beginning and intermediate levels. (26 references) (CK)

As a teaching aid in high school Italian courses, guidelines for the use of games, graphic projects, and puzzles are offered. Specific examples include word puzzles, mazes, a map of Italy, dialogues, and idiom exercises. (JB)

Four games for use in the foreign language classroom are described. The first, "A Shopping Game," by Gordon Hartig, is played on a game board in the German classroom and provides practice in producing sentences with the preposition "in," which in some instances takes the dative and in others takes the accusative. A diagram of the game board is…

This paper presents some of the materials available for games and simulation activities in the foreign language classroom and organizes the materials in terms of their usefulness for reaching specific instructional objectives. The list of games and simulations represents a wide variety of activities that can be used in the development of various…

A discussion of the role of developmental psycholinguistics in second language instruction begins by examining the nature of communicative intentions, their classification, and their role in the language classroom, drawing parallels between first language acquisition and second language learning. Stages in the progression from single words to…

In Sofia, Bulgaria, at the Institute of Suggestology headed by Dr. Georgi Lozanov, yoga relaxation has been combined with the Mauger oral method to produce a unique system of foreign language teaching: Suggestopedia. In a pleasant classroom, 12 students sit in specail chairs in front of a teacher individually trained in the foreign language and in…

This document is a collection of articles on foreign language education from both state and national sources. The articles deal with trends in the field, resources for the foreign language teacher, creative student work and audiovisual teaching aids. The volume is divided into the following sections: (1) general language (including the articles…