(Text is in Chinese.)

Communicative motivation is necessary for exercises leading to conversational ability; therefore "micro-conversation" is offered (and explained) as a replacement for traditional exercises for stimulating students to communicative response. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

A STUDY WAS MADE TO CONFIRM CERTAIN OBSERVATIONS ABOUT SPANISH INTONATION PATTERNS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT PRESENT A STRIKING CONTRAST WITH ENGLISH INTONATION PATTERNS. TWENTY-FIVE SPANISH SENTENCES ILLUSTRATING PARTICULAR INTONATION PATTERNS WERE PREPARED, AND 25 STUDENTS, WHO HAD HAD AN AVERAGE OF FOUR SEMESTERS IN SPANISH, RECORDED THEM. THE…

Examines the hypothesis that certain errors occurring in oral foreign language tests are due to the recurrence of phonological features both in the questions and in the answer. (AM)

Describes a study in which measures of musical ability (pitch, loudness, and rhythm), auditory discrimination, and memory were used to account for variance in attained English as a second language (ESL) oral proficiency. Proposes research programs to determine whether training in musical abilities might be useful to ESL instruction. (SED)

Discusses how laughter and joke-telling can be channeled in such a way as to enhance second language teaching. In addition, it is suggested that jokes can act as a dynamic in overcoming problems (such as lassitude) that arise in situations involving group work. (SL)

Because Chinese language textbooks were judged inadequate in teaching vocabulary dealing with everyday life in the U.S. and in China, new methods and materials were introduced into an oral Chinese course. Prepared discussion topics, Chinese films, soap operas, and shortwave radio broadcasts were used. (CHK)

Paper presented to the Michigan Linguistic Society, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, October 4, 1969. Theorizes that the nature of the brain, not its nurture, inhibits the ability of a person to master the sound patterns of a second language without an accent. (DS)

Proposes an organizationally simple teaching procedure, wherein every fourth hour is devoted to individualized instruction. The criteria involved are auditory understanding, speaking skill, and understanding of structure. The procedure is explained, and examples of the teaching of various items are sketched. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Suggests use of dramatic sketches and conversation sequences for introducing new language material. With situational and stage material, the teacher can avoid the fragmentation of language knowledge, and also join imitative with cognitive learning. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Because of a lack of preparation, student visits to France are likely to be unproductive in acquiring competence in spoken French. Non-linguistic factors are important here: the student should build up a circle of acquaintances to learn more quickly the differences between spoken and written French. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

An experiment was conducted at Bentley College (Massachusetts) using native-speaking peer tutors to help foreign language students. The experiment met with some success, however, it is noted that, for major universities, the logistics of administrating thousands of tutor-student meetings is a substantial hurdle. (GLR)

Research on two approaches to assessment of second-language performance--second-language acquisition and language testing--is examined and compared with regard to systematic effects on language tests. Findings incidental to a test development project are then presented. It is concluded that a full account of performance testing requires a paradigm…

Emphasizes the necessity of teaching listening comprehension along with written language skills in English as a second language. (Available from English Inspectorate, Ministry of Education and Culture, P. O. Box 292, Jerusalem, Israel.) (CHK)