This study examined the contribution that formal strategies-based instruction might offer learners in University of Minnesota foreign language classrooms, focusing particularly on speaking skills. Of 55 intermediate students enrolled in college-level French and Norwegian foreign language classes, 32 participated in the experimental group who…

Focusing on students who are often referred to as "at risk," this book discusses the theory supporting whole language learning for all students and describes, in detail, the practical strategies used to help these students become readers and writers. The book, through its explanation of theory as well as presentation of individual…

This compilation presents materials associated with the 5-week summer session of the Samford University Writing Project, 1994. The compilation begins with curriculum vitae of staff, teacher consultants, and guest speakers. The compilation also presents lists of group and committee members. Summaries of 14 presentations (on such topics as…

An approach to the teaching of English as a Foreign or Second Language (EFL/ESL) that uses Turkish shadow puppetry is described and discussed. The method uses traditional theater characters and contemporary scripts in the form of dialogues and group discussions to provide oral skill practice. The activity has the advantage that even shy students…

The IDEA Oral Language Proficiency Test (IPT-I), forms C and D, aims to determine the level of English oral language proficiency as it relates to accepted levels of NonEnglish speaking (NES), limited English speaking (LES), and fluent English speaking (FES) designations in order to place students in an appropriate classroom setting. The test was…

This paper describes the partial immersion program (PIP) at Key Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia. In this program, which has completed its seventh year, half the day is taught in English and half in Spanish. The review of the program, which included classroom observations, teacher and staff interviews, and student assessment, revealed a…

LSP is an acronym for "Language for Special Purposes." Two distance learning English-for-Special-Purposes (ESP) pilot projects at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) are described to illustrate the type of work to which distance learning might make a contribution. English is the language of instruction at AIT. The first project is a…

A study used the think-aloud method to determine how adult learners beginning to learn a second language through oral input construct meanings, and what processing behaviors they engage in to help them construct future meanings more effectively. The subjects, 5 adult undergraduate and graduate students aged 23-55, were taught 20 Hindi lessons…

This book is intended to serve as a reference for evaluators using the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery--Revised (WJ-R) and to assist examiners in preparing psychoeducational reports for individuals of all ages. In the first section, a wide variety of educational recommendations is provided for the cognitive factors, oral language, and…

The dialogue journal procedure, which involves written turn-taking between a teacher and a student, is examined in terms of how the journal process can prepare students for later oral communication. The use of the dialogue journal with four distinct student populations (hearing impaired or deaf, learning disabled, bilingual, and…

Issues in testing proficiency in languages for special purposes (LSP) are examined in the context of the development of an advanced oral test in Japanese for tour guides. The test, designed at an Australian university for use in the Australian tourism industry, was to be designed to evaluate both language proficiency and skills in appropriate…

The restructuring of the Romance language program at Howard University to improve oral proficiency involved modification of goals, syllabi, classroom activities, and testing. Goals were adapted to American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)/Educational Testing Service (ETS) guidelines for oral proficiency. Assessment of French…

A study analyzed some of the characteristics of junior high students' oral communication behavior that accompanied the assignment, production, and evaluation of a writing task. It involved fieldwork in three junior high school English classes--first in a six-month pilot study and then in a year-long period of observation. Through direct…

The current situation of foreign language education at all educational levels in the United States, is examined with emphasis on new developments in instruction, testing, and program design. In a section titled "The Foreign Language Crisis," the combination of declining foreign language enrollment and increasing need for language skills…

Through a wide variety of activities, this manual integrates the teaching of English as a second language with the beginning students' experiences and the development of their linguistic, cognitive and conceptual skills. Emphasis is on individual skills and listening and speaking activities. Activities and materials move from simple to complex…