A consensus has prevailed among educators that Americans of verying ethnic, social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds who must communicate with each other in social, academic, and occupational situations might achieve a greater degree of rapport if the dialect of the English mutually spoken and the speech mannerisms used were standardized.…

This guide, one of a series designed to aid social studies teachers, deals with methods for providing for the academically talented. After pointing out the problems of identification, basic principles for special to regular class programs are discussed. Suggested activities and methods for the social studies cover the areas of reading, creative…

These guidelines are part of a total curricular program K-12 developed for use in the elementary and secondary schools of the Diocese of Cleveland. Objectives for the study of the communication arts in these grades are listed as follows: (1) Listening with attention, discrimination, and empathy, (2) Viewing with perception, discrimination, and…

This booklet describes key principles of and research on teaching additional languages. The 10 chapters focus on the following: (1) "Comprehensible Input" (learners need exposure to meaningful, understandable language); (2) "Language Opportunities" (classroom activities should let students use natural and meaningful language with their…

The guide outlines a curriculum for developing essential oral language skills in adult learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). It is divided into four topic-based sections, each providing a variety of activities for developing communication skills, including grammatical knowledge and vocabulary. Topics include: personal information (giving…

This practicum paper documents a program that was developed and implemented to help adult, advanced English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students increase their speaking and listening skills and build self confidence with native English speakers. The objective was to increase group average exit test scores in speaking and listening by at least two…

The materials in this document present the results of a study of French second language immersion testing in Alberta (Canada) public schools for grades 1-3 based on the curriculum instituted in 1998. As a result of the study, this collection was developed for grades 1-3 students who need to be taught French as a second language. A separate section…

Since the publication of "Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century," the development of communicative competence both within and beyond the confined walls of the language classroom has become a national priority for the foreign language (FL) teaching profession. The literature on standards and proficiency suggests…

The manual provides information to assist secondary school level program and curriculum designers in the creation and administration of second language programs. It is not a how-to manual, but includes descriptive data about program types in existence and criteria for evaluating language proficiency. It contains: a list of terms used and their…

The analogy of a tapestry is used to provide instructional techniques and practices to help teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) "weave" together environmental factors (classroom interaction, input) and learner cognitive, affective, and social characteristics (learning styles, strategies, motivation) according to the needs of the…

The origins, development, and implementation of a course in oral presentation skills in English for graduate students in the sciences and engineering are described. The course was piloted at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan to train students for presentation of technical papers. Background information is offered on English language…

This document consists of the separately published test booklet, two student answer booklets, and test administration guide for Alberta's beginning-level French as a second language test. The student test booklet contains instructions, largely in English, and questions, largely in French, on aspects of daily life in and out of school. Three…

Techniques for teaching students to use a variety of language and communication skills to improve participation and success in cross-cultural situations are outlined. The approach evolved in the context of the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California, in which foreign military officers must learn strategies for effective communication in…

An English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program for adults is outlined that uses a local newspaper as a source of instructional material. The course uses transitional listening and speaking activities that lead to literacy (reading and writing) components. The teaching guide is modular, enabling the teacher to select the most appropriate module for…

A partnership between Glendale Community College, Rio Salado Community College, and Digital Equipment Corporation provides literacy instruction to employees at Digital's Phoenix plant; from their experience are derived recommendations for those considering similar arrangements. The partnership's definition of literacy included critical thinking,…