The prerequisites of language acquisition are cognitive and pragmatic. The child's conceptual development and social needs direct his attention to particular linguistic forms. These provide an efficient selection device enabling the child to match his language learning task with his abilities. The second language learner who is cognitively and…

Viewing the myth of Sisyphus as a metaphor for the vast numbers of high school students and teachers who go through daily school rituals unable to discover personal meaning in their work, this report applies the existential philosophy of Albert Camus and other existentialists to the methodology of Teaching and learning English in high schools. The…

OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO PERFORM IN ORDER TO MEASURE UP TO STANDARDS SET BY OTHERS RATHER THAN TO LEARN PERSONALLY, TO CHANGE THEMSELVES AND THEIR BEHAVIOR AS THEY EXPAND THEIR OWN CONCEPT OF REALITY. SUCH AFFECTIVE LEARNING, FAR MORE DIFFICULT TO PERCEIVE AND EVALUATE THAN COGNITIVE LEARNING, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MAJOR…

For more than twenty years controversy has existed in the Armed Forces over the kind of knowledge and training electronic maintenance technicians should have. The Navy and Air Force have conducted research projects in this area, and for the Army the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) has developed several methods to improve the…

This study examined five student characteristics with the expectation that if interactive characteristics could be established, attitudes could be improved by assigning students to classrooms with the appropriate degree of openness. It was hypothesized that some pupils might be happier in a traditional, or structured, environment. Five variables…

This literature-centered curriculum approach to English, grades 9-12, is proposed as a design to involve students in the learning experience. After an introductory explanation of the program's rationale and general procedures, each unit in the curriculum is outlined briefly; its content, objectives, suggested ability level, and procedures for…

This research undertook to determine the nature and extent of academic and motivational change in low-achieving junior high school students with some talent in music who participated in a special music training program. About 100 students in each of five schools were selected by a screening instrument and assigned randomly to experimental or…

The goal of educational programs for educable mentally retarded (EMR) children is to progressively develop socially mature individuals who can think critically and act independently. The major focus is a curriculum that encompasses social and occupational concepts, facts, and behaviors that are consonant with social adaptation during maturation…

This document contains reports of individual research and action projects of the Tri-University Project in Elementary Education. In the research section of the document, (1) Laura Chase describes working with two children whose capacity to use oral language successfully was stunted by their experience in home and society, (2) Dorothy Troendle…

The several practices described in this volume represent attempts by classroom teachers of Nevada to solve some of the educational problems with which they are confronted. These practices are discussed under the following headings: Helping Teachers to Help Children Learn and Use Phonics; Teaching the Alphabet in the Kindergarten; Teaching Blends…

Motivation has been called the most important variable in foreign language learning. Of the possible motivators, that of desire for integration with the culture of speakers of the language correlates most highly with learning success. American Indian students are faced with the need to integrate to a certain extent with speakers of English. Their…

Schools cannot change the language of children; the entire social structure is involved, particularly our patterns of social mobility and the values of lower class culture. At the early elementary level, children should be encouraged to use their own language to the fullest extent. Reading instruction for these youngsters should concern characters…

This study took place in a sixth grade math class at Webber Middle School in Saginaw, Michigan. A literature review indicated that a classroom that students perceive as safe, supportive of their autonomy, and of their learning increases intrinsic motivation. With this in mind, the author created a study, which would look for connections between…

This module, which may be used as the basis for a workshop or as a special topic unit in adult basic education or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses, addresses learning to learn. It is designed to help instructors explain and demonstrate how learning is part of life and provide a valuable opportunity for them to engage their students in…

To determine relative levels of motivation in learning English as a Second Language, 40 freshman and sophomores at 2 national universities in mainland China and Japan responded to a 40-point attitudinal questionnaire and 6-point followup motivational intensity scale. Data on student language proficiency were also gathered. While a solid majority…