Here is a new approach to kindergarten language arts, developed through a blend of the authors' skills in education and theater. Language enrichment is their goal, action dramatics their technique. Discover how to make your classroom a place where the action is! (Editor/RK)

Responds to an article concerned with teaching foreign language literature as a means of second language instruction. It is argued that it is better and linguistically wiser to use time spent on literary appreciation to strengthen and promote "real" language work. (CB)

Analysis of four adult Quechua speakers' acquisition of clitic pronouns in Spanish revealed that educational attainment and amount of contact with monolingual Spanish speakers were positively related to native-like norms of competence in the use of object pronouns in Spanish. (CB)

Pre- and posttraining measurement of adult English-as-a-Second-Language learners' (N=18) apology speech act behavior found no clear-cut quantitative improvement after training, although there was an obvious qualitative approximation of native-like speech act behavior in terms of types of intensification and downgrading, choice of strategy, and…

Not all content teaching is necessarily good second language teaching. The typically used question/answer sequence could be replaced with a more effective use of carefully contrived activities that bring into the classroom authentic language in its full functional range. (Author/CB)

Principles of whole-language instruction are being implemented with upper elementary students at the Nebraska School for the Deaf. Students conduct cross-genre studies involving book, stage play, and movie versions of familiar tales. The approach incorporates language arts, social studies, science, art, and speech activities. (DB)

Preschool children with autism (n=9) and their normally developing peers (n=9) were compared before and after one school year. The autistic children had narrowed the gap after treatment--making a nearly 19-point increase in intelligence quotient and an 8-point gain in language quotient. Results support the value of a language enriched early…

Describes problems and attempted resolutions encountered in administering an effective study-abroad program in Paris, France, discussing program rationale, selection and preparation of students, academic life, and social life. (28 references) (CB)

Examines the purposes and constraints of the language-learning experience, where participants learn a little of a foreign language to increase their understanding of the language-learning process, for development of teachers of English-as-a-Second-Language. (CB)

A brief overview of the importance of the use of appropriate methodologies for elementary school foreign language instruction precedes a description of several strategies involving total physical response, story telling, games and songs, props, small-group work, role-play, content-based instruction, cultural and global awareness, language…

This study examined the time course of typing in prelingually and profoundly deaf as well as hearing individuals. Both groups of participants performed a written picture naming task and a written pseudoword task. Keystroke timing measurements from the written picture naming task revealed that the deaf as well as the hearing group were…

"Words and Concepts" is a computer software program that focuses on building oral language skills related to vocabulary, comprehension, word relationships, and other concepts in six units--vocabulary, categorization, word identification by function, word association, concept of same, and concept of different. It can be used by adults and…

Children arrive in classrooms with varied background knowledge, which means that teachers must select instructional methods, materials, and techniques to meet multiple needs. A carefully planned approach that includes direct and explicit instruction--as well as extensive opportunities for reading, writing, speaking, and listening--can help…

This resource book is one of a series containing lesson plans for grades 1-3 designed to support children's literature books sharing familiar social studies themes. "Folktales and Legends" presents eight different children's books related to the theme. For each book social studies concepts are presented, followed by four activities called…

Differences in classroom behavior and adjustment between two groups of low-income, black children were investigated in a continuing study, as subjects approached their eighth birthday. Eight experimental and nine control subjects, who had been differentially exposed to postpartum contact with their mothers and who differed in maternal language…