Research has shown that although teachers' knowledge about the subject or pedagogy is important, a teacher's professional vision (including their perceptions and pedagogical decisions) can also have a significant impact on the efficacy of their practice. Firmly grounded in the long-standing field of teacher professional vision research, this…

Focuses on the role of the grammatical explanation in second language teaching. Its function and presentation is a complex issue among the various teaching methods, and the teacher's decision to use it depends on learners' needs. Recommendations are made for matching appropriate types of grammatical presentation to the student population. (PJM)

Describes the types of mathematical games or puzzles that can be used in foreign language courses and dicusses the purposes they serve. Emphasizes their effectiveness as motivational learning stimuli and points out that they can be used either as instructional or reinforcement devices which force the student to "think" in the foreign language.…

Suggests that while slavish, excessive memorization is a habit that hinders the development of critical skills while stifling originality and precision, in certain cases the best approach is to accept the memorization habit partially, in order to exploit it for its own eventual elimination. Capitalizing on students' intellectual curiosity…

Three dimensions in the teaching of listening comprehension are outlined: (1) a theory is presented that takes account of the cognitive processes used (approach); (2) listeners' needs are analyzed and a taxonomy of microskills and objectives for teaching them are proposed (design); and (3) classroom exercises and activities are suggested…

Some of the cognitive and affective factors influencing second language reading comprehension are reviewed, and an instructional technique designed to both guide the reading process and develop comprehension at several levels is described. Teachers are urged to develop process-oriented reading comprehension activities in collaboration with…

The design of instructional materials for second language listening comprehension is discussed, based on the premise that such materials must reflect a view of the nature and processes of listening. Two distinct kinds of cognitive processes involved in listening are examined: bottom-up processing, or the use of incoming data as a source of…

Five classroom strategies for improving the comprehension of the content areas by students of English as a Second Language (ESL) are described. The strategies encourage students' processing skills of comprehension rather than emphasizing the products of comprehension. The strategies can help students learn English and also prepare them for…

Previous methods of evaluating listening comprehension have been faulty in that they also tested reading ability and memory, which interfered with the assessment of listening comprehension. A method is proposed which tests students' reactions to statements made in the everyday language of the target language. Results of the method in the…

Theories of reading emphasize the cognitive processes and metacognitive skills that readers employ to read with comprehension and insight. Teachers are referred to a resource book, "Enhancing Reading Comprehension," and a five-volume series of coursebooks, "Focus." Each is described briefly. (LB)

A technique for "warming up" a class in English as a second language involves writing a non-threatening, noncontroversial but thought-provoking word related to the day's general topic on the board and giving students time to write down as many related words as they can think of. Students are asked to volunteer their words, one at a time, to be…

Discusses what learning conditions promote memory stamina. Reviews study findings which suggested that spacing of practice during rote learning of a foreign language vocabulary can produce lasting memories. (ML)

Outlines principles that computer-assisted language learning (CALL) educators can follow in designing effective input-oriented tasks targeting grammar instruction, drawing on the latest advances in understanding of the interaction between internal cognitive processes and foreign-language learning. A prototype CALL application using these…

Reviews second-language learning literature concerning factors which may affect adult students. Focuses on cognitive mechanisms, cerebral dominance theories, formal operations, motivation, and second-language teaching and learning. Offers suggestions for community college teaching and programs. (DMM)

An analysis of the skills involved in listening comprehension and techniques for developing them in students looks first at elements of the general process of interpretation, showing the essential importance of the interpretative functions as contrasted with simple comprehension of sounds and decoding of meaning. The first section looks at…