Providing foundational academic support to Indiana's culturally and linguistically diverse students is a cornerstone of the state's educational goals. Over 140,000 Indiana students speak a language other than English at home, and there are over 295 different languages represented in Indiana schools. Of these, over 93,000 students have been…

The development of accent and fluency are traced in the speech of 20 Mandarin and 20 Slavic adult immigrants to Canada over a period of 10 months. The participants were enrolled in an ESL program but had no special instruction in either pronunciation or fluency. The immigrants' self-reported exposure to English outside of class was used to…

An after-school activity offered by the Central Institute of English Language called "Games" is described. The purpose of the activity is to stimulate and increase oral fluency and production. Several games are commented on. (RM)

The oral interview (OI) was developed to meet the need for a testing procedure of second language speaking skills. It has been refined and expanded several times since first developed in the 1950's for use by the U.S. Government. Now known as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Educational Testing Services (ACTFL/ETS) scale,…

Asserts that common techniques for the teaching of question formation disregard the speaker's purpose and the situation. Moreover, they are frequently based on transforming written sentences, which does not facilitate oral communication. Suggests criteria for judging question-teaching techniques and provides samples of "good"…

"Gambits" are conversational tools for introducing what we're about to say, such as "Excuse me for interrupting, but..." A three-part textbook series for students of English as a Second Language entitled "Gambits" contains exercises for advanced students which attempt to recreate "real-life" language…

This digest provides useful information on starting an elementary school foreign language (FLES) program. Individual sections address the following: (1) cautions in planning a FLES program; (2) initiating the planning process; (3) designing the program, with special attention given to scheduling and language choice; (4) programs that lead to high…

This book offers teachers the tools they need to incorporate drama into their language classes. It provides instructions on how to do the following: conduct a drama class; use acting and role-play exercises; select appropriate scripts for language learners; guide students to write their own scripts; and dramatize scripts for performance. Chapter…

Use of classroom improvisations and role-playing can help the second language learner speak quickly, naturally, and spontaneously. The technique is discussed and illustrated. (CHK)

Examines the rationale behind using musical drama in English-as-a-Second-Language classes, explaining that it is an enjoyable experience that enriches students' English while they are relaxed, working as a team, and having fun with their imaginations. The article explains the process of putting on a play and evaluates the effect such a project had…

The communication difficulties of foreign teaching assistants (TA) in U.S. colleges are addressed in 11 articles, with attention to the problems of the TA system as a whole in the spirit of international educational exchange. Titles and authors include the following: "'The Foreign TA Problem'" (Kathleen M. Bailey); 'Toward an Anthropology of the…

Describes talk-write, a form of cooperative learning aimed at enhancing fluency in writing during English-as-a-Second-Language instruction. The paper explains how to implement talk-write, discusses the logic behind talk-write, and presents some tips for talk-write in practice. Several modifications for implementing talk-write are suggested. (SM)

Suggests that the notion of near-native language ability, as currently used in the language teaching profession, should be re-examined. The concept of native speech is complex and often idealized, involving not only a teacher's language skills but also sociocultural norms, peer perceptions, and attitudes about ethnic or regional usage. The concept…

Speaking a second language is probably the most difficult skill to test in that it involves a combination of skills that may have no correlation with each other, and which do not lend themselves to objective testing. In addition, what can be understood is a function of the listener's background and ability as well as those of the speaker. Another…

A study investigated one major aspect of the process of writing in a second language (L2), surface error correction, and two related issues. The main research questions included: whether (1) L2 writers were preoccupied with surface error correction during the generation of text; and (2) whether this regular interruption of the composing process…