This teaching technique for the foreign language class is designed to encourage cooperation among students and distribute speaking time equally. Materials to be discussed are cut apart in jigsaw fashion, and students must work together speaking the second language to assemble the correct information. (CHK)

Theoretical assumptions and consequences of the Markedness Differential Hypothesis (MDH) are compared with the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis, and empirical evidence favoring the former is reviewed. Pedagogical implications of the MDH, a strategy for interlanguage-intervention, and several problems revealed in the literature are discussed. (MSE)

An ESL reading efficienty course was designed to tackle "sheer volume," frequently the nonnative speaker's greatest difficulty with university courses. Using overhead transparencies coupled with tape recordings, and eventually proceeding to real textbooks, sufficient practice was accomplished in the immediate controlled situation, but…

Word puzzles can be useful in FL teaching. They provide motivation. But they should be limited by the learner's linguistic competence, and should be carefully designed, with clear information, so as to create a high probability of successful solution. Method is discussed, using 3 examples. (IFS/WGA)

This article discusses a method of teaching French that would depend less on the textbook in the classroom situation, and significantly on an affective approach that enables the teacher to elicit the material to be used as examples from the students themselves. (CLK)

This guide was written for study abroad program professionals to assist in facilitating students' culture and language learning before, during, and after their time abroad, providing students with tools that will enable them to best navigate, interpret, and learn from their own cross-cultural encounters. Eight sections focus on the following: (1)…

This teacher's guide is intended for the instruction of both French as a first language and French as a second language in immersion programs. It provides a host of strategies for teaching listening skills in the classroom in Grades 1 through 7. The first section is designed to bring the teacher's awareness to the training procedure. It discusses…

Metrical phonology, a linguistic process of phonological stress assessment and diagrammatic simplification of sentence and word stress, is discussed as it is found in the English language with the intention that it may be used in second language instruction. Stress is defined by its physical and acoustical correlates, and the principles of…

This edited volume provides a rationale for and classroom examples of the effective use of content-based instruction in English-as-Second/English-as-a-Foreign-Language (ESL/EFL), in which the study of an academic subject is sustained over time. Each chapter provides the following: detailed course descriptions; practical suggestions for developing…

This paper helps mainstream teachers and administrators demystify English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) education, providing techniques to help immigrant students make sense of English and their new culture. Ten chapters examine the following: (1) "We're Moving to Where?" (how it feels to move to a totally alien environment); (2) "The Essence and…

This question-and-answer sheet defines health literacy and its importance in the United States, discussing implications for adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners, instructors, and programs. It also offers recommendations for addressing health literacy in the ESL classroom. It focuses on what health literacy is (a constellation of…

Presents data on the impact of oral and silent reading on reading comprehension. Hypothesizes that reading comprehension is enhanced significantly by silent, rather than oral reading, and that re-reading is an effective mode for increasing comprehension in either mode. (EKN)

Foreign Language Exploration Competition Day consists of competitive activities for junior high school students of French, German, and Spanish. Students choose from a list of 17 contests and 7 prepared displays requiring students to use language skills learned in the classroom. Awards include ribbons, certificates, and a trophy. (MSE)

Describes oral tests for different teaching levels that can be used by regular classroom teachers with normal size classes. At the beginning levels, oral assessment is done through role playing or "talk cards," and at the advanced levels, an oral interview is the major part of a mixed skill task. (EKN)

Describes how to plan a weekend foreign language workshop in terms of facilities, students, staff, and budget. Gives a possible schedule and suggests various activities and games. (EKN)