An English teacher tells what out-of-school activities should include, what results are to be obtained from them, and, in general, what place they should occupy in the English school system. (IFS/WGA)

California currently faces an opportunity to develop an effective data system that can assist in improving the state's future understanding of the educational progress of English learners (ELs). This policy brief outlines the needs for good data on ELs and makes recommendations for creating an effective longitudinal data system for ELs. It…

As a result of a growing immigrant population in the United States, many adult education programs are working with new populations of adult learners who need to learn English. There is a need for a strong workforce of trained and knowledgeable practitioners who can work effectively with adults learning English and facilitate transitions to…

Discusses the suitability of functional syllabuses as a basis for general course design, and means whereby functionally oriented materials may be integrated within existing language programs. (Author/AM)

Describes the Chicago annual simulated German American Trade Fair for high school students. Discusses the background and logistics, and offers suggestions for teachers wanting to organize one. (EKN)

The concept of French verb tense as related to the passage of time and the completeness of an action or process is discussed. It is proposed that this concept of inchoativeness be applied in second-language instruction as an aid to students in choosing verb tenses. (MSE)

Describes some applications of computer assisted learning to language teaching and suggests how the language teaching profession might best profit from them. (EKN)

Examines form and gender correspondence rules for Spanish and attempts to evaluate them for potential utility to the foreign language user on the basis of formal and psychological criteria relating to how rules might affect performance, with specific reference to the role of rules as defined in monitor model. (Author/BK)

Notes that three picture story formats-- sequential organization, spatial organization, and compare and contrast organization--provide right-brain hemispheric input and stimulate verbal production of students learning a second language. (FL)

Offers successful teaching techniques from the English as a Second Language classroom that should be useful in remedial writing instruction. Emphasizes building student self-esteem and leading the student through drills and composition exercises at an individualized pace. (RL)

This research project addresses the validity of assessments used to measure the performance of English language learners (ELLs), such as those mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002). The goals of the research are to help educators understand and improve ELL performance by investigating the validity of their current…

Foreign language teachers can tap the appeal of video successfully and enjoyably in the foreign language classroom. Potential difficulties include length of feature films and difficulty in understanding the language and story simultaneously. The instructor must select materials and equipment carefully and commit considerable time and energy to…

There are two good reasons for incorporating historical linguistic insight into second language instruction: (1) to answer students' questions about why certain puzzling facts and irregularities occur in the language they are studying; and (2) as in other disciplines, a historical perspective can shed light on current practice. From a historical…

This teaching guide presents 11 classic German ballads for classroom use in the instruction of German as a foreign language. For each of the 11 ballads included in the guide, questions and exercises are provided to aid student comprehension, as well as numerous drawings and other illustrative materials. (VWL)

The production and understanding of humor calls for a specific competence. It appears that second language learners fail to develop this competence even when they reach native-like proficiency levels. A review of the literature suggests that the notion of humor competence in second language learning has not been examined. Humor competence can be…