This article by Dr. Mahmoud M. S. Abdallah provides a comprehensive guide to formulating a research problem in education and language learning, particularly for TESOL/TEFL researchers. It emphasizes the importance of a well-defined research problem as the cornerstone of any research project, guiding the selection of methods, data collection, and…

The National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention (NCLII), a consortium funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), prepares special education leaders to become experts in research on intensive intervention for students with disabilities who have persistent and severe academic (e.g., reading and math) and behavioral…

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by Section 3113 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires state educational agencies (SEAs) to establish and implement standardized, statewide entrance and exit procedures for English learners (ELs). WIDA provides the English language proficiency placement and annual…

Over the years, careers have transformed to be flexible and changing rather than stable, life-long commitments to an organization. As such, making work meaningful, controlling the work environment, and taking the opportunity to get required training for the next job are as important as the financial advantages. Educators' careers cannot be…

The limitations of objectives tests, the language skills needed for university work, and effective ways of appraising and communicating these skills to the university are discussed. The goals of university English as a second language (ESL) programs is to train international students in the linguistic and academic skills they will need in American…

Considers how IQ tests may not be an effective means of identifying English-as-a-second language (ESL) students with learning disabilities due to inherent cultural biases of the tests. Concludes that the use of IQ tests with ESL or English-dialect students is inappropriate when the student's first or primary language is different from the language…

A booklet designed for supervisors, co-workers, and others who deal with limited-English-speaking immigrants discusses communication problems and solutions. Chapters address these issues: (1) the problems and consequences of faulty communication; (2) difficulties that result from assuming that immigrants should learn English; (3) appreciation of…

Testing English listening skills involves a variety of skills. Sounds are sometimes difficult to discriminate in a language that is not one's native tongue, so testing phoneme discrimination, the ability to tell the difference between sounds, is important. Picture choice items are a good way to select among alternatives to demonstrate…

This paper presents the educational method of role taking as a means of teaching communicative competence in a second language. The method calls for encouragement of student "creative work" and "coping with" the learning material. A sample lesson used in South Africa with students (ages 11-13) learning English as a Second…

Of the four language skills, reading is probably tested most often, and it may seem to be the easiest to test. However, testing reading proficiency has its difficulties, and the test constructor must be aware of several issues. Reading involves a number of skills, and the number and complexity of these must be recognized. Choosing the text to test…

English as a second language teachers should make learners comfortable with the fact that not being understood at times is a natural and expected part of the communication process. Encouragement to understand what lies behind the misunderstandings and what strategies might be employed to ensure continued communication serves learners well on the…

Designed to accompany a Cross-Cultural Training Workshop for supervisors of limited-English-proficient (LEP) employees, this "train the trainer" manual can be used as a resource for individuals who have some experience as cross-cultural trainers or as an orientation for novices in the area of cross-cultural communication. The workshop is…

This paper examines political maneuvering within academia, the concerns of English as a Second Language (ESL) faculty, and methods that faculty can use to overcome campus politics and address their concerns. ESL faculty are often concerned about: (1) the lack of support from mainstream college faculty; (2) too many part-time positions; (3)…

This documents contains 40 discreet pieces of advice and tips for making English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes, at whatever level, more interesting and fun for both teacher and learner. It also offers good and shrewd advice for handling the myriad of issues that face the typical ESL teacher--from dealing with the custodial staff at the…

Many Puerto Rican children currently enrolled in English as a second language (ESL) classes speak Puerto Rican English (PRE). Their speech is characterized by nonstandard features, including some from Black English. Because of actual or historical interference from Spanish, they do qualify for ESL enrollment, yet their language problems are…