The purpose of this study was to obtain quantitative nonevaluative data about verbal behavior used by instructor and students in the foreign language classroom. Two beginner and two intermediate German classes were tape-recorded for two weeks, then coded according to patterns. Frequencies of various verbal behavior patterns were analyzed. A…

This report describes initial steps taken in a research project aimed at gaining insight into the nature of effective foreign language teaching. Two systems for observing and describing classroom behavior of teachers and students were developed in this experiment. These systems were used to observe university-level French classes. Data collected…

Though the need for a language or languages to describe teacher behavior has been recognized for some time, few systems of analysis exist. A conceptual framework and a set of terms have been developed to describe the messages students and teachers send and receive in second language classrooms. This system is called FOCUS (an acronym for Foci for…