This study attempted to investigate the ability of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom learning environment and student background characteristics to predict student persistence in EFL learning. The study also aimed to investigate whether the associations between learning environment characteristics and persistence varied by several…

Discusses the use of suggestopedia and accelerated learning (AL) techniques in a 10-week French-as-a-Second-Language course for 13 adult learners. Course organization, lesson plans, and results, focusing on the effectiveness of AL techniques in short-term courses, are examined. (two references) (MDM)

An adult continuing education course in introductory Spanish is described. In planning the course, special attention was given to making course objectives realistic for the target population; rather than undertake a traditional college-level syllabus, academic and grammar-oriented in nature, the course was designed to provide students with basic…

The Spanish Intensive Courses sequence at the University of South Carolina, first offered in fall 1982, has become well received and highly visible in the university. The sequence has grown to three courses in fall 1983, all exceeding minimum enrollment requirements despite selective admission criteria. The success of the sequence has inspired the…

An exploratory course was designed to give secondary school students exposure to all languages in the foreign language curriculum, in sequence, so they may decide which, if any, to enroll in. This course was begun in 1979 to counter an elitist image of foreign language courses. Course topics encouraged students to explore the languages fully by:…

The manual designed as a guide for trainers in a seminar for teachers concerning some of the central issues in contemporary foreign language teaching and learning presents notes on each of the five seminar sessions, including overall goals and goals for the prescribed session activity, time and procedural notes, and reading lists. (MSE)

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) has been studied in Japan since about 1963. However, materials for computer-assisted English second language instruction at the college level are not highly developed. A 1985 experiment in CAI at one Japanese university used materials developed by faculty, staff, and students. Instruction using CAI at Doshisha…

A study of second language instruction for vocational purposes in Scotland is reported. It used case studies to investigate: (1) teaching approaches currently used; (2) assessment of foreign language skills for vocational purposes; (3) evidence of the effectiveness of different teaching approaches; and (4) approaches considered most effective by…

The manual designed to accompany a seminar for teachers concerning some of the central issues in contemporary foreign language teaching and focusing on how adults go about acquiring language includes materials for five sessions, in three sections. The first section covers language learning and acquisition in general, and contains a survey of the…

The discussion of reflective techniques for second language teaching is intended for teacher trainees and in-service teachers and focuses on practical applications of the reflective method. Each chapter presents an important dimension of teaching and poses questions for classroom observation, investigation, and critical reflection. The suggested…

In response to Taiwan's policy changes concerning university freshman English courses for non-majors, which allowed students to use the courses to fulfill a language requirement, a study investigated course characteristics (credit hours, laboratory requirements, midterm and final examinations, and teacher qualifications) and whether these course…

A study investigated the following: the types of freshman English courses for non-majors offered at Taiwan universities in 1995 and the attitudes of faculty, students, and graduates concerning the language skills emphasized; placement of students in classes; use of standardized teaching materials; and need for summer courses. In spring 1996, 178…

A Fordham University (New York) initiative to internationalize its undergraduate business curriculum is described. The curriculum development project, designed to both stem declining enrollment and make the curriculum more relevant to business needs, included student surveys, grant proposal preparation, assessment of local program competition,…

The collection of papers on course design includes reports of teaching practice and classroom research by teachers of English as a second language. Papers include: "Teacher Researchers: Perspectives on Teacher Action Research and Curriculum Renewal" (Anne Burns); "From Curriculum to Courses: Why Do Teachers Do What They Do?" (Susan Hood); "The…