Trinity College Dublin was proud to host, in April 2016, the Second International Conference on Telecollaboration in Higher Education, with the theme "New Directions in Telecollaborative Research and Practice." Over two and a half days, 150 participants offered 95 research presentations, posters, and "problem shared" sessions.…

A number of problems confronting the foreign language teacher in the secondary school classroom are discussed, and strategies (not necessarily solutions) are offered for coping with them. Problems were selected on the basis of the authors' experiences as state supervisors and as a result of letters of inquiry to classroom teachers and local and…

Discusses the special problems of teaching foreign languages (specifically English) to the hard of hearing, including the monolingual approach and the introduction of a reading text. (IFS/WGA)

Applies a Vygotskyan perspective to explain the speech activity of 16 third-year high school learners of Spanish, focusing on their talk about task, talk about talk, and use of English during a problem-solving speaking task. Findings suggest that not all speech activity between second-language learners during classroom communicative tasks is…

A teaching technique is described in which each student is presented with a written clue from a mystery story which is pertinent to the solution of the mystery. Sustained student interaction is required. This joint problem-solving endeavor requires students to use both oral and written linguistic skills. (Author/RM)

Reports on teacher reaction to a compromise proposal dealinq with the reform of A level and N level language syllabuses. (AM)

Based on the results of native and foreign language assessments of high school learners, it is inferred that students with foreign language learning difficulties have subtle but underlying native language learning difficulties, especially in the phonological and syntactic codes of language. Implications for diagnosis and teaching are discussed.…

The principal objectives of this conference were: (1) to become aware of present research relevant to second language learning/teaching; (2) to stress the need for further research; and (3) to establish directions for this further research. Papers include: "Language Needs and Social Policy" (John Trim); "Some Priorities for Research in Second…

MOST OF THE CRITICISMS OF TRANSLATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOL LANGUAGE COURSES FOCUS ON THE SUPPOSEDLY DIFFICULT PROBLEMS OF SELECTING, USING, AND GRADING TRANSLATION TESTS AS OPPOSED TO THE OBJECTIVE TESTS GENERALLY USED BY ADVOCATES OF AUDIOLINGUALISM. BUT MOST OF THESE CRITICISMS FAIL TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PROCESS OF LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE…

Recommends, for teaching English in the upper grades, Malamud's "The Assistant," which deals with the life of a minority group in New York during the Great Depression, and which emphasizes the importance of neighborliness and mutual helpfulness. (IFS/WGA)

Consists of three articles discussing the relevance of course work in foreign languages, English, and social studies to specific occupational areas. Describes jobs that make primary and secondary use of these skill areas. (CH)

Discusses predictive and conceptual validity, reports on two experiments on each type of test validity with relation to language tests, and indicates some problems posed by these two forms of evaluation. (AM)

An Ontario program providing sets of problem-solving activities for native French speakers helps students in grades 7-12 enrich their language proficiency in both French and English. The guides developed as part of the program emphasize language as a tool for thought, social interaction, and artistic expression, and focus on the integration of…

Discusses the use of intercultural e-mail via the Internet to provide language students with real audiences, authentic language experiences, and immediate feedback from native speakers. Highlights include examples from high school classes in Florida and Mexico City, task-based learning activities, and problems and possible solutions. (LRW)

An investigation sought to identify student characteristics and behaviors as they related to work habits, classroom disturbances, and dependence on the teacher, in the foreign language classroom. It is suggested that such data are useful in planning teaching methods. (AM)