This report contains experiment results obtained from a comparative study of two groups of seventh grade students learning German in Sweden. The main objectives of the investigation, which lasted one school year, are: (1) to investigate possible achievement differences in German between similar groups of students when one group is instructed…

Report of a study conducted to determine whether an individualized French course would retain more students than other types of courses have in the past. (PMP)

Comments from students are given on the teaching of French in British primary and secondary schools where the initial emphasis is on listening and speaking, and where texts and English explanations are not used. (RM)

Discussion focuses on the widespread alienation of students from the foreign language experience while referring to methodological factors underlying this syndrome and to the uncertainty of the status that foreign language instruction has today in the classroom. A causal relationship is suggested to exist between students' alienation and the…

This project was designed to develop a test of modality (eye/ear) endowment and to determine the significance of this factor in foreign language instruction. Subjects were junior and senior high school students enrolled in French and Spanish classes. In phases 1 and 2 the Modality Endowment Battery of tests (MEB) was constructed and shown to have…

Address given to students at Althouse College of Education, London, Ontario; discusses Canadian reaction to the "imported" audiolingual method and future directions of language instruction in Canada. (RL)

TO HELP ADMINISTRATORS PLAN A SPANISH PROGRAM, AN 18-MONTH PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE THREE DIFFERENT METHODS OF TEACHING SPANISH TO SIXTH GRADERS. FOR THIS EVALUATION, SUCH INDEPENDENT VARIABLES AS STUDENT, TEACHER, CLASSROOM, AND DISTRICT WERE CONSIDERED, ALONG WITH DEPENDENT VARIABLES OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN DIFFERENT SKILLS. PART I OF…

This is a preliminary report on a series of small-scale language teaching experiments, aimed primarily at demonstrating that valid research into language teaching methods is possible. Small-scale refers not to the number of subjects involved, but to the scope of the experiment. Instead of looking at a method as a whole (as happens in large-scale…

Human development tasks have become an integral part of many humanistic curriculum models. When such activities are employed in the foreign language classroom, several prominent factors can be indentified: on a psychological (affective) level, integrative and transactional motivation; on a linguistic (cognitive/affective) level, active listening…

The view of some educational theorists that disadvantaged children with nonstandard English patterns have little to gain from the study of a second language is challenged. Rather, the study of a foreign language, with emphasis on communication and an audiolingual approach, is considered potentially beneficial for such students since the language…

Extracts from a journal kept by a French-speaking adult student in an intensive German language class are presented here. It is a critique of the audio-visual method, texts, teaching techniques, and students' reactions during the two parts of the course at the University of Berne. The extracts deal particularly with a comparison of the texts used…

This is a program evaluation of a language laboratory aide project initiated in two Milwaukee high schools. Some brief remarks on objectives, the schools involved, and project procedures are followed by the evaluation plan. Major attention is directed to the section on results, including pretest and posttest comparisons, a follow-up study, student…

Describes a teaching method intended to involve language students in classroom activities and conversation, and reduce inhibitions often caused by failure. (RL)

This volume deals with different methods for teaching foreign languages, and is intended as an instrument to foster creative thinking and teaching. The first chapter, "The Need for Liberation," discusses the need to progress beyond structure drills towards meaningful language use. Chapters 2-5, "The Beginning Phase,""The Lower-Intermediate…

A study of listening comprehension skills in foreign language classes compared the level of retention achieved by students trained to listen and perform versus students trained to listen and observe. Physical movement during training was not shown to be a critical factor in achievement. However, the experiment revealed a significant difference in…