Twenty-seven middle school English learners participated in a study to determine the efficacy of the Think-Aloud Strategy, one of several metacognitive strategies created to help students strategically negotiate appropriate meaning from text. Students were grouped by level of English-language proficiency and were administered a reading…

Describes a model unit from the new basic German course for the Defense Language Institute designed to teach appropriate language and responses for everyday situations. (EKN)

The Cummins model of language proficiency is applied to analyzing communication tasks for hearing-impaired students. The model has been found to facilitate individualization in situations where teachers are required to modify lessons spontaneously. (DB)

Examines three curriculum models for teaching second languages. Each model represents a particular form of teaching, either analytic "skill-getting" (microlanguage learning), experiential "skill-using" (macrolanguage use), or a combination of the two. (57 references) (GLR)

Makes a case for a sequential approach to teaching foreign languages middle schools and suggests that in the middle school must encompass both the goals of proficiency and exploration; the integrated exploratory model is more compatible with child development; exploratory can be a launching pad into sequential courses; after an exploratory…

Proposes a theory of second-language (L2) learning that differs from accepted modes of theorizing in the second-language field. The theory is based on data gathered from the L2 classroom and strives to consider practical knowledge from other fields. (72 references) (JL)

No empirical studies exist comparing the effectiveness of the two prevalent foreign language methodologies, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS), at helping students achieve second language acquisition. In turn, the purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of participation in Read 180, a teacher-mediated, computer-mediated reading instruction program, on the reading proficiency of 4th and 5th grade English Language Learners. The students who participated in the Read 180 program scored below the 25th percentile on the Florida Comprehensive…

In this study, we compare the first and the last sessions from an online oral proficiency course aimed at doctoral students conducted in the virtual world Second Life. The study attempts to identify how supportive moves made by the teacher encourage learners to engage with language, and what type of linguistic behaviour in the learners leads to…

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Curriculum Quality and includes: (1) Suggestions for Conducting Effective Teaching Demonstrations in Classrooms with Diverse Learners…

One of the most misunderstood issues in pre-K-12 education today is how to educate children who are not yet proficient in English. When policymakers refer to these students as English language learners (ELLs)--as many school district officials presently do--or as limited English proficient students (LEPs)--as federal legislators did in the No…

Several researchers have found that the type of task and learners' level of L2 proficiency are major determinants of the type and amount of metatalk. This paper is the first attempt to investigate potential interactions among the type of metatalk, the type of task and learners' level of L2 proficiency. Intermediate and advanced Japanese learners…

Within the field of second language acquisition, the acquisition of phonetics and phonology has generally taken a back seat to studies of morphological and syntactical acquisition. Although the lacuna is slowly being remedied by a growing interest in the phenomena of second language (L2) phonology, investigations into the acquisition of…

This study is based on three years of experience on the university level and addresses the questions of how to engage in play production and why it is valuable. The "how to" question considers the following: choice of a play, production of scenery, public relations and publicity, financing, rehearsal scheduling and time needed, how to direct the…