The paper reports some of the results of a preliminary survey of the language proficiency of matriculation students of French in Britain and Australia. The technique used (especially the use of Chief Examiners' reports) is justified and the deficiencies that exist in current matriculation examinations are noted. In particular, the examinations are…

This book gathers ideas and practices in teaching English as a second language to serve as a reference for the leader of a conversation group. A variety of tested techniques is included for stimulating conversation among students with a basic command of English. The book begins with a discussion of what is involved in directed conversation…

The papers in this volume discuss practical approaches to some of the current problems of degree-level language teaching. Section one discusses non-literary registers in advanced language teaching including the use of texts in teaching, suggestions for a course in practical sociolinguistics, and exercises for advancing from paraphrase to an…

Four issues of "TESL Reporter" are presented. Contents include the following articles: ''An Approach to the [I] [i] Contrast" by William D. Conway; "Native Language Environment Is Source of Confusion" by Alice Pack; "The Origin of Language: A Puzzle With Missing Pieces"; "Terminal Behavior and Language…

This study investigates the role of inferencing in cloze test performance and the factors that facilitate that inferencing. Four groups of high school students learning French as a second language completed sets of cloze passages under four treatment conditions. Three conditions provided a potential cue to inferencing, while the fourth was a…

A general model for second language learning is proposed in this paper. First, this model aims to describe different components (input, intake, integration, output) of the learning process in terms of the information (explicit/implicit, linguistic/sociolinguistic) to which the learner is exposed. Secondly, the model serves to identify the stages,…

This discussion of bilingualism and second language learning concerns many linguistic considerations that figure in the problem of language instruction. The author reports on current research and on the ideas of several noted linguists. Topics considered in this study are the goals of the bilingual education program, reasons for becoming…

This book aims to provide practical, research-informed answers to the questions most frequently asked by teachers of second language learners. Every question targets one of the key instructional issues teachers must address to ensure success for their second language students. Included among the questions are: How do I assess a student's English?…

This document is composed of 5 separate volumes which represent case studies of 57 Asian Limited English Proficient (LEP) high school students who attended sheltered classes in the Philadelphia School District (Pennsylvania). Case studies, conducted in 1991-92, were part of a larger study of the student experience in sheltered classes in…

This bulletin is intended to help classroom teachers who have Indochinese refugee children in their classes. In many places where there is no English as a second language (ESL) program, it is the classroom teacher and auxiliary personnel who must teach the children English sentence patterns, pronunciation and vocabulary. When more than one teacher…

This manual attempts to provide practical and useful linguistic information for classroom teachers and classroom aides in bilingual programs, K to 12. It stresses the importance of teamwork in any bilingual program, a team consisting of teachers, aides, volunteers and student tutors. The goal of the manual is to help teachers and aides become more…

This article deals with the issue of gaining proficiency in oral expression in a second language. A functional approach to teaching oral proficiency is outlined, an approach which focuses on the audience as a determining factor in the speaker's linguistic output. Claims in the article are based on an experiment in the teaching of oral proficiency…

This paper questions the purpose of testing in second language instruction. Comments are based on an examination of tests used by the Defense Language Institute for students of English as a second language. Two kinds of tests are used: the English Comprehension Level (ECL), used primarily as a basis for setting exit requirements, and "Book…

The purpose of this study was to improve the English competence of Spanish-speaking students, to increase their success in school, and to help them develop stronger self-concepts. Control and experimental groups of students were selected from kindergarten, second, and fourth grades of elementary schools with a predominantly Chicano population.…

This guide describes well-established and practical pedagogical behaviors for a foreign language teacher in an ordinary situation, a classroom with 20-35 pupils who are beginning the study of a foreign language in school or college. The first chapter, "The Five Stages," discusses the stages through which an item (a word, construction, or idiom) in…