This guide is intended to help teachers plan, design, and implement science activities for students learning English as a Second Language (ESL) in grades 4-8, in mainstream science classes, ESL classes, bilingual education programs, and also to help others serving this population. Steps for designing science experiments that integrate language and…

This study was conducted to gather more definitive information about aliens who were newly legalized under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Two groups of eligible legal aliens were interviewed in Florida: those residing in the United States before 1982 (PRE-82s) and special agricultural workers (SAWs). The 1,300 subjects were asked…

To investigate the influence of student modes of learning, or preferences for modes of learning, researchers at the Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) studied 97 Thai students who were beginners of English. It was hypothesized that: (1) aural and visual modes of listening and reading are related to achievement in English; (2) language aptitude,…

National standardization data were used to reexamine the evidence of gender differences in achievement test scores reported in previous studies. Changes in differences over time, from 1963 to 1992, were examined, as were differences across all grade and achievement levels. Subjects participated in Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), Iowa Tests of…

This study explored the extent of measurable differences in performance on Piagetian tasks among six year olds who are exposed to one or two languages. Subjects (N=120) were divided into four groups: (1) native English-speaking Anglo-Americans who live in the United States; (2) native Japanese-speaking Japanese who live in Japan; (3) native…

The teaching of literacy, primarily to second language learners, in the Vancouver, British Columbia, Municipal Workplace Language Training Program is examined. The program arose out of reports to the city's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program about language difficulties among workers who couldn't pass tests required for promotion or…

In response to state legislation and a statewide strategic plan that included a recommendation for quality standards and accountability defined as measurable goals and conditions, model standards for California English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) adult education programs were established. This document describes general standards, defines language…

The use of language for real communication is of primary importance in bringing a foreign language to life for students. Native speakers can make a class come alive, and teachers should explore the possibilities for bringing exchange students and teachers into the school. Realia and foreign language children's books are also interesting to…

Foreign language listening comprehension instruction too often relies on brief selections read aloud or sporadic teacher talk interspersed with native language (NL) utterances, which fail to provide sustained listening practice. NL is overused for grammar-related talk, reducing target language exposure, encouraging translation, and hindering…

Proceedings of a workshop designed to examine the need of Queensland, Australia teachers in the areas of Asian studies and languages and to provide recommendations and preservice and inservice teacher education are presented in this report. The proceedings include an opening address by the Minister of Education and two keynote addresses: "The…

A study was planned to generate a model for testing second language education that would incorporate task types to allow the display of fluency. It is argued that the display of oral fluency can be used as a selection criterion for inclusion of test items in multitask or portfolio assessment. The following three research questions were formulated:…

The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC®) is an ETS-developed measure of proficiency in English as a second language (ESL) or foreign language (EFL), designed to assess aspects of English language listening comprehension (LC) and reading comprehension (RC). In general samples of native speakers of Japanese, Korean, French,…

This article describes the author's experiences coping with the challenges of teaching English in an Indonesian university, such as classroom conditions and large numbers of students at different proficiency levels. The author suggests five activities that are designed to involve students in learning with little dependence on materials and little…

The federal contribution to overall educational expenditure in the United States is extremely modest, and has traditionally been focused on special issues and special populations at each educational level. However, the programs have strengthened academic resources and initiated significant efforts in many areas. While funding cuts are currently…

The development and field testing of a proficiency test in English as a Second Language for non-native speakers teaching on Guam is reported. The resulting instrument measures four language skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking). The listening measure uses natural language that might be heard by a classroom teacher. The reading measure…