Discusses computer-mediated communication (CMC) and computer-assisted language learning and explains how second language learners become communicatively fluent through a text-based CMC setting. Highlights include how asynchronous and synchronous CMC can support learners' cognitive processes; and models for combining text-based CMC with spoken…

Some strategies for developing educational materials are offered based on the idea that intermediate students of Japanese, if provided with appropriate materials and instruction, can engage in sustained non-technical discussion of business and economic topics much as native speakers do in social interaction. The discussion focuses on how to select…

This document reports on a materials development project created for volunteer tutors in the English-In-Action (EIA) program of the Bechtel International Center at Stanford University. EIA provides foreign students, visiting scholars, and their spouses with the opportunity to improve their English language skills in an informal, conversational…

An approach to foreign language instruction was worked out to meet the needs of high school students who were preparing to participate in an international exchange program with French students. The approach uses a combination of the notional-functional syllabus and the regular grammar and vocabulary lessons. Examples in French are provided…

Based on research relating William Perry's scheme of cognitive development to foreign language proficiency, a developmental hypothesis concerning language ability is proposed. This approach suggests that lower developmental stages in the cognitive domain retard the achievement of communicative language proficiency, while higher developmental…

This guide outlines the Manitoban Department of Education's conversational French-as-a-second-language curriculum for second grade. The program is designed to introduce young children to the French language and culture through the learning of French sounds, vocabulary, and some sentence patterns. An introductory section explains the program's…

The use of discussion about students' vacations on the first day of a third-year college level conversational German class is analyzed. The discussion imitates a common conversational situation. Many students at this level tend to fall into use of the present tense, attempting few other tenses at first, and research shows that Germans consider…

A course in French-derived Kreol is designed for language learning among Peace Corps volunteers assigned to the Seychelles. The materials consist of 36 lessons on topics of daily communication needs. Lessons contain a story, dialogue, and/or list of expressions, exercises, and vocabulary and grammar notes and translations in the margin. Some…

One of a series of experiments attempting to overcome practical constraints on testers is described. This test was based on rehearsed communicative situations that were recorded by groups of students. The subjects of the experiment were 250 students in their first year of study for a joint language degree who were following a 12-week spoken…

A modern language or communicative approach to teaching Latin on the secondary level is described. The traditional content of grammar and reading from classical literature is taught, but the aspect of Latin as a medium of communication is emphasized throughout the five levels of Latin instruction. On the elementary levels, each day's lesson is…

Texts in spoken Standard Chinese were developed to improve and update Chinese materials and to reflect current usage in Beijing and Taipei. The focus is on communicating in Chinese in practical situations. The overall course is organized into 10 situational modules, student workbooks, and resource modules. This workbook covers the money and…

The textbook is designed to satisfy the linguistic needs of law enforcement personnel who deal with monolingual Spanish speakers. The goal of the text is to enable the student to communicate in Spanish. The material stresses career-oriented "need-to-know" Spanish, relevant cultural awareness materials, practical role-playing exercises…

The lessons in this workbook are intended to supplement existing taped materials in the French Basic Course. Emphasis is placed on creative activities, realistic situations, and authentic speech variations. The materials can be used for self-study purposes as well as in a language laboratory under the guidance of an instructor. The units in this…

A one-week orientation program designed to increase the effectiveness of foreign teaching assistants (FTA) is described. As the program developed, a decision was made to include non-FTAs with the result that the English language proficiency of the participants covered a wide range and the objectives of the program were mixed. Because of the…

This is the first module of 10 in the German Headstart program. Each of the 2 units in the module contains objectives, exercises, and a self-evaluation quiz. In addition, there are several supplementary exercises and self-evaluations. The objective of this module is to enable the student to pronounce and read German sounds, to find out the…