This study examined the language and cultural attitudes of 45 bilingual Spanish/English adolescents of Spanish, Peruvian, and Chilean background enrolled in Saturday Spanish programs in Sydney, Australia. Each student had at least one parent whose first language was Spanish. A 60-item questionnaire designed to elicit information on factors…

An International Executive Program for non-native English speakers at the State University of New York, Buffalo, is described. The program is offered to executives, administrators, and students planning to pursue a master's degree in business who need to improve their English language skills. The program is offered jointly by the university's…

The guide, designed for regular classroom teachers, outlines principles and strategies for teaching limited-English-proficient children. The first chapter addresses the task of building a trusting relationship with students and establishing a comfortable learning environment. Topics include sensitivity to cultural and linguistic differences,…

Papers in this volume are: "The Origin, Grittner); "What We Can Learn from Those Who Avoid Us: Why Some Students Do Not Study Foreign Language" (Mary Ann Pederson); "Exploring Student Beliefs about Language Learning" (Christine M. Campbell, and others); "Whole Language and Foreign Language Proficiency: Natural…

A study investigated the validity of a second-language student's actual speed of delivery of a passage read aloud as an indicator of second-language fluency. The study, conducted in Hong Kong with 83 secondary school students, used the oral dialogue test in a standardized secondary school-leaving examination. The dialogues were timed and the rate…

The Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) has long received federal grant funds under Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to supplement its regular bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. In 1990-91, AISD was awarded a 3-year grant to serve a population of limited-English-proficient (LEP) high…

This collection of essays gives an overview of recent trends and developments in second language instruction, particularly in the context of British education. Contents include: "From Complacency to Conviction: Thirty Years of Language Teaching Theory, Practice, and Policy" (David Phillips); "Lessons from the Graded Objectives…

This guide offers ideas and techniques for projects designed to enhance the social and linguistic experiences of students participating in international exchanges. The first section outlines potential topics and procedures for projects conducted in the home, school, or local environment during stays in foreign countries. Most are based on site…

This study investigates the problem-solving strategies that second-language students from different educational backgrounds bring with them to an academic writing task. Three students who participated in this study are discussed in this report: one student who experienced uninterrupted education in her native language, completing high school in…

This digest defines the concepts of "whole language,""learner-centered," and "participatory," and discusses their application to adult learning in ESL literacy programs. All three approaches advocate that the learner should inform literacy instruction with his or her own particular input, that learners and their…

A study investigated whether a classification scheme for learning strategies used in ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) instruction is applicable to strategies used in learning Japanese as a second language. Four metacognitive strategies were examined (directed attention, selective attention, self-monitoring, self-management). Subjects were 30…

A study investigated how schools and teachers attempt to meet the needs of language minority students and to utilize literature as a means to teach English language reading to students while building their English language capacities. Language arts and reading instruction was observed in 12 third- through fifth-grade classrooms in three elementary…

The report, based on a study of journal entries written by English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students in San Diego Community Colleges (California), examines the value of journal writing for ESL learning and acculturation and offers classroom techniques for its use. An introductory section describes the study and its outcomes. Chapter 1 looks at…

The benefits of Internet activities for teaching of foreign languages, for example the use of e-mail as a non-threatening environment for language output, and using the Web to integrate language and culture, have become apparent in the last few years. This paper describes WebCT as a user-friendly integrated Internet environment for the teaching of…

The last several years have seen a dramatic increase in the popularity of two-way immersion (TWI) programs around the country. These programs integrate native English speakers and language-minority students for academic instruction and aim to promote bilingual proficiency, high academic achievement, and cross-cultural awareness. The expanded…