Summarizes the central assumptions of the communicative language teaching model and the potential difficulties that regular classroom teachers may face in implementing it. Seven criteria for use in organizing communicative classrooms are presented, and applications of these criteria to decisions about organizing classroom interaction and the…

Training for ESL teachers should include linguistic training and application skills, cultural appreciation, second language teaching competencies, and the abilities to design and evaluate curriculum and to select or develop tests. Teacher specialization opportunities, support services, professional development, and the links between research and…

EFL learners from three language institutes in Brazil answered the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning--SILL--to self-report how they go about learning English. They emerged as balanced users of various strategies with a tendency to use metacognitive and social strategies to learn the language. This tendency, further reinforced by factor…

This is the second text in a series of Mandarin Chinese learning texts. It continues with the theme of learning to communicate in various forms, especially with time and location, and the hanzi writing system is introduced. An MP3 file accompanies this book. Contents include: (1) Acknowledgments; (2) Introduction; (3) Unit Three, Time When:…

In this completed qualitative dissertation research, the nature of the relationship between professional development programs (in-service training programs) and English language instructors was studied with a critical postmodern lense focusing on the narratives of nine English language instructors on their experiences in their professional…

This study investigated the types of preservice training received by Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) and assistant language teachers (ALTs) before participating in team teaching (TT), also assessing how they described their experiences with TT, the kinds of knowledge and experiences they believed should be included in teacher education,…

This collection of papers is divided into three parts. After "Introduction" (James F. Lee and Albert Valdman), Part 1, "Theoretical Aspects of Focus on Form," includes "What Form to Focus On? Linguistics, Language Awareness, and the Education of L2 Teachers" (Cristina Sanz); "Five Types of Input and the Various…

This study examined the use of mini-lessons in a less common language as a pedagogical tool to demonstrate different language learning theories, concepts, and methods, thus increasing students' knowledge base and changing their beliefs about language learning. The study involved students from a Master's Degree TESOL program enrolled in a course on…

This study examined whether utilizing technology in a cooperative learning environment would enhance the academic achievement of Hispanic students who had English as a second language (ESL). Surveys were administered to 30 elementary school teachers. The surveys examined the importance of using technology in the classroom, how the teachers have…

This study queried master's level teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) from Taiwan and Thailand, all of whom received their degrees in the United States, returned home to teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL), then returned to the United States to pursue doctoral degrees. The study examined the extent to which MA TESOL…

These eight papers focus on connections beyond the foreign language classroom. They include the following: (1) "Intercultural Communities: Rethinking Celestin Freinet" (Helene Gresso and Lara Lomicka); (2) "Beyond the Foreign Language: Making Connections Through Recorded Oral Histories" (John Chaston); (3) "Information…

This collection of conference papers focuses on new directions in second language learning: (1) "A Systematic Approach to Second Language Vocabulary Instruction" (Heide R. Lomangino); (2) "Listening Training for Language Learners: The Tomatis Approach to Second Language Acquisition" (Elizabeth G. Joiner); (3) "Thinking…

The guide is designed to give teachers of second language reading a broad theoretical basis for developing effective teaching methods and a flexible curriculum. An introductory section looks at the process by which learners acquire, expand, and refine their knowledge as a learning spiral, a reference made throughout the text. Chapter one describes…

This paper presents suggestions for writing and publishing articles in second language teaching journals, focusing on three areas: getting started (appreciating the benefits of writing for publication, starting with good ideas, efficiency, considering options beyond the typical article, choosing a good topic, replicating research, cooperating with…

This guide outlines curriculum and performance standards for second language instruction in Wisconsin elementary and secondary schools. An introductory section describes the rationale for development of, and use of the standards for foreign language instruction and briefly discusses applications across the curriculum. A second section gives an…