A classroom activity for relatively advanced students involving interpretation of a surprising cartoon is described. The group process begins with a simple explanation of the picture, progressive discovery of small details, interpretation of the characters' situations, and role playing. (MSE)

"Re-tell" is examined as an activity designed to involve students in an interactive process. Authentic reading and listening passages provide a context in which the student can negotiate for meaning and extract information from the surrounding environment (the real world), thus fostering language acquisition via exposure to various learning…

Linguistic and statistical analyses of cloze tests as a measure of second language competence revealed qualitative and quantitative differences between the performances of Anglophone immersion and French control groups. The diagnostic limitations of the procedure and the usefulness of the linguistic information derived from it are discussed. (MSE)

Reports on two sessions of "Intensive Language Groups," held at a Teachers' College (Dortmund) for German students. Reports specifically on deviations from standard English which appeared, in semantics, grammar and pronunciation, and comments on the students' inability to carry on conversations involving unfamiliar, abstract vocabulary. (IFS/WGA)

Argues against the teaching of foreign languages to children under the age of ten, basing conclusions on empirical and theoretical evidence. (CLK)

Gives a brief survey of the background and place of English in the Indonesian secondary school system and discusses students' English proficiency level in relation to factors that impede effective teaching. (RM)

This monograph provides a comprehensive description and analysis of the literacy proficiencies of the adult immigrant population (16-65 years old) in the U.S. in recent years and assesses their implications for the labor force behavior, employment, earnings, incomes, and civic behavior of the immigrant population. The first section will present…

This document represents the first in a series of design briefs on models for early college high schools. The briefs focus on the academic and organizational design of the college component and tie those key features to a sustainable financing model. By engaging students in up to two years of demanding college-level work while still in high…

Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) is a construct developed by linguists that distinguishes everyday conversational language and language used in literature and on academic tests. The "No Child Left Behind Act" has created impetus for scientifically researched pedagogy that serves to increase academic achievement of groups…

This study of three female preservice teachers who took part in a practicum teaching experience in Mexico focused on what the students learned, how they met the challenges of the experience, and how the experience affected their personal and professional lives later. This qualitative study used interviews with each student and observation field…

This digest outlines the reasons for and challenges of developing the language skills of heritage language speakers and describes one effort to carry this out, the Heritage Languages Initiative. Specific sections address the following: developing language skills of U.S. residents; the range of language proficiencies of heritage language speakers;…

This study examined first exposures to oral and written English from ages 1-16 years, surveying 212 Ming Chuan University (Taiwan) students. The survey asked about the language spoken at home; age at and context of hearing, reading, writing, and speaking the first English word; experiences with conversations in English; and problems learning…

Recent developments in cognitive and educational psychology, such as increased appreciation of the situated nature of learning and understanding, call for broader ranges of student models and types of data than those standard in testing today. We must specify how what we observe on the test is related to competence as we conceptualize it, and…

This digest provides an overview of the methodological foundations underlying the lexical approach to language teaching and the pedagogical implications suggested by them. The lexical approach has received interest in recent years as an alternative to grammar-based approaches. It concentrates on developing learners' proficiency with lexis, or…

This paper argues for considerably higher expectations for the qualifications of language teachers by focusing on what preparations could and should offer. Because efforts to address issues of teacher preparation confront tacit assumptions about language teaching, the paper draws on the experience of literature training and hiring as a parallel in…