A discussion of distance-delivered foreign language instruction in Wisconsin focuses on the selection of appropriate technology for instructional delivery and on the design of distance instruction. Issues relating to both secondary and postsecondary instruction are examined. The first section examines some of the considerations in selecting…

The background and major activities of a 2-year study on adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs and practices are reported. Descriptions are provided of the nomination process for programs that teach literacy to adults not fully proficient in English, and the study site selection and case studies of nine programs are described. The…

Experiences with the data, analysis, and results in the Finnish Contrastive Discourse Analysis Project (1985-1988) at the University of Oulu are reported. The purpose of the project was to describe the conversational skills of advanced Finnish speakers of English, and especially to determine the level of their social competence or their ability to…

The second volume on reading authentic Polish is the continuation of a supplementary textbook to be used either in the classroom or in independent study. The materials included in it are unaltered authentic texts from Polish newspapers, magazines, and other mass media that provide exposure to the context and format of everyday reading matter. The…

This resource book addresses many of the factors involved in establishing and maintaining an elementary school foreign language program. Chapter 1 provides information on various program models. Chapter 2 addresses program issues, such as establishing a program rationale and choosing the language or languages to be taught, in order to provide…

Using a case history approach, one teacher's attempt to integrate theory and practice in an elementary English-as-a-Second-Language classroom is described. Paulo Freire's problem-posing educational model is examined in terms of its capacity to incorporate effectively the following theoretical premises: (1) language and culture form an inseparable…

A practical guide for language teachers to make the best use of television is presented. The focus is on the establishment of a "portfolio of good practice" with concrete ideas for using the medium, illustrated with examples from British programs. Also included are a chapter to set the scene, some thoughts on organizational alternatives, and a…

Cultural diversity in the classroom provides the opportunity for children to learn about the customs, clothes, and languages of other countries. Various art forms offer a vehicle for boys and girls to communicate in nonverbal play. A "two-faced" happy-sad puppet provides a nonverbal means for very young or nonnative speaking children to indicate…

The fourth-year update of a longitudinal study examined the progress of the 31 remaining members of 2 classes in the first cohort of a Spanish immersion program and their standard-program monolingual comparison group of 15 students. Achievement gains were measured on standardized tests of mathematics and language skills. Results provided new…

Increasingly, technology is incorporated into second language teaching and learning both in and out of classroom situations. The computer alone has many capabilities for enhancing language learning, but when combined with other technologies, the possibilities multiply for information retrieval, interactive audio- and video-assisted learning, use…

A qualitative method for assessing the cognitive and linguistic development of bilingual children is presented, and its underlying model is discussed. The model views language learning as a concept formation process in three domains: cognitive; cultural; and linguistic. This method has been found useful in accurately differentiating genuine…

This digest describes how foreign language instructors at Iowa State University of Science and Technology and Santa Clara University (California) have integrated the participation of native speakers from their communities into the curriculum in ways that allow students to practice their language skills and develop a heightened sense of cultural…

Intended to help students from language-minority backgrounds develop literacy in English, this book identifies and answers the major questions surrounding reading instruction for English as a second language (ESL) students. Specifically, the book reviews and synthesizes what is known about background issues related to the education of ESL…

This study surveyed the nature and extent of exploratory programming in intermediate schools. A 22-item questionnaire was sent to all 285 of the state's middle and junior high schools. Of the 163 respondents, 160 indicated that they had some form of exploratory programming. The latter number included: (1) 155 schools with traditional exploratory…

Approximately 500 undergraduate students, representing colleges and universities across the United States, who were about to embark on a semester-long credit-bearing sojourn sponsored by Syracuse University (New York) to one of four locations (London, Strasbourg, Madrid, and Florence) were surveyed about their aspirations and attitudes regarding…