Discusses what learning conditions promote memory stamina. Reviews study findings which suggested that spacing of practice during rote learning of a foreign language vocabulary can produce lasting memories. (ML)

Discusses the problem of measuring the validity of interview ratings in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI), proposes frameworks to distinguish abilities from testing methods, and considers factors affecting test performance. Suggestions for research and development on the ACTFL OPI…

Discusses the ACTFL/ETS Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in relation to current models of communicative skills and argues that the OPI fails to measure important aspects of communicative ability. Two Situation Tests, one written and one oral, are described as alternative measures of communicative ability. Examples are given in Appendices.…

A case study investigating the effect of grammar instruction on formal accuracy in spontaneous and monitored second language performance indicated that formal instruction appeared to have very little effect on spontaneous production but was very beneficial for controlled performance. (CB)

The undereducation of Hispanic Americans spells serious problems for the United States and higher education. Reasons for Hispanic students' withdrawal from college include need to support self or family, lack of motivation, time conflicts, inability to cope with college demands, academic underpreparedness, and poor academic performance. (MLW)

Presents the instructional episodes engaged in by bilingual first graders. Findings indicate that peer instruction occurred frequently and that proficiency in English was not a determining factor in the language choices made by individual students. (Author/CB)

Assessed differential contribution of personality to the explanation of variance in achievement in the mother tongue and mathematics at high school level in 1,200 Afrikaans-speaking students. The results indicated that personality, as measured by the High School Personality Questionnaire, aided the explication of variance in achievement in the…

Makes a case for the continued emphasis on the incorporation of reading and listening skills in the second language proficiency movement and considers ways in which this movement has advanced such skill development. (CB)

Describes the National Endowment for the Humanities foreign-language institutes sponsored by Purdue University, including their results in improving foreign-language teachers' language skills, disseminating effective teaching techniques, the production of stimulating instructional materials, improving teachers' confidence and morale, and…

nter arguments are presented to defend the author's data selection practices and to point out pitfalls in Baker's critique. (SLD)

Reports the results of a six month qualitative study examining the reading and writing behavior in the natural pretend play of eight children four and five years old. Suggests that literacy is involved in two ways: (1) story making using setting, plot and resolution, and (2) displaying a literacy stance or orientation toward reading and…

Suggests instructional methods and communication strategies for second language learning which include the students' need to express themselves in non-pedagogic situations. Elements of basic awareness of face-to-face interaction are also presented. (Author/CB)

Analysis of language research and observation of two language classes suggest that, when teachers devote efforts to promoting students' encounters with and use of natural language, students will have the opportunity not only to learn about language, but also to arrive at proficiency in its use. (CB)

A rationale is presented for describing the communicative competence of language students in terms of proficiency guidelines. Techniques are discussed for helping students develop communicative proficiency in the four skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and for evaluating students' proficiency levels in relation to…

Discusses current literature dealing with the pedagogical implications of the ACTFL Provisional Proficiency Guidelines. The argument that grammatical accuracy needs to be stressed from the beginning of instruction is reviewed in the light of second language acquisition research, and it is suggested that such emphasis on grammatical correctness is…