Traditionally, classroom instruction has been viewed as a structured, deliberately sequenced process leading to predetermined goals within given time limits. However, classroom second language instruction appears to be less efficient than non-classroom language acquisition. The reason may lie in the distinction between linguistic input (all…

The use of two types of commercially available Apple computer educational software in English for the development of accuracy and fluency in students of English as a second language is described. One type of program is aimed at the drilling and practice of grammar in English. Some of these programs have interesting formats and allow the teacher to…

A study of the communication skill needs of the foreign teaching associate (TA) in American universities focused on two questions: (1) What does a foreign TA do to communicate information in an American classroom in terms of comunication strategies and devices for cohesion and coherence of discourse? and (2) How does this compare with the way an…

A study comparing some grammatical and discourse features of the language of native-English-speaking and non-native-English-speaking parents of primary school children found that those children whose parents address them in interlanguage of English, frequently the case when the parent has not achieved native fluency, often need to repair the…

A study investigated the role of metacognitive skills and the conception of reading in the reading comprehension of adult native speakers of Spanish and English. The study differed from others in its examination of reading conceptions and comprehension in both the first and second languages. Results suggest that both first language reading ability…

A pilot study concerning the range of writing skills of intermediate students of English as a second language (ESL) is reported. The study identified the clause structures and relative low-order linguistic skills in the writing samples of 25 college students in this group. The method of evaluation of writing samples was a model of conformity to…

This paper examines the uncertainty and ambiguity surrounding student teaching supervision which may result from the individually idiosyncratic and imprecise use of language in clinical instruction and evaluative judgments. Case study methodology is used to compare the language used and the underlying images of "student teaching" and "effective…

A new third-year French textbook, in its introduction, describes its rationale and construction. The book's main objective is to provide authentic material for developing students' linguistic skills, focusing on language learning rather than civilization but including a cultural component. The textbook's organization is based on 20 recorded…

A study examined the effects of literacy in a Roman alphabet on the performance of Hmong refugees in a three-month program of English as a second language (ESL) and cultural orientation located in Thailand. Upon registration, information was gathered from program participants on previous education and reading ability in Hmong. The 114 subjects…

A study examined whether students of business English in a private university in Puerto Rico experienced oral communication apprehension and how it was related to their proficiency in English. Two tests were administered to 180 students: McCroskey's Personal Report of Communication Apprehension and the Michigan Test of English Language…

The strategic interaction method is based on the principle that dramatic tension is the essential ingredient in second language learning, but unlike the drama built on audience spectatorship, classroom drama builds within each student involved in the interaction. Students take scenarios, thematically cohesive events, and create their own dialog as…

Candidates taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are currently asked to supply several items of background information: birth date, sex, number of times TOEFL has been taken before, whether they are seeking status as undergraduate or graduate students, their native country and native language, and (for prospective graduate…

A study investigated the thinking processes of 14 Anglophone students of French performing challenging reading and summarizing tasks in their first and second languages. Individuals proved to use equivalent higher-order problem-solving strategies while writing and reading in both languages. Strategies varied with the individuals' levels of…

A year-long study of the writing development of 27 first through third graders in an English/Spanish bilingual program was conducted during the 1980-81 school year. Samples of the children's writing were collected at four intervals, coded for computer tallying, and analyzed in terms of code-switching, spelling, punctuation and segmentation,…

This digest considers the problems of foreign language instruction in small high schools and discusses possible solutions. A critical challenge for American education, pointed out by reform reports of the 1980's, is improvement of instruction in foreign languages to instill language proficiency. These national concerns have been translated into…