Reviews early research on innovative use of networked computers in language learning, focusing on a study of computer-mediated discussion that examined student/student and student/teacher interactions in a college French course. Due to rapid nature of computer-mediated exchanges, the "conversation" is a hybrid somewhere between writing and…

A review of literature examines the perspectives on second-language teaching of teachers with a minority perspective, those teaching minority students, learning-disabled or at-risk students, and uncommonly taught languages. These teachers criticize "one-size-fits-all" approaches and propose ethnically, culturally, linguistically, and cognitively…

Five brief essays are presented in response to an earlier article on leadership in college foreign-language departments. They address issues of curriculum redesign, pedagogical change, the nature of language teaching, the professional identity of language teachers, the role of professional organizations, and the traditional departmental model. A…

Describes a team-taught immersion-style, content-based program in English as a foreign language (EFL) in a Japanese college liberal arts curriculum. The collaborative model of content-based instruction differs from the typical theme-based, sheltered, and adjunct models in its educational goals and instructional format. Suggestions are made for…

A university-elementary school partnership created a K-5 Spanish program staffed by elementary education majors with bilingual or English-as-a-Second-Language education endorsements. A central component is the FLES methods course for preparing college students to teach. A theoretical model provides the basis for integrating the course's two…

Discusses a survey of college students who studied abroad in a Russian-speaking country and were asked questions concerning program content and motivational factors. Students indicated that they were not prepared well enough for the year abroad and have definite ideas about how to improve the content and orientation of Russian-language courses.…

Examines differences in oral narrative discourse of adult second-language learners of English on narrative tasks simulating the ability to describe events in the Here-and-Now versus the There-and-Then. Results indicate that complex tasks elicit less fluent, but more accurate and complex narration than do simpler tasks. (90 references) (Author/CK)

Analyzes the interaction during peer response occurring in a writing class. The article identifies four categories of reader stances--authoritative, interpretive, probing, and collaborative--and examines language functions and topics discussed during the response sessions. It is concluded that interactive peer response is beneficial to students.…

Presents four misconceptions surrounding communicative language teaching (CLT) and discusses the reasons for their existence. These misconceptions are: (1) CLT means not teaching grammar; (2) CLT means teaching only speaking; (3) CLT means pair work, which means role play; and (4) CLT means expecting too much from the teacher. (13 references)…

Argues for the inclusion of adult second-language (L2) learners in teacher education programs. The article offers reasons why they should be included, suggests means of tapping their expertise, and describes four ways to bring learners and student teachers together in mutually beneficial ways in their teacher education program. (28 references)…

A survey of 94 British higher education institutions investigated the English language support services provided to foreign students. Almost all institutions provided in-session language support, and three-fourths provided presession language courses. However, staffing problems, relationships between academic and language support staff, lack of…

Examines the effect of foreign language education on the basic skills of elementary school students. A group of third-grade students given three 30-minute Spanish language lessons per week performed as well as or better than a control group (given no second-language instruction) on academic achievement tests. (ER)

Describes the evolution of one Spanish second-language teacher's use of the World Wide Web as a source for language exercises, particularly for grammar learning, beginning in 1995. Topics discussed include teacher development of exercises from cultural or other material; effective use of graphics and screen layout; and specific activities,…

Focuses on the learning of English as a foreign language (EFL) by Arabic-speaking secondary school students. To see which variety students transferred from, they were asked to translate into English two versions of a short Arabic text: one Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), and the other non-standard Arabic (NSA). Results indicate the importance of…

Describes an investigation into the type of listening test that might serve as an assessment instrument of English language teachers as part of a teacher certification test--the Hong Kong English Language Benchmark Test. Highlights a case study where groups of preservice and inservice English language teachers were administered audio and video…