This bibliography presents annotations of 14 publications concerned with the general topic of middle schools. The selections are intended to give practicing educators easy access to the most significant and useful information about middle schools that is available through the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system. All of the…

Selected passages from "Alice in Wonderland," seen as being analogous to the current state of the art of language instruction in American Schools, illustrate the decline of authority in the language classroom as a motivating force. Criticism is directed to the "bandwagon approach," which has led to the emergence of such terms as "program…

The Ministry of Technology of England (Royal Aircraft Establishment) carried out a survey on behalf of the Department of Education and Science, designed to enable educational administrators to evaluate the more than 20 European-made, audio-active-compare language laboratories and to better determine their own educational needs. Information is…

An experiment is suggested in which scansion, particularly of hexameters and elegiacs, may be taught orally and without use of visual symbols through the rhythmic patterns characteristic of the writings of the ancient poets. The author argues that a reading of the Latin hexameters by "cola" will introduce an element of rhythmic stress in addition…

An organizational reading plan for grades 4 through 8, based on the Joplin Plan for cross-grade grouping, was developed at an ESEA/Title III workshop by a reading committee of teachers from Mason County, Kentucky. In this program, students are assigned to interclass reading groups according to tested achievement, performance, and teacher judgment.…

To answer questions concerning the simple and multivariate relationships of intelligence, divergent thinking, and self-concept with reading achievement, measures of verbal divergent thinking and self-concept were administered to 188 students from an urban, lower middle class, elementary school. Reading achievement and intelligence scores were…

Articles written by teachers of Russian for their peers in similar classroom environments are intended to aid in the development of curricular innovation. The articles, all based on practical and direct experience, include: (1) "Direct Methods for Teaching Russian," (2) "The Eclectic Approach to Teaching Russian," (3) "So-Called Linguistic…

This report focuses on the nature and structure of the question and its use as an educational technique enabling the language teacher to involve his students in the use of the target language. Discussion concentrates on: (1) the question in the basic level class, (2) the question as a testing technique, (3) the question as a vocabulary activator…

This study, which is a partial replication and validation of the 1962 Laurendeau and Pinard study of causal thinking, investigates cross-cultural differences among three age levels of Canadian and American school children in the development of causal thinking. Also studied is the relationship between level of development of causal thinking and…

Five papers presented at a language conference are compiled in this report. They include: (1) "Le Francais au Pot-Pourri," or "Adapting the 'Open-Classroom' to the Teaching of Foreign Languages," (2) "We Can Teach Anyone to Speak French," (3) "The Use of Puppetry in the Teaching of Foreign Languages," (4) "A New Perspective for Integrated Foreign…

A reading theory which distinguishes between reading as a passive recognition process and a cognitive participatory activity requiring active interpretation is discussed in this article. The method, considering reading as "thought and dialogue," stands in opposition to conditioned response theories basic to audiolingual methodology. It…

Noting that foreign language requirements have been abolished, reduced, or modified between 1966 and 1971 in over 45 percent of the B.A. degree-granting institutions in the United States, the author probes into the current status and uses of the language laboratory. It is suggested that the widespread decline in language enrollments is due in…

This final report of a state-wide foreign language program survey made in the fall of 1971 presents statistical data based on 1,013 completed questionnaires. Results show a steady increase in foreign language enrollment in Illinois since 1969. Charts include data in these areas: (1) combined totals of foreign language enrollment in public,…

Reports and papers from the Washington Association of Foreigh Language Teachers' conference held in Spokane, Washington are compiled in this study. Documents include: (1) "What Price Survival?" (2) "The Application of Linguistics to F. L. Learning," (3) "Bellevue Plans Pilot Project," (4) "Juanita High School German Exchange," (5) "Foreign…

Because of the emerging emphasis on career education, educators are becoming more interested in what is being done in both local and state programs. This document is the result of a series of on-site visits made by the North Carolina center staff to projects in 30 states and a review of self-studies submitted by the projects. Synopses of the…