This article deals with the issue of gaining proficiency in oral expression in a second language. A functional approach to teaching oral proficiency is outlined, an approach which focuses on the audience as a determining factor in the speaker's linguistic output. Claims in the article are based on an experiment in the teaching of oral proficiency…

Broad and major concerns dealing with reading are set forth in this monograph to provoke discussion and examination by both researchers and practitioners. In Part 1, Kenneth S. Goodman presents a psycholinguistic view of language and reading (within a transformational-generative framework) as essentially a set of processes of recoding, decoding,…

This basic textbook for Latin American Spanish contains 10 units. The text is adaptable for use in an academic institution (Completion time is expected to be one year.), in an intensive program (Completion time is about 90-120 hours.), or in independent study. The vocabulary is limited and only basic, essential, grammatical structures are…

Gateway High School is an alternative to the present, conventional, classroom-type instructional situation encountered in most U. S. schools. Modeled on the Parkway School in Philadelphia and the Metro School in Chicago, the project is an appeal to the disenchanted learner. To abolish the dichotomy between education and life the program obtained…

This quarterly newsletter includes a variety of articles on the teaching of English as a second language. The first article discusses the use of the enquiry method and problem solving as classroom procedures. This approach involves the development of four cognitive processes: framing questions, imposing order on data, making extrapolations, and…

This volume, one in a series in applied linguistics, is a concise handbook of testing theory and practice in foreign language instruction. Two broad categories, "prognosis" and the "evaluation of attainment," are treated in five major chapters, including: (1) prognostic measurement, (2) achievement measurement, (3) proficiency measurement, (4)…

This manual is designed to offer teachers ideas that appeal to middle school students (ages 10-11 to 14-15) and give them short-term successful experiences in the foreign language classroom. The activities described here provide ideas for learning that involve the four basic skills of foreign language learning - listening, speaking, reading,…

This guide describes well-established and practical pedagogical behaviors for a foreign language teacher in an ordinary situation, a classroom with 20-35 pupils who are beginning the study of a foreign language in school or college. The first chapter, "The Five Stages," discusses the stages through which an item (a word, construction, or idiom) in…

Literacy is the manipulation of thoughts and language to express ideas. It helps to build an understanding of various texts, people and situations, and promotes self-empowerment. Global society depends increasingly on literacy as a major factor for progress. Unfortunately, at a time when the ability to read and write is becoming imperative in…

This manuscript, compiled by the National Center for Homeless Education, is the outcome of the first year of a two-year project designed to explore what works in reading instruction for students who are highly mobile. It summarizes the findings of a review of literature on teaching reading to highly mobile students. The target population included…

It is argued that slowed-down speech is a useful tool for teaching both listening comprehension and pronunciation to students of English as a second language. For listening comprehension, introduction of more, and longer pauses at grammatical boundaries allows more time for processing speech. The greater number of accented words and shorter…

There is a multitude of research on vocabulary methods or strategies, how many relate to second language learners and the importance of vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension. Researchers have explored the possibility that grouping words in a manner other than the traditional list of nouns, all fitting under a common theme, might be more…

This book examines the practical application of visual tools such as brainstorming webs, task-specific organizers, and thinking-process maps. Graphic overviews map the big picture for each chapter and synthesize the key information about each type of tool. Stories, quotes, and insights from parents, students, teachers, administrators, brain…

An instructional module designed to help prepare college-level teaching assistants (TAs) for their duties in second language instruction is presented. The module focuses on helping learners become skilled at second language listening. The first part provides background information about this language skill. It introduces the process of listening…

This book is the second in a four-book series on habits of mind. It translates a habits of mind approach to education into action using classroom-tested advice. Contributions come from practitioners in literature, math, music, foreign language, reading, character education, and social science. After "Series Foreword: Thinking on the Road of…