Teachers who do not use specifically communicatively-oriented textbooks can still derive much useful communicative language work from them. A key to success is engaging the student in the reading and comprehension of the text. Class exercises that can be used as pre-reading or pre-listening activities include: (1) giving students key words or…

The decision in the Netherlands to teach English as a second language to all students in grades five and six, by the regular class teacher, has implications for the selection of instructional approaches and materials. A clear preference for communication goals in language instruction has been shown in the Netherlands, suggesting a…

This paper presents results of a review of computer software programs available for German instruction and of informal interviews with German faculty in high schools, colleges and universities with regard to their computer needs. Most computer software currently available commercially is of the drill and practice type, with a focus on grammar and…

Courses in Spanish for nurses at Loretto Heights College in Colorado combine language instruction, cross-cultural studies, instruction in medical problems particular to certain groups, medical systems and philosophy, and participation in a college-wide interdisciplinary program entitled "Values in Concert." In this program, sets of three…

The first functional-notional syllabus for adult learners of Irish, written in Irish and English, is presented. The syllabus begins with an introductory section about functional-notional syllabi, their definitions and implications, and the characteristics of this syllabus. The second section provides the general aims and specific behavioral…

These guidelines, designed to aid schools in developing their own curriculum and courses, set out objectives for the development of the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--and for an understanding of culture in the teaching of French in secondary schools. The guidelines assume that language learning is a communicative…

These guidelines, designed to aid schools in developing their own curriculum and to assist teachers in planning courses, set out objectives for the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--and for an understanding of culture in the teaching of German in secondary schools. The guidelines assume that language learning is a…

These guidelines, designed to aid schools in developing their own curriculum and to assist teachers in planning courses, set out objectives for the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--and for cultural education in the teaching of Spanish in secondary schools. The guidelines assume that language learning is a…

A study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of research on individual variation in translation performance. Three translations produced by 20 students in their second year of an advanced English translation program at the Dutch State School of Translation, were analyzed for variability in the translation of Dutch modal verbs. It was…

The realization that the areas of second language and mathematics education share some common features and that educators in these fields may profit by an exposure to research and practice in both fields motivated the production of this paper. From an introduction to the literature, parallels in the history of the two disciplines were recognized:…

Three classroom activities for development of second language conversation skills are described. First, each student keeps a "talk workbook" for use in an exercise in which pairs of students record their brief conversations according to specific guidelines. The workbook enhances student awareness of the importance of the conversation, illustrates…

Reading is a multileveled, interactive, and hypothesis-generating process in which readers construct a meaningful representation of text by using their knowledge of the world and of language. Reviewing research on the reading process, it is clear that context, script (a form of general event representation derived from and applied to social…

A review of current research and research needs in cross-cultural training for business and a bibliography are presented. Future research should look at the world market that exists beyond traditional countries engaging in international trade. Business opportunities are available elsewhere, but American businessmen are ill-prepared to take…

The business communication course, required in most colleges and schools of business, may be the best place for language educators to begin to help globalize the curriculum. In these courses, students are taught communication theory, business writing, oral business communication, leadership, meeting participation, and various functions used in…

One college language teacher developed computer-interactive audiotape exercises for an intermediate-level class in business French. The project was undertaken because of a need for appropriate materials at that level. The use of authoring software permitted development of a variety of activity types, including multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank,…