A study was conducted (1) to determine the need for vocational training among the limited English speaking (LEP) population in Texas; (2) to determine how many LEP students are being served by vocational programs; (3) to set priorities in the training areas; (4) to assess the need and type of support services required to keep LEP students in…

A study evaluated the comparative training effectiveness of three language instruction methods: (1) suggestopedia, (2) the standard methodology used at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, a functional skill-building approach, and (3) a flexible-scheduling version of the standard methodology, with pacing based on group…

A teacher describes the use of closed-caption decoding of television melodramas to teach English as a second language (ESL). The approach uses evening soap operas that afford a range of English usage and accents, realistic dialogue, entertainment, and coverage of current social issues and are closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired. The programs…

A study examined the impact of oral language competence on the writing behavior of secondary students of English as a second language (ESL). Samples of student writing in both the native Spanish and English were analyzed along five dimensions (topic of the composition, internal organization of thoughts, conveying meaning, sentence construction,…

A unit of instruction for use with limited English proficient students in grades 9-12 being screened for special education services is outlined. The students should have some proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing English, and the unit can be used with students at a fifth grade or higher level of achievement. It has six…

An evaluation of the New York City high schools' program in English as a second language (ESL) for limited English-proficient students focuses on the effectiveness of the program's beginning, intermediate, advanced, and transitional classes. It evaluates one program aspect, ESL content area classes, and focuses on two principal program objectives:…

Ways in which language teachers can formally investigate the teaching and learning processes occurring in their classrooms are discussed in four sections. The topics covered include: the concept of research , its variety of meanings, and the prestige associated with it; the classroom teacher's traditional role with regard to research and how that…

Teaching grammar for its own sake is largely counterproductive when the goal of instruction is to have students communicate spontaneously, fluently, and accurately in the target language. The ideal foreign language program is one providing the best possible environment for language acquisition to take place. Explicit teaching about the language…

The member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development generally provide monolingual basic education, and the imposition of a common language remains one of the political and economic functions of the schools. Multilingual or bilingual education is marginal. The individual states' language policies reflect interests in…

An experiment exploring the use of a single phonological variable in standard French by advanced American speakers of French who teach beginning college-level French classes is reported. Seven graduate instructors' use of the variable was examined in directed interviews with a native speaker and in the reading of sentences containing instances of…

A handbook and directory of resources for teaching and learning the 82 African languages selected as the highest priority for course offerings in the United States consists primarily of profiles for each language. Each profile contains information on the language's classification, distribution, number of speakers, usage status, dialects,…

Despite the evolution of software for computer-assisted language learning (CALL), teacher resistance remains high. Early software for language instruction was almost exclusively designed for drill and practice. That approach was later replaced by a model in which the computer provided a stimulus for students, most often as a partner in games.…

In keeping with the increased use of computers in schools, the available software for foreign language instruction has grown to over 1,000 titles, mostly of the drill and practice type, and professional associations are reviewing software and computer-related instructional techniques. However, there seems to be no clear direction for the future of…

Foreign language education professionals agree that the profession lacks an established theory and methodological consistency. Foreign language teacher education has not changed much since the 1960s. Most programs consist of subject-matter content, general education requirements, and specialized education courses. Teacher trainee supervisors do…

A discussion of teaching and testing oral skills in a second language looks at issues in the testing of speaking ability in general, the effect that testing can have on teaching, and the kinds of communicative activities that can be built into a foreign language program with oral proficiency as a goal. The issues addressed include the differential…