This article considers some of the implications of the position developed by Allwright and Long in their respective papers, both of which are found in this issue of "ELT Documents." Basically the position is that methodological emphasis should be placed on the second language learner rather than on the teacher. Teachers faced with large, not…

The English language portions of appropriate levels of the Language Assessment Scales (LAS) were administered to 193 English-speaking monolingual elementary school students. The students were aged 5-14, and had average reading achievement scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. On the basis of the publisher's norms, maturational trends in scores…

The purpose of this project was to design and implement an approach to learning to read which concentrated on reading for fluency rather than on phonetic skills methodology. Thirty-four fifth grade children in a school in a lower middle class neighborhood participated in the program. Children were told they could select and read any book in the…

Verbs (4800) from 1200 compositions written by Nebraska students (grades 3-6) were examined using the most sophisticated grammatical analysis available to determine children's use of the English verb system and to compare their use to recent studies of the verb in adult writing. Information obtained included the following items: Children used…

In this report, an analysis is made of the Title 1 project of the Lorain City Schools in Northern Ohio. The language growth of an experimental group of 30 disadvantaged first graders, who had spent 45 minutes each day in a special language experience classroom, was analyzed using oral language recordings and extensive language tests in order to…

While sequencing of speaking turns occurs in both adult and child systems, the adult system is elaborated by nonverbal signaling of speaker/listener roles and is constrained by expectations of speaking turns responsive to a shared topic. Children's speaking turns are not accompanied regularly by nonverbal signals; the speaker role does not require…

Discussion of the current student malaise toward foreign literature and reading problems encountered by college students is directed toward means of making college language programs more relevant and of updating teaching methods. Student disinterest is traced to a premature and excessive overexposure to electronic media. The author proposes a…

Sentence combining practices works best as a skill-building adjunct to regular composition work. (JH)

Four points in first versus second language teaching practices are contrasted: (1) order of mastery of linguistic structures and fluency; (2) ordering of presentation of linguistic structures; (3) teacher's role; (4) order of acquisition of linguistic form and function. Ways to use first language teaching practices in ESL are suggested. (CHK)

When lexical availability was manipulated through discourse support and word frequency for 40 target nouns, measurement of effects on length, complexity, order of mention, and fluency of 4- to 8-year-olds' utterances showed that the number and length of responses containing the target word varied with age, word frequency, and discourse support…

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' guidelines for foreign language teaching and learning focus on the linear acquisition of grammatical structures, but this proficiency will not automatically lead to interactional competence. Enthusiasm generated by the proficiency movement should be redirected toward a push for…

Presents the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' provisional generic descriptions for nine levels (novice-low, novice-mid, novice-high, advanced, advanced plus, and superior) in the following areas: (1) speaking, (2) listening, (3) reading, (4) writing, and for six levels in culture. (SED)

The principle of oral fluency instruction concerns the teacher's role, which is to monitor the spread, balance, and flow of the conversation. Techniques have to do with the constituents and mode of oral activity, material resources, and the year abroad. (SED)

Results of a survey sent to 180 undergraduates who had received intensive language instruction (in Mexico) while in high school indicate that study abroad experiences effects attitudes and behavior with regard to language learning and career choices. Survey showed positive change in self-perception; opportunity to gain language fluency; and desire…