A study of the effectiveness of music and rhythm used in classroom activities as a technique for developing short-term memory for phonological learning had as subjects 25 adult Cambodian, Lao, Hmong, and Vietnamese immigrants, students in a course in English as a second language. The subjects were given a pretest of their ability to distinguish…

This paper outlines the theoretical foundations of a strategy-based approach to second language reading abilities and demonstrates how the strategies described can be related to content area texts, thereby "authenticating" the learner's knowledge. There are three major sections--approach, method, and techniques. The "approach"…

A study of the use of interactive discourse in the second language classroom begins with a discussion of the regulation of discourse, examines the use of scenarios for the promotion of interactive discourse, and provides evidence from classroom use of the effectiveness of this technique. Three types of discourse control are noted: object…

Are young children able to become competent in two languages simultaneously? In an attempt to answer this question, Singaporean Chinese, Malay, and Indian children of 3.5 through 6 years of age who attended six different types of preschool centers were grouped into age bands separated by an interval of 6 months and were given four English tests…

This paper compares pluralistic and equitable approaches to sociocultural and language teaching in Australian schools. The pluralistic view of multiculturalism overemphasizes ethnic differences with the hope that appreciation and tolerance will follow. In fact, fostering feelings of difference may increase racism and cultural chauvinism. This…

The language separation approach to bilingual teaching is compared to three kinds of language alternation approaches, "flipflopping,""concurrent translation," and the "New Concurrent Approach" (NCA). The approaches are categorized as conventional, unstructured, and structured, respectively. The effectiveness of the NCA is compared favorably to the…

A five-year course sequence focusing on the relationship of language and culture in world history is described. The program, beginning in grade 3, prepares students for later study of foreign and classical languages, develops English language skills, and cultivates general cultural interest. At the first level, students are introduced to some…

Presenting a representative sample of recent (1977-1988) professional literature dealing with reading instruction, development, and performance of children who have been labeled at-risk, this 227-item annotated bibliography encompasses qualitative and quantitative research, literature reviews, and conceptual pieces that are undergirded by…

This study investigated the relationship between aptitude, as measured by Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) scores, and oral proficiency as measured by the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) scores of 72 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents who completed basic foreign language training at the Defense Language Institute (DLI).…

An annotated bibliography of material in the fields of education, languages and linguistics, and computer technology is presented. The bibliography describes over 250 journal articles, books, conference and workshop proceedings, booklets, and pieces from diverse publications. The entries are organized by date of publication (1960s and 1970s as a…

This paper reports on foreign language instruction in the community colleges of Florida. A brief rationale for increasing the importance given to language instruction is followed by a review of the literature concerning the latest classroom and laboratory foreign language techniques such as computers, video taping and analysis, audio tape…

The modified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Educational Testing Service (ACTFL/ETS) oral proficiency scale was developed in response to a request from the New Brunswick (Canada) Department of Education for assistance in comparing the results of its French immersion and core programs. Because the existing ACTFL/ETS academic…

A review of research was conducted on the possibility of a sensitive period for the acquisition of native-like pronunciation in a second language, as well as on related questions concerning the universality of this phenomenon, age factors, biological versus cultural origins, and developmental psychology. The review showed variation in studies and…

A case study addressed (1) the relationship between language ability and the use of top-level organizational strategies that focus on the macrostructure of written text, and (2) the comparative use of these strategies when reading expository texts in native language (L1) and second language (L2). Subjects were five Hispanic English as a second…

Parents of children in elementary and secondary school foreign language programs want to know what outcomes they can expect from the programs and how they can support and encourage their children's language study. Learning outcomes vary with program goals. Program types include immersion, partial immersion, foreign language in elementary schools…