Reports on a study of the beliefs held by students, parents, and teachers regarding desirable schooling and teaching in grades one to eight in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Examines the combined use of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies; rationales and procedures of naturalistic and rationalistic inquiry; and implications for research in…

Presents a survey of English usage for various communication purposes in different types of Brazilian business organizations. The objectives of the survey are to identify the major uses of business English/Portuguese in international/national settings, to identify the varieties widely used in transactions, and to study the types of documents used…

Compiles the main findings of the Oxford Project on Diversification of First Foreign Language Teaching. This project examined pupils' and teachers' experiences of diversification, set in the context of local and national developments in language policy, and investigated matters affecting decisions as to which modern foreign language(s) to offer.…

Focuses on strategies of second-language learners who communicate among themselves. Pairs of students were left alone in a room with a sound recorder and instructions to describe a specific object. The communication strategy they selected to describe an object with no common referent was to paraphrase the object's function. (11 references) (CK)

Examines the effects of an imposed schema on the reader's comprehension of a text. Both a correct and a false schema were imposed on the subjects in the form of comprehension questions geared to one of two points of view. Subjects were 177 English-as-a-foreign-language university students. The implications for teachers of reading comprehension are…

Reports on three studies of the learning strategies of adult students of second languages. The research identified two distinct approaches to vocabulary learning that differed in aspects relating to independent study, self-initiated learning activities, recording of lexical items studied, review of these records, and practice of vocabulary outside…

Presents four sets of activities to develop the concepts of data analysis and graphing. Students estimate sample populations using beans, examine graphs from newspapers and magazines, predict the most popular color of cars, and simulate quality control in a manufacturing process. (MDH)

Surveys United Kingdom local twinning links with the aim of obtaining a detailed picture of the extent and scope of twinning activity and its perceived benefits. Twinning can bring an increasing awareness to the public at large of the benefits and delights which can result from acquiring foreign language skills. (CK)

Reports differences in results for two use studies conducted in a science and engineering library, one using a reshelving methodology, the other requiring users to self-report material use. Differences are reported in terms of high-use periodicals, overall materials use, and use of the entire journal collection. (13 references) (KRN)

Describes a harassment documentation project conducted with 26 Vietnamese bilingual students, primarily immigrants, in an urban fourth-grade classroom. Results suggest the importance of documenting student experience as a reality and validity check and as a support a model for designing ways to gather meaningful data. (SLD)

Examines results from a comparative study of the strategies of distance and classroom foreign language learners (French, German, Japanese, and Chinese) enrolled in a dual-mode institution. Data on strategy use was collected through a questionnaire and the yoked subject technique. Results indicate that mode of study is the predominant influence on…

Presents five activities for the family and K-2, 4-3, 5-6, and 7-8 levels that focus on the connection between mathematics and music. Activities examine the mathematical concepts of counting, estimation, measurement, statistics, fractions, and patterns involved in the topics of rhythm, beats in a measure, music preference, the music scale, and…

Presents 5 school and home activities for the K-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8 levels appropriate for beginning the school year that incorporate problem solving, collecting and analyzing data, and exploring patterns. Topics include a shopping spree, seat assignment, map-interpretation skills, and probability. Includes reproducible worksheets. (MDH)

Describes a study examining research on classroom management and translating the findings into a skills-based program on effective classroom management. Reports that research-based concepts and principles are meaningful and of practical value to teachers. Recommends a conceptual- and skills-based approach to classroom management for development of…

This study, involving four staff members in an institution for people with mental retardation, found that a computerized system of prompts to improve staff-client interactions produced more positive statements, improved distribution of interaction among clients, and resulted in delivery of more positive reinforcement than a traditional…