As videocassettes of foreign films become more available, teachers will be able to show more films and bring students closer to the second language and culture. However, unfocused viewing will not develop language and cultural proficiency adequately. Class time is better spent in preparing for or reacting to the film than in viewing the film in…

A common problem in second language instruction is the lack of correlation between the content of courseware and the specific learning situation of the student. Students using the available programs encounter unfamiliar words and structures, deviant methodologies, or inappropriate levels of difficulty. This causes unnecessary errors and…

Materials from a teacher workshop on the Total Physical Response method for teaching English as a second language are presented. The technique describes the process of first language acquisition, uses physical activities in the classroom to reinforce learning, and allows a long period of receptive language learning before requiring production. The…

The Literacy Volunteers of America-Danbury, Connecticut, is a nonprofit community organization that provides free instruction in English for those to whom English is still largely a foreign language. For 10 years it has also provided free instruction in reading and writing for English-speaking persons whose education has not provided these skills.…

Very young Spanish-English bilingual children may not perceive sound-clue illustrations presented in the classroom as they are intended to be perceived. For example, when a child is told, "A is for apple," he may also interpret the message as "A is for manzana," confusing the intended message. While the teacher may hear English only, the child's…

A collection of papers addresses three aspects of the learning and use of French as a second language in Africa. The first two chapters look at the sociolinguistic dimension; the first examines the language question and language consciousness in parts of Africa where French was once or is still used as an official or "second" language.…

This manual presents instructional units designed to offer a break from daily classroom routines in German instruction. These audio-motor units provide variety and listening practice, introduce new vocabulary in context, and present cultural materials in a novel way. Suggestions for classroom use include acting out commands, using gestures,…

A review of the literature and current technology focuses on the determination of what strategies and methods are appropriate for computer-assisted language learning (CALL). A brief overview is presented regarding the historical development and non-use (to its full potential) of the computer in the education field, and particularly in the area of…

The potential of the computer in helping foreign language students learn to use the grammatical principles of the target language for communicative purposes is discussed. A philosophical contrast between the terms of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) precedes a discussion of current approaches to…

The weakness of English and other language instruction in Poland is due largely to the political system after World War II. Political and economic change and gradual recognition of the importance of English have recently increased rapidly. Expanded contact with the West calls for immediate qualitative and quantitative changes in English language…

Because application of reading research and theory development to the English as a second language (ESL) classroom has not always been forthcoming, this monograph is aimed at helping teachers develop better, sounder reading instruction in the ESL classroom through a better understanding of the reading processes, of the factors that affect reading…

A pilot study explored the possible affective, linguistic, and strategic benefits of closed-captioned television programming for limited-English-proficient elementary school students studying English as a Second Language (ESL). Four ESL teachers were trained, and lessons and accompanying pre- and post-tests were developed based on captioned…

Recent recommendations by the European Commission would have all secondary students in the European Community (EC) studying two EC languages other than their own. In multicultural Australia, where English is a shared language, students are encouraged to study other languages, especially "trade" languages that are also the home languages…

Project CABE (Content Area Bilingual Education) offered instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) and Native Language Arts (NLA) to 823 limited English proficient Spanish-Speaking students in grades 1 through 9 in 34 schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens (New York). All students were two or more years below level in mathematics and…

Second language teachers wishing to diversify their instructional approach should consider using fairy tales to enrich the experience of the target language and culture. When used well, they can provide a glimpse of the values, lifestyles, customs, and historical traditions of the target language group. Fairy tales also offer a variety of language…