bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BILINGUALISM AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION: A GUEST EDITORIAL*
Authors: Walsh Donald D.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Peoples who speak a minority language are less and less willing to give up their mother tongues as the price of citizenship in the lands of their birth or adoption. We foreign language teachers must interest ourselves actively in the proper education of U. S. children who lack sufficient command of English to enable them to succeed in school. A child in any country or culture must (1) become literate in his own home language, (2) have all his common learnings in this language, (3) study English as a second language until his command of English is strong enough to allow English to be the medium for some of his instruction, the rest being conducted in the child's home language. Our aim must be to make the child bilingual in English and his own language and to make him equally proud of his progress in each. The products of such bilingual education prove to be brighter, more tolerant, and more perceptive about their own and the other culture than are otherwise comparable monolingual children.
The Meaning of Bilingualism Today*
Authors: Brooks Nelson
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Bilingualism is the habitual use of two languages by one person; in its purest form the two are quite separate. Its attainment is not marked by the crossing of a boundary but by a gradual transition, the earliest stages of which can be valid within limits. On its inner side, bilingualism relates to preverbal thought, making available to the speaker two separate systems of expression. The best place for the development of bilingualism is the home. The next best place is the classroom, but only if it provides ample practice in face‐to‐face communication. An exclusively philological approach does not encourage the separation of the two language codes. An all important ingredient in helping the learner gain control of the new language as an entity separate from the mother tongue is the dyadic factor—the behavior two individuals considered as one.
Teaching in Spanish to the Spanish Speaking
Authors: Ibarra Herbert
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Juan Gonzalez and his wife, both about forty years old, and their six children represent the typical Mexican immigrant family of the Southwest. They came to San Diego County in the summer of 1966 and Mr. Gonzalez found work as a gardener. If his occupational status was to improve and his children were to take advantage of America's guaranteed opportunities, their educational opportunities must improve. Prior to this time, very few school districts had made specialized commitments that would make this change possible. Through an ESEA Title III project—English As a Second Language Demonstration Project, established in 1967—teachers were trained, ESL programs implemented, and a link between the school and the Spanish‐speaking home established. Although the Gonzalez family now had a start and were learning English, other needs became apparent and led to the funding of an enlarged project—A Regional Approach: ESL/Bilingual‐Bicultural. Lessons to teach content in Spanish and English, as well as adequate testing instruments to measure English proficiency, are being developed and field tested at the elementary and junior high levels. The Gonzalez children can now expect to achieve success in school and the whole family can be assured a feeling of pride in being Americans with a Mexican heritage.
Spanish Speakers of the Midwest: They Are Americans Too
Authors: Soriano Jesse M. , McClafferty James
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Because of its size and dispersal, the Spanish‐American population of the Midwest presents some unique problems. Little research has been done on this group since concern is mainly directed toward the larger Spanish‐American population in the Southwest. Although the Spanish‐American schoolchild demonstrates the same patterns (educationally) as his Southwest counterpart, there are indications that, in a linguistic context, his problems are somewhat different. This results from greater isolation from Spanish language and culture in the Midwest. It is generally recognized that language is the greatest barrier to the academic achievement of the Spanish‐American child; it becomes crucially important that research and school programs be directed toward the language needs of the Spanish‐American child in the Midwest. Michigan has taken a first step in this direction with the development of bilingual and bidialectal instructional materials in Foreign Language Innovative Curricula Studies, a Title III ESEA Project located at Ann Arbor, Michigan. In addition to language program development, schools must be staffed with teachers who are informed and sensitive to the needs of the Spanish‐American. This will necessitate increased recruiting of Spanish‐American teachers.
French in the Birmingham (Michigan) Elementary Schools
Authors: Couture Louise
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: There are many activities needed to administer an ongoing program. Adopting an audiolingual approach; stressing listening and speaking skills; introducing the students to reading and writing; material review and evaluation. Efforts must be made to provide continuity and coordination of the program throughout the classes. One characteristic of a good foreign language program is a concerted effort by the teachers to exchange ideas and to improve their teaching techniques. Most foreign language teachers are well‐prepared academically, but very few are equipped with the pedagogic skills needed to teach foreign languages to young children. Thus, the best opportunity is given for mutual aid and for each to continue to learn and improve as an individual working to achieve his goals as a teacher.
A Classroom Laboratory Instructional System (GLIS)
Authors: Banathy Bela H. , Jordan Boris
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: An important factor in acquisition of language skills is the intensity of student's participation under the guidance of the teacher. During the formative phase of a language course, the conventional classroom procedure usually splits equally the time between teacher and students. The CLIS experiment was based on the assumptions that electronic media offer the opportunity to record linguistically and methodologically well‐organized teaching materials, to transmit them to the learner in greater quantity and in a more constant manner than possible in the conventional classroom setup, and thus to increase significantly the student's active participation. The long‐range experiment confirms the assumption that the use of the classroom laboratory coupled with proper teaching materials significantly improves language acquisition and enhances the role of the teacher as the manager of learning.
A Cooperative French Program: A New Approach
Authors: Rallo John A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Because students of foreign languages acquire uneven knowledge and background in the four basic skills, placing them in the next appropriate course level poses a serious problem. A new cooperative approach in the teaching of French IV (Level III) has been developed in Darien High School, Conn., to facilitate the development of each student's language skills and thus provide effective grouping. Three classes, scheduled at the same time, have been selected for this experimental program, while two other classes have been assigned as “control” groups. These three classes meet in one large group for presentation of new materials. They are then subdivided into three class sections for individualization, manipulation, reinforcement of new materials, etc. After testing and evaluation, they are regrouped periodically according to their progress in the four basic skills. Each “new” group then receives intensive aid and instruction. The Foreign Language Resource Center is used to supplement classroom work. This new approach was started in Sept. 1968. No conclusions have been reached at this time.
Foreign Language Registrations in Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 1968
Authors: Kant Julia G.
Published: January 2009

This report was excerpted from a study published by the Modern Language Association pursuant to Contract No. OEC‐0–8–071155–3708 with the Office of Education, United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. A survey of foreign language enrollments in secondary schools, Fall 1968 will be published in the March 1970 issue of FLA.
Training and Supervision of College Foreign Language Teachers
Authors: Hagiwara Michio P.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: In the past two decades modern language instruction has changed considerably in theory and practice. Unfortunately, opportunities for young college teachers to evaluate and increase their language proficiency and teaching skills or increase their knowledge of methodology and linguistics have seldom been available. Many surveys seem to indicate that only a few foreign language departments have instituted any systematic training of graduate assistants. This article describes the teaching assistants in French, their training and supervision, and the extent of the supervisor's duties at the Univ. of Michigan. The program there aims to prepare the inexperienced assistants, in the shortest time possible, to decrease direct supervision gradually, and to encourage outstanding instructors to participate in the administration and supervision of the lower‐level courses. It does not demand excessive time and energy from the assistants or cause major changes in the existing requirements for degree work. A description of the system offers an insight into the complexity of the problem as well as possibilities of solution. Moreover, an analysis of the past reports concerning the practices adopted by some institutions and the articles outlining ideal training programs yields useful information for the development and evaluation of a college foreign language teacher training and supervision program.
A Focus Report: Kinesics in the Foreign‐Language Classroom
Authors: Green Jerald R.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The classroom presentation of authentic nonverbal behavior is gaining in acceptance as a legitimate and useful activity in the teaching of the foreign culture. Foreign‐language educators who argue for the contemporary view of the foreign culture acknowledge the dearth of useful data of this type and call for the production of cross‐cultural gesture inventories for each of the commonly taught languages in our schools and colleges. The colloquial dialogues found in many school and college language texts are ideally suited as carriers of nonlinguistic cultural patterns. The language teacher who is sensitive to the communicative value of nonverbal behavior and who has internalized some of the high‐frequency gestures can easily gloss the dialogue with authentic foreign‐culture gestures and execute them as appropriate during the presentation of the dialogue. Pupils can thus acquire important features of the foreign culture and can relate them to the social context in which they occur in the foreign environment.
Interaction Analysis—A New Modern Language for Supervisors
Authors: Moskowitz Gertrude
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  To establish good rapport in supervision and to get teachers to change without feeling resentment toward the supervisor, interaction analysis is used as the basis of supervisory conferences. The FLint system (Foreign language interaction system), developed to give objective feedback about classroom interaction to FL teachers, assesses nonverbal communications and the kinds and amount of student talk and teacher talk in the target and native languages. Through a chart called a matrix, which gives a complete visual picture of a lesson, teachers improve through self‐evaluation rather than by being told what they should do. This discovery method of supervising is based on the teacher (1) discussing the goals he had for the lesson and (2) seeing whether his actual behaviors on a matrix match his intentions. Focus is on the teacher's goals for the lesson—not the supervisor's. Vague impressions and personal perceptions are replaced by an objective frame of reference for communicating about teaching. Seeing what actually does happen in his class, a teacher can intelligently decide what should happen in his class. Defensiveness is reduced and supervisory relations and teaching improve, as the teacher becomes his own agent for change and is left equipped to supervise himself when on his own.
The Direct Experiences of Microteaching and Team Teaching in FL Teacher Education
Authors: Wolfe David E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  During the Fall Quarter, 1969, at Ohio State University, twenty FL methods students were randomly assigned to two treatment groups—Group I, which received three weeks training off campus, and Group II, which remained on campus—in an attempt to measure the effect of such training. Different instruments were designed to obtain information on items of felt anxiety prior to student teaching, ability to teach Level I Spanish, and various aspects of FL teaching. During student teaching each teacher was videotape‐recorded for thirty minutes and his performance rated by two trained observers. Results of the research show that Group I students tend to have less anxiety prior to student teaching, and report higher confidence in their ability to teach Spanish. Performance during student teaching was judged to be nonsignificant. Group I students had significantly higher scores on the ability to teach the dialog; their scores were also significant on the variables of how dialogs, vocabulary teaching, pattern practice, and grammar generalization “fit” into an audiolingual program. Ability to adapt or supplement materials for teaching seems to be unaffected by the direct experiences. Guidelines for implementing the described experiences were also given.
Teaching Literature by Performance Objectives
Authors: Steiner Florence
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The goals of enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding can best be achieved in a literature class through the use of specific, measurable performance objectives. Activities in themselves are meaningless if there are no precisely defined learning outcomes. Literary skills in a foreign language must be carefully built and sequenced. A four‐year French curriculum for developing literary skills and competencies is proposed. Performance objectives are listed for the first two levels. The conclusion is offered that a carefully developed program based on the attainment of realistic objectives will offer variety in learning and a feeling of success to the student. These should lead him more directly to understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation.
Foreign Language and the Group Context: Expanding Student Roles
Authors: Heard Lorraine E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Using principles of social psychology to structure learning experiences in the foreign language classroom can provide the language teacher with a workable design for instruction. Strategies for increasing student‐student interaction through a variety of small‐group activities from preparation of oral compositions to more ambitious intra‐ and cross‐level teaching and tutoring projects allow for fuller student participation in classroom life. Attention to practical matters of organizing, sequencing, and evaluating activities as well as considerations of administrative issues ground the strategies in the reality of the school setting. A sample of group products achieved through the group process testifies to the feasibility of implementing such strategies in the foreign language classroom.
“Is Learning English Worth the Trouble, Miss Fidditch?”*
Authors: Cartier Francis A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The motivation theories of three prominent writers in management and human relations are applied to problems of motivation and demotivation in the TEFL classroom. More is known about ways of reducing negative learning attitudes than about ways of increasing motivation. There are at least four ways in which demotivation is linked to the way the teacher sets learning objectives and evaluates student achievement of them. The student must: (1) understand the objectives, (2) see that he is achieving them, (3) believe they are relevant to him, and (4) believe the instructor considers them important.
Foreign Languages and the Dodo Bird: A Lesson from Darwin
Authors: Troyanovich John M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The present state of the FL teaching profession is analogous to the situation of the dodo bird in 1598 when the Dutch landed on Mauritius. As in the case of the dodo, our protected environment has not conditioned us to the changes now required of us for survival. The changing goals and conditions of formal education demand new objectives, attitudes, and procedures in the teaching of FLs. Avenues of innovation which merit exploration are: the decentralization and individualization of FL instruction; a predominately social science orientation in FL teacher education; and a greater emphasis on culture in an anthropological sense in the FL classroom. Literature in its present academic form must be relegated to secondary status if today's students are to find relevance in FL courses. If we are to rejoin the mainstream of life, service must become the hallmark of our offerings since language is an end in itself only to us; to the rest of humanity it is a means to an end. Failure to adjust to changing conditions will result in a fate similar to that of the dumb dodo.
We Think We Are Evening in Paris, But We're Really Chanel*
Authors: Jarvis Gilbert A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Concerned by an absence of satisfaction and pride in the profession, the author appeals for a careful examination of our educational values. Although not advocating abandonment of interest in the practical uses of language skills, he discusses with greater interest the nonlinguistic outcomes of foreign language study. Among these is the hypothesis that such study prepares a student for the phenomenon called ‘future shock,’ which in essence is a lack of familiar cues. Faced with this situation, the foreign language learner must learn adapting and coping skills that are applicable far beyond the classroom. He also examines the hypothesis that foreign language learning is so rich in intellectual skills, cognitive operations, and thinking processes that a person must be different intellectually as a result of such study. Drawing on the work of educational psychologists, who today see learning as being of multiple kinds, the conclusion is drawn that foreign language learning is the richest discipline in involving, often simultaneously, all these multiple varieties of learning. Since our discipline is content free, i.e., not bound to a specific area of knowledge or information, the teacher has great potential for achieving the goals of humanistic or affective education‐helping the student discover his identity. In addition, since most students begin their study of foreign language at ‘ground zero,’ the teacher has the opportunity to give learners a feeling of accomplishment and enhanced self‐concepts. Finally, the author hypothesizes that our subject area has the greatest potential for providing the learner with insights into the process of communication and ways to attain cross‐cultural communication.
Selling Languages
Authors: Varela‐Ibarra José L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  A solid approach, a clear and well‐organized method, and a variety of exciting and arousing techniques‐the ingredients of a successful language teacher‐are of no help to the person who has lost or is about to lose his or her job. To reverse current trends, e.g., reductions in the number of positions and in some cases total elimination of a language department, it is necessary to find ways to change the negative image associated with ‘foreign’ languages and to make efforts to attract more students to our courses. A four‐point selling program is suggested. Modified and adapted to suit a particular school environment, this program will increase enrollments.
Aims and Objectives of the Latin Program
Authors: Read William M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The function of all nonvocation‐al subjects in the curriculum, from kindergarten through college, is to improve the ability of the student to read, write, spell, and calculate. To do these well, he must also understand what he reads and be able to express what he understands. This requires a constantly increasing vocabulary. Although every subject studied makes a contribution to enlarging the vocabulary, Latin is especially useful. To get the greatest benefit from Latin, the student must learn to read and understand without translating, and there must be constant emphasis on derived English words. Only that part of the culture which is embodied in the language is worth the study of the language. Benefits accessory to the study of the language provide no valid reason for such study, since they can all be acquired by reading in English.
Using Native Speakers as Teaching Assistants
Authors: Giauque Gerald S.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This is a report of a college‐level program in which foreign students serve as animateurs with small groups of English‐speaking students on a weekly basis. The underlying philosophy of the program and the role of the foreign language teacher in such a program are explained. The classroom becomes a workshop in which the American students are faced with authentic challenges to communicate in the target language with one of their peers who speaks that language natively. The teacher becomes a learning manager who builds bridges between learner and native speakers and provides explanations of grammar and usage as the American student may require it. In the traditional classroom, on the other hand, the teacher has had to assume a dual role, that of interlocuter and prompter, and students, feeling the lack of authenticity of this situation, are not motivated to use the language. An additional benefit of this program is the involvement and acceptance of the foreign student, which leads to the development of international goodwill at the grassroots level as well as to an appreciation of the culture and people of other countries through direct contact with them.
Teaching Foreign Etiquette in the Foreign Language Class: Student Involvement Techniques*
Authors: Jarvis Donald K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Language teachers should concern themselves with teaching etiquette because it is both academically defensible as a part of communication and because students are interested in the topic. Teaching etiquette can involve content, process, and affect learning. Techniques discussed include ‘cultural asides,’ ‘culture capsules,’ and ‘cultural slots' to treat content learning. Other devices, which are treated in greater detail and which provide greater student involvement and process learning, are instructional games (e.g., “Sovietiquette” and “Tactword”), inquiry techniques (e.g., identifying objects, illustrations of faux pas), and acting techniques (e.g., audio‐motor units, role‐playing). Finding deeper iiuercultural similarities beneath surface differences requires a more imaginative approach than merely telling students about the differences. Content sources for French, German, Hispanic, and Russian cultures are also provided.
Where Do We Go From Here?*
Authors: Baslaw Annette S.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Interpreting ‘crisis' to mean an evaluation in preparation for growth and action directed at restabilization, the author examines the ways in which the profession may meet the external and internal needs of the student. Can foreign language teaching respond to the needs of the student's external social world and his internal personality? The external needs include equipping him with vocational and professional skills; in addition, the profession's concern with performance objectives is directly related to the demand that various tasks be performed in a manner that can be quantified and measured. Taking foreign language study out of the classroom and into the world (and bringing the world into the classroom through school‐community interaction) further meets the external needs of students, especially in bilingual‐bicul‐tural situations. Meeting the internal needs of students‐emotional, aesthetic, spiritual, social ‐ is an equally valuable contribution of the foreign language teacher. The teacher can make the student aware of the use of his physical self in non‐verbal communication; the meaning of human existence can be explored in the literature and philosophy of other civilized cultures. The ’cultural‘ heritage of the language taught represents the deepest and truest forms of human communication; we have the opportunity to contribute to the social development of students through an understanding of the history, political systems, and social institutions of another nation‐which can also yield great understanding of otir own. Our discipline incorporates all others, for there is nothing that cannot be taught in the target language. The foreign language teacher, in responding to the timely, must not forget the timeless‐language holds the identity of man, his preserved past and his plannedtor future. Therein lies the challenge to enable our students to penetrate another culture, contributing to greater respect between countries and helping human beings free themselves for new options on the human journey. “Where do we go from here?”‐forward, out of this identity crisis into maturity, self‐confidence, and growth.
Effects of a Three Phase Acculturation Process on Language Skill Development and Social and Personal Attitudes of High School French Students
Authors: Hoeh James A. , Spuck Dennis W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Utilizing a pretest/post‐test design, this preliminary investigation explores the impact on participants of a short‐term but intensive travel/study sojourn abroad. As part of an exchange program, the fifteen participating American high school students toured selected parts of France and were hosted by French families during the time in which they were enrolled at a lycée. Post‐testing revealed significant positive gains in the listening and reading components of the MLA‐Cooperative Tests as well as significant attitudinal changes toward French people and certain conditions in France. Equally important, there was evidence of an improved student self‐concept following participation in the program.
Using Videotape in the Advanced Conversation Class*
Authors: Santoni Georges V.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The mere utilization of the videotape will not assure free‐flowing conversation. Before taping, attentive selection of material and careful preparation are essential. In this experiment all sessions taped were a follow‐up to students working with a unit on a French village. Students read interviews, prepared language and cultural exercises, and saw slides and films before attempting role‐playing in front of the camera. The conscious effort required by the experiment created a new feeling of intimacy between students and teachers. The opportunity for self‐analysis was found highly beneficial. Students felt that they had reinforced their language skills and their cultural awareness while learning how to pay more attention to each other as well.
Microteaching as a Transitional Technique to Student Teaching
Authors: DeLorenzo William E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Microteaching is a teacher training strategy which has been employed since the early 1960's. Its basic components are: (1) a single concept to be taught, (2) a microteacher, (3) a microclass, (4) a brief teaching period, (5) various sources of feedback, and (6) an opportunity to reteach to a different class. Since the initial research at Stanford University, micro‐teaching has frequently been altered in order to adapt it to the programmatic constraints (e.g., financial, philosophical, physical, geographical, etc.) at the institutions where it is employed. One adaptation incorporates microteaching as a vital segment of a seven‐ to eight‐week methods course meeting three times a week. While preserving its original purpose‐perfection of teaching techniques and styles‐the constraint of having to compress theory and practice into a relatively short period of time lead to the alternate use of this strategy for the purpose of exposing the teacher trainee to ‘real’ teaching. The author discusses the organization and implementation of microteaching as an attempt to engage prospective foreign language teachers in ‘real’ teaching prior to the student teaching experience. Guidelines for this adaptation of microteaching include: (1) number of sessions, (2) securing the microclass, (3) the microclass setting, (4) a profile of a microclass, (5) the abbreviated lesson, and (6) the critique session. The article concludes with additional benefits afforded by the model discussed.
Extending Bilingual Education into the Home*
Authors: Andersson Theodore
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Several studies have stressed the learning advantage of young children, especially before age three, and described successful reading by children aged two or three. Bilingual/bicultural education can benefit from tapping the learning potential of preschool‐aged children‐either by a lowered school‐entering age or by extending the school into the home. Theoretically, out‐of‐school learning has the advantage of involving grandparents as a source of traditional folk materials, parents as active users of the non English language, and older children as tutors. The school also has responsibilities for providing daily bilingual television programs, mobile classrooms, trained home visitors, educational toys, books, and other materials; and for helping to organize, monitor, and evaluate such programs. Such out‐of‐school learning could suggest new principles and strategies for the enrichment of bilingual education and help provide children with two media of learning as they begin their formal schooling.
Cross‐Cultural Inquiry: Some Assumptions
Authors: Casteel J. Doyle , Hallman Clemens L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Assumptions tend to shape in‐struction. Nine assumptions concerning the study of cultures are presented in this article. The authors have presented a limited number of examples from Latin America to illustrate the propositions. These are: critical incidents; time; cultural heuristics; historical constraints; concepts of social stratification, conflict, change, and justice; subsuming elements of a culture; cross‐cultural elements; space; and social structure and function. The focus is on day‐to‐day cultural and cross‐cultural patterns vis‐a‐vis historical culture and civilization.
Interaction Activities in the Foreign Classroom, or How to Grow a Tulip‐Rose
Authors: Paulston Christina Bratt , Selekman Howard R.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This paper is a report on using a foreign language for spontaneous communication in an elementary language class. Correction‐free, peer communicative‐interaction activities should follow the Paulston (TESOL Quarterly, June 1971) MMC structural pattern drilling if autonomous language use is to be achieved. Such interaction proves exhilarating and highly motivating for students due to its realistic communicative force. Four such activities are outlined according to procedures, objectives, and evaluations.
Primary French in the Balance*
Authors: Burstall Clare
Published: January 2009

During 1963, arrangements were made by the then Ministry of Education for a national experiment in foreign language teaching to be carried out in selected primary schools in England and Wales. The main purpose of the experiment, which came to be known as the Pilot Scheme for the Teaching of French in primary schools, was to discover whether it would be both feasible and educationally desirable to extend the teaching of a foreign language to pupils who represented a wider range of age and ability than those to whom foreign languages had traditionally been taught. Under the Pilot Scheme, French was to be introduced into the primary school curriculum on an experimental basis from September 1964 onwards. The choice of French as the language to be taught was virtually inevitable, since it would have been impossible to provide an adequate teaching force for the implementation of the experiment if any language other than French had been chosen. In most of the schools taking part in the Pilot Scheme, French was to be taught throughout the primary stage of the experiment by class teachers who had received special in‐service training, rather than by specialist teachers of French. Arrangements were made to provide continuity of teaching at the secondary stage, so that all the pupils taking part in the experiment would be able to continue learning French without interruption for at least five years.
A Brief Questionnaire for Student Evaluation of Foreign Language Instruction at the College Level
Authors: Randle Janice W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The use of student evaluations has been shown to be a valid and reliable method of evaluating instruction; however, student surveys designed for general use do not fully meet the needs of foreign language instructors and planners. This article presents a thirty‐five item, scaled questionnaire that includes questions designed to elicit information needed to evaluate foreign language teacher effectiveness and the perceived value of course content, plus data needed to determine relevant characteristics of students taking part in the survey. Uses of the information obtained are discussed. The results of a survey using this questionnaire carried out in first‐ and second‐year Spanish classes at a large public university are presented, in addition to a comparison of data from the administration of the questionnaire in first‐semester Spanish and a second administration three semesters later. Significant improvement in several areas had occurred.
Tangible Benefits of the Study of Latin: A Review of Research
Authors: Masciantonio Rudolph
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article examines the linguistic benefits of Latin in light of recent research which seems to document the relevance of Latin in building English vocabulary and reading skills. Evidence is cited from eight educational projects in which an experimental group of students taking Latin, and a control group not taking Latin, were pretested, posttested, and compared with regard to English verbal skills. In each case, the Latin students showed significant gains over the control group. Other studies supporting these findings are cited, as well as projects presently being conducted. These studies yield important pedagogical implications: (1) Educational administrators and curriculum specialists should consider the significance of Latin in improving language skills; (2) The language profession should assume the responsibility of disseminating information about this research; and (3) Responsible educators should combat the tendency to ignore research data for budgetary or other reasons.
The Cloze Procedure: A Modification
Authors: Ozete Oscar
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to assess reading comprehension at differing levels of second language learning. Adaptations of Carver's (1973) reading‐input tests were administered to W6 college students enrolled in the first four semesters of Spanish. The input tests, a modified version of the cloze procedure, required the readers to select systematically between correct answers and distractors. As such, the input tests isolated the reading process from the writing process. Reliabilities for the tests were found to be good to moderate, and it was recommended that the tests be employed for diagnostic purposes at the beginning and intermediate levels.
The Treatment of Error in Oral Work
Authors: Fanselow John F.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Frequently, discussions about language teaching include the questions: Which types of errors should be treated and which ignored? How should errors be treated? To see the extent to which the behaviors of teachers could help answer these questions, eleven teachers were videotaped teaching the same lesson to their classes. Transcripts were made, containing both verbal and nonverbal behaviors. The analysis of the tapes showed that both the types of errors treated and the treatments used were quite similar. The teachers seemed less concerned with errors of grammar than with incorrect meaning. Giving the right answer was the most popular treatment. The similarity of behavior among the teachers did not provide as much insight into the treatment of errors as was hoped for. The process of analysis did lead to a number of ideas about possible alternative treatments. The treatments suggested are based on the importance in learning of contrasts, redundancy, explicit feedback, and the difference between long‐ and short‐term memory.
Developing a Model for Student Teacher Supervision
Authors: Knop Constance K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article addresses itself to two recurring questions regarding the supervision of student teachers: who should carry out the work of supervision, and how can it most skillfully be done? The answer to the first question seems to be that, for a variety of reasons, the cooperating teacher appears best suited to do the supervision. University supervisors might use their time more efficiently to train a cadre of classroom teachers who will teach with and supervise student teachers. With respect to the question of how to carry out the supervision, two different approaches appear in the literature. One focuses on recording and analyzing observable events in the classroom (including student learning and teaching techniques), while the other emphasizes a Rogerian type of interaction wherein the student teacher's anxieties and ‘self’ needs are discussed. A possible model for supervision combining features of both approaches is suggested along with strategies and techniques for implementing this combined approach to supervision.
Planning and Implementing a Successful Workshop
Authors: Lafayette Robert C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  During the last five years, inservice education for foreign language teachers has focused on short‐term workshops varying in length from a few days to two or three weeks. These workshops have focused on specific teacher needs and on the preparation of ready‐to‐use classroom materials. This article offers a working checklist designed to facilitate the planning and implementation of a workshop which is highly participant‐oriented. The checklist is divided into three sections: program, publicity, and service. The program segment focuses on the cognitive aspects of the workshop, while the service segment provides suggestions for meeting the affective and psychomotor needs of the participants. The publicity segment offers suggestions for wide visibility and efficient preregistration procedures.
Run with the Ball!
Authors: Boyden Marie R.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article outlines the methods used to build a strong foreign language program in the Crook County (OR) Schools. The main problems faced were the town's generally anti‐intellectual milieu, student apathy and unpreparedness, and a less‐than‐adequate budget. Using a simple and inexpensive strategy for recruitment and publicity, the author was able to strengthen and improve the foreign language program in the school district both quantitatively and qualitatively.
An Illustration of “Motivating Students in the Foreign Language Classroom”* in an Intensive French Course
Authors: Stephens Doris T.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Having participated in an intensive French course at the University of Tennessee, the author attempts to explain the success of the program for both faculty and students. Discussion of the intensive course is based on an article by Frank M. Grittner entitled “Motivating Students in the Foreign Language Classroom.” Like Grittner, the author believes that students must be intrinsically motivated and that each class should be an end in itself–optimum learning and an enjoyable experience. The author takes six of Grittner's assumptions and illustrates how they apply to the intensive French course. Evidence of the success of the program included the excellent performance of the students in the four basic skills, the desire of many to continue their language study, and student comments that the course was both valuable and enjoyable.
Promoting Foreign Language Study: Reaching Out to Native Speakers
Authors: Samaniego Fabián A. , McElroy Mary
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  As the number of required courses in schools diminishes, non‐collegebound Mexican‐American, Puerto Rican, or Cuban‐American students frequently fail to see the value of enrolling in Spanish courses. This article examines how, through the development of appropriate promotional material focused on the specific goals and needs of native speakers, this problem was faced by the foreign language department at a public high school with a 40% Mexican‐American student population.
Bilingual Education for Speakers of English
Authors: Met Myriam
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This paper reports on a bilingual/bicultural optional educational program for children who are native speakers of English. The Cincinnati Public Schools offer children entering kindergarten or grade one the opportunity to learn French, German, or Spanish in a racially integrated school environment. Not only do students learn a second language, but it is also used as a medium of instruction in later grades. The goals of the program are to produce bilingualism and biculturalism in students. Language instruction stresses communicative competence. Curricular objectives and content have been developed by the program staff. Evaluation results indicate that students and parents hold positive attitudes toward second language learning and toward the school. Students are achieving in the basic skills while spending over one hour daily learning another language.
Everyone Loves a Winner
Authors: Seagrave Maryalice D.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers has created a system of awards in the belief that favorable publicity and the establishment of an affirmative image are benefits shared by awardee and awarder alike. One program acknowledges contributions to language learning made by both language and non‐language professionals on the state and national levels. Another awards program focuses on excellence in and contributions to language study on the local and regional levels. The third phase grants scholarships to outstanding high school language students and recognizes teacher innovations and initiative via mini‐grants.
Student Motivation: Try a Foreign Language Day!
Authors: Wood Paul W. , Badanes Leslie
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  An annual Foreign Language Day has been found to be an excellent means to stimulate interest in foreign languages, self‐expression, and creativity. The day‐long event emphasizes student participation, with activities revolving around competitions in modern and classical languages: Cultural Exhibits, Interpretative Readings, Language Productions, Audio‐Visual Presentations, Essays, International Foods, and International Music and Dance. Since one of the aims is to be informative, panels and workshops are organized. In addition, the day should be a pleasurable experience; entertainment, foreign films, a fiesta with free food samples and free cultural materials, cooking and folk‐dance demonstrations, and games in the target language fulfill this objective. A Language Day, with its emphasis on cultural information, spirited activity, and student self‐expression, can represent one focus that teachers of foreign languages may wish to utilize.
Foreign Languages and ‘Help Wanted:’ A Survey of Advertisements
Authors: Savell Don P.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  A survey of 360 ‘Positions Available’ advertisements in The Wall Street Journal shows that there is a demand in the business and commercial world for persons with business, technical, or scientific training who can speak one or more foreign languages. As salaries and perquisites rise, the requirements for training and experience also rise. The question is posed of how effectively foreign language programs can tie in with economics, science, or business programs. It is also noted that one specialist in personnel placement has stated that less than one in ten managerial, professional, and executive jobs is advertised. It is clear that persons with experience or training (and, in some cases, advanced degrees) in business, scientific, or technical fields may increase their desirability to a prospective employer if they can speak one or more foreign languages.
Responding to the Challenge of Survival: Multidisciplinary Language Courses
Authors: Champagne Roland A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Multidisciplinary language courses offer hope for integrating language courses into a university undergraduate curriculum. Such courses use a target language, French in this example, to explore problems in another discipline. A survey of student interests and needs isolates research areas for the employment of language skills. Combining the resources of the university library and of one's colleagues in the appropriate fields, one can then propose syllabi to prospective students and organize the readings and projects to meet the needs, interests, and language fluency of the individual student. Group meetings of the students, individual encounters with the course director, and papers written in the target language provide the students with opportunities to practice various language skills while pursuing their interests in other disciplines. The director's flexibility and resourcefulness are keys to opening such courses into multidisciplinary language programs in university communities.
Taking Advantage of the Study‐Abroad Program: Before and After
Authors: Williamson Richard C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The study‐abroad trip can contribute vitally to the success of a foreign language program, providing strong motivation for students, cultural awareness for parents and the community, and increased visibility for the foreign language department. By taking advantage of the enthusiasm and excitement generated by a study‐abroad program, teachers are able to develop greater cultural understanding in their students and stimulate foreign language learning; a study‐abroad program may be the essential element in the promotion of foreign language study.
A Pair of Instruments for Measuring Student Attitudes Toward Bearers of the Target Culture
Authors: Cooke Madeline A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  An attitude has three aspects: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. Two original instruments are presented: a modified Bogardus Social Distance Scale measures the behavioral aspect; factor I of a semantic differential test measures the affective aspect, while factors II and III measure the cognitive. Because correlations between the Bogardus and the semantic differential factors are not strong, a combination of both tests seems necessary in order to measure all three aspects. After a description of how the instruments were developed, suggestions are given for administering and for scoring them, both by hand and by machine.
An Analysis of the Deep Cultural Aspects in Second‐Year College French Textbooks Published from 1972 to 1974
Authors: Moreau Paul Henri , Pfister Guenter G.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Based on Royal L. Tinsley and David J. Woloshin's work, the authors developed a design to evaluate the presentation of deep culture in college foreign language texts. This instrument was applied to ten second‐year college French texts published between 1972 and 1974. Of the ten textbooks evaluated, only one was considered adequate in conveying deep French culture to the intermediate French student. The implication is that the second‐year French student is leaving his foreign language experience without fully comprehending the essential framework in which language functions, namely, culture. Very little self‐actualization is going on at this level, for the student is being deprived of comparative materials through which he might develop self‐awareness.