bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overview, Prime, Drill, Check: An Approach to Guiding Student‐Teachers in Lesson Planning
Authors: Knop Constance K.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  This article describes a strategy for helping student‐teachers systematically and consciously plan their lessons. By using the sequence of “overview, prime, drill, and check,” beginning teachers can be certain that they have included an introduction and motivation to an activity, examples and review of material necessary for conducting the activity, varied and appropriate drilling techniques, and evaluation of students' progress. This sequence gives new teachers a secure base for lesson planning, and attempts in this way to reduce the insecurities and anxieties felt by so many novices at the start of their practicum. In addition, this approach can be used as a means of analyzing the teaching and learning actually accomplished in a class, first under the guidance of a supervising teacher and later by beginning and experienced teachers on their own. Thus, it could become an instrument for developing skill in self‐critiquing which may well be the most valuable and long‐lasting skill that methods teachers and supervisors can develop in their student‐teachers.
Using Warm‐Ups, Wind‐Ups, and Fillers: All of Your Class Time Is Valuable!
Authors: Ervin Gerard L.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Class time is limited, yet language students need every bit of language practice they can get. The article describes eleven activities that can be used to fill short periods of class time that might otherwise be lost. The activities all meet five criteria: (1) they require little or no advance planning, props, or organization; (2) they are easy to explain and learn; (3) they involve the students in focused language activity; (4) they can be begun quickly, engaged in for any short length of time, and ended abruptly; and (5) they are adaptable for use in language classes at almost any level.
Self‐Esteem in the Foreign Language: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Anderson Pamela L.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  This paper investigates the self‐esteem of adults learning English as a second language. Subjects indicated their abilities on a fifteen‐statement index and teachers, using a similar index, indicated their perceptions of the students' abilities. These were compared to one another and to the TOEFL scores for the students. The results—that students and teachers do not view the students' language abilities similarly—are related to motivational and cultural factors. It is suggested that self‐esteem, as indicated on the perception indices, may be a factor in motivating students. Further investigation using this type of measure could prove useful in assessing student needs.
French via Spanish: A Positive Approach to Language Learning for Minority Students
Authors: Beyer Sandra S. , Kluck Frederick J.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  The University of Texas at El Paso has instituted French language classes for Hispanophones. The courses were begun to meet the needs of the large Spanish‐speaking contingent of its student body. Such a system has psychological and linguistic advantages: students do not have to pass through a second foreign language (English), and the similarities in structure and vocabulary between French and Spanish speed up second language acquisition. More time can then be devoted to the phonetic and linguistic problems of the Spanish speaker. In addition, the presentation of French culture is approached directly, starting from the students' Latin‐American background, and not through the barrier of Anglo‐Saxon values. Because of the growing number of Spanish speakers in the United States, such a method could be of use not just on the Mexican border, but in any institution having Spanish‐speaking students.
Encouraging Spontaneous Speech in the Audiolingual Classroom
Authors: Margolis Fern S.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Most conversational foreign language classes in American high schools and colleges adhere to some audiolingual format. Although the advantages of the audiolingual approach are many, particularly in the modified form in which it is used today, it lacks seriously in one regard: it does not provide opportunity for spontaneous speech. With its emphasis on pattern drills and dialogue memorization, it often acts as a deterrent. In this paper the author shows why the audiolingual method does not encourage spontaneous speech, and offers suggestions, in the form of oral exercises and games, to compensate for this lack.
The Continuing Education Student And the Study Of Foreign Languages
Authors: Reiss Mary‐Ann
Published: January 2009

Abstract  During the last decade there has been a great change in the concept of lifelong learning. Learners in an institutional setting increasingly include persons of all ages. More and more non‐traditional students are and will be taking foreign language on the college level, either by choice or as a requirement. This article reports the findings of a questionnaire developed for the continuing education foreign language student. Of the 219 students who answered the questionnaire, 104 had taken foreign language at the college level. All students were extremely pragmatic in their approach and wanted to be shown specific reasons for the study of foreign languages. Students who had taken foreign language at the college level (a) had often had a positive experience in high school; (b) felt comfortable in a classroom setting with younger students; (c) found reading and vocabulary the easiest aspects of foreign language learning; (d) felt that more conversation and culture should be part of the foreign language experience; (e) did not consider age a disadvantage in the foreign language class; (f) rated their foreign language ability below their overall scholastic ability; (g) felt that their foreign language experience would be of some benefit in the future, and (h) wanted to be recognized and given consideration as a group with unique problems.
Simulated Conversation as a CAI Strategy
Authors: Underwood John
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Research in artificial intelligence demonstrated some time ago the feasibility of truly conversational, interactive computer programs. However, this capability has not been exploited in most computer‐assisted language instruction programs, which have tended to adhere to a more Skinnerian fill‐in‐the‐blank format. This paper describes an experimental Spanish program which employs simulated conversation strategies that allow students considerably more freedom in their responses, at the same time that error‐checking routines monitor for syntactic errors.
The Perceived Contribution of Foreign Language to High Priority Educational Goals
Authors: Koppel Irene E.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  A recent study involving a representative sample of New Jersey secondary school districts was designed to determine the broad educational goals which are considered to be of highest priority and the degree to which foreign language course objectives are perceived as contributing to their attainment. The perceived contribution of foreign language was compared with that of math, science, and social studies. The perceptions represented the views of language teachers and school administrators. Results indicated that although administrators viewed the overall contribution of foreign language objectives as less than that of other subject areas, the contribution to certain individual goals was, in fact, greater. Foreign language was found to be a key contributor to the attainment of a general education and to the development of pride, self‐understanding, and positive attitudes toward learning. Furthermore, foreign language was thought to be a major component in the development of cultural awareness and understanding.
On Training TAs: Do We Know What They Want and Need?
Authors: Ervin Gerard , Muyskens Judith A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: A survey of 303 teaching assistants and faculty about their attitudes toward TA training revealed definite priorities, some agreement, and certain differences in the respondents' perceptions. There was widespread agreement that such training should be very practical in nature, but there was less agreement among the respondent groups about low‐priority needs. Furthermore, the concerns of native speakers differed from those of non‐native speakers, and the responses of older, experienced faculty and TAs differed from those of younger respondents.
Elementary French Computer‐Assisted Instruction
Authors: Hope Geoffrey
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article describes FRELEM, a supplemental program of drill and practice in elementary French grammar now being used on the computer at the University of Iowa. Thanks to a powerful natural language processing program called DASHER, students at a terminal can call up written exercises and work at their own pace. The student's answer is compared to the correct answer in the computerized files and then flashed back with errors deleted for correction by the student. With DASHER, setting up a computerized tutorial in foreign languages is quite easy. Any language may be used, within the limitations imposed by the character sets available on the computer. The results of a survey of users indicate in some detail that students react well to the program and use it often.
Taking the Conference to the Teachers: Workshops to Improve Language Teaching
Authors: Di Donato Robert , Nollendorfs Valters
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Foreign language conferences have traditionally played a significant role in teacher inservice training. These conferences are not being utilized to their full potential, however, and do not reach the great number of language teachers who do not attend. This paper suggests that through a network of Extension Workshops (EWs) such conferences could reach many of those teachers who do not attend conferences and who may need inservice training most. Utilizing the existing formats of pedagogical conferences, participants would be selected to attend Conference Workshops (CWs) consisting of various components including special sessions plus general conference sessions. These participants would, in turn, conduct EWs in their local areas to disseminate the information, practices, and techniques they have acquired through the CW. A mechanism to finance and administer the Conference and Extension Workshops could be established by the governing body of the language conference itself. In this way, pedagogical conferences would eventually increase their own membership and attendance and inspire a greater sense of professional awareness and communication among language teachers.
Programming/Evaluating Second Language CAI
Authors: Tuttle Harry Grover
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Since many second language teachers have computers in their classrooms, they want to be able to program or evaluate second language computer‐assisted instructional programs. This article contains practical suggestions for improving the educational aspect of CAI. It includes such areas as the use of title, instructions, error‐proofing responses, feedback, prompts, remediation, personalization, scorekeeping, and levels of difficulty.
The Din in the Head, Input, and the Language Acquisition Device
Authors: Krashen Stephen D.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  This paper discusses a phenomenon familiar to many language acquirers, an involuntary rehearsal of second language words, sounds, and phrases. Current second language acquisition theory as well as case history reports of the “din” are consistent with the hypothesis that the din in the head is a result of stimulation of the language acquisition device, and is “set off” when the acquirer receives significant amounts of comprehensible input. The din may have practical value; it may tell us when we are providing input for real language acquisition in our classes.
The Visual Arts in the Civilization Classroom
Authors: Carr Tom
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Although the visual arts have long been a feature of civilization courses, instructors do not always exploit their full potential. This paper presents a checklist to help teachers identify the relevant aspects of the arts for study. Its goal is to facilitate comprehensive treatment of works of art by focusing on three areas: the aesthetic dimension; the social context; and the artist's own experience. The checklist is followed by a series of activities which encourage students to integrate the various aspects of the arts while practicing their language skills.
Teaching FLOP
Authors: Zdenek Joseph W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Teaching a one‐week course to older students in the Elderhostel program can be a rewarding experience, as the students are highly motivated, very receptive, and energetic. The course, called “Survival Spanish”, of necessity has a skeletal framework and a specific objective: introducing students to the basic sound system and enough basic structure and vocabulary items in order to survive.
Creative Problem‐Solving for the Foreign Language Class
Authors: Sadow Stephen A.
Published: January 2009

Abstract  Small‐group activities which require problem‐solving allow students to practice creative thinking and foreign language skills simultaneously. Known techniques for stimulating creativity can be adapted to the language class. In the model suggested, creative problem‐solving activities are built around problems that are clearly defined, admit many possible solutions, and entail a situation in which reality is slightly skewed. While working in small groups, students practice role‐play by becoming “experts” in the matter at hand. Through the use of a recording secretary, the group is held accountable for its time. The teacher prepares the activity beforehand, tells the class the problem, checks comprehension, elicits questions that will help the students structure their discussion, divides the class, and withdraws from the scene. When enough time has elapsed, discussion is halted and the secretaries read their reports. Three sample activities are included at the end of the article.
A Lively Class Session for the Adult Education Second‐Language Course
Authors: Carton Dana
Published: January 2009

Abstract  The typical adult education foreign language class is made up of students of varying ages, interests, abilities, and linguistic backgrounds. Despite their apparent diversity, these students are united by the wish to develop those linguistic skills necessary for dealing effectively with real‐life situations. To this end, the lesson described here will introduce some practical vocabulary of potential use in a variety of real‐life contexts. Adult students will respond with enthusiasm to these lively classroom exercises. Although originally developed for use with a specific audience, this lesson can readily be modified for use in more conventional settings, such as high school or college language classrooms.
Five Years with the Rassias Method in German: a Follow‐Up Report from the University of Florida
Authors: Johnston Otto W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The 1982–83 academic year marked the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the Dartmouth Intensive Language Model (DILM) in German at the University of Florida. Since the publication of a report describing our procedure in the April, 1980 issue of FLA, the German Department at the university has experimented with various textbooks and developed some new material for use in German with the DILM. We have also worked with different class sizes and at both slow and fast paces. Revising our test strategy and adding a business component resulted in a sharp increase in our retention rate. We have attracted a number of new majors and built upper division enrollments. There have also been some setbacks with funding and with the attitude of junior faculty. This follow‐up report discusses the pros and cons of the DILM, offers some advice on introducing such a program in any language, and concludes that DILM‐trained students do learn to communicate more effectively than traditionallytaught beginners.
Using Forms as Springboards for Conversation in the Foreign Language Classroom
Authors: Carton Dana
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Standardized target language forms that require the furnishing of biographical information can be used as springboards for personalized conversation in the foreign language classroom. They encourage the immediate and meaningful employment of language between two class members in a directly personalized context. A sampling of forms is accompanied by guidelines for their productive classroom employment. These activities are characterized by total student involvement, with all class members participating simultaneously. Such forms may be used in a variety of instructional settings: from high school through university or adult education. They may be employed at any level of language instruction, and with any target language, including ESL. These lessons can be used independently at any time to complement a textbook or curriculum, or to introduce or review some practical target language vocabulary, while providing a stimulating and motivational change of pace.
Inkblots, Norman Rockwell, and New Yorker Ads: Let's Talk (and Read, Write, Listen, Guess, Interpret…)
Authors: Respaut Michèle
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Inkblots, Rockwell illustrations, and magazine ads have proved an effective means of provoking active language use. Their appeal to inventiveness on the part of each student is a strong motivating force. They can be used effectively at all levels of language instruction, even in beginning courses, and can be linked to the four basic language skills. Perhaps most important, they provoke individual response leading to collective discussion. The present article illustrates these propositions by discussion of the use of one inkblot, a Rockwell illustration called “After the Prom,” and a New Yorker ad. In each case the illustration is given, and tactics for individual work, small group interaction, and full class discussion are described. Vocabulary building, techniques of interpretation and discussion, and selected grammar points are highlighted. In addition, an interview (with transcript) of native speakers reacting to the visual materials is used for listening comprehension, further vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and topics for written exercises. Follow‐up exercises (students choosing their own ads for presentation to the class, cross‐cultural issues, video tapes of foreign language television commercials, etc.) are also described.
Language Arts Through Latin: A Staff Development Project
Authors: Masciantonio Rudolph
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article describes a staff development project in the Philadelphia School District intended to prepare fourth, fifth, and sixth‐grade classroom teachers and secondary school English teachers to use certain Latin curriculum materials with their classes. The project involves special course work in Latin for teacher participants jointly planned by the Classics departments of two local colleges and the school district. The course work emphasizes the linguistic and cultural content of the curriculum materials including How the Romans Lived and Spoke, Voces de Olympo, and Word Power through Latin. Other aspects of the project involve staff development workshops on methodology, and contact with trained Latin teachers. The evaluation of the project shows a positive effect on the verbal skills of pupils as well as other favorable findings. Some implications of the project are discussed, especially in regard to extending the teaching of Latin through the use of paraclassicists.
Intermediate French: An Eclectic Approach at the University of Akron
Authors: Schunk Susan J. , Waisbrot Janet W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Organizing an integrated, cohesive, and meaningful course for the intermediate level of college French is a challenge. The varied composition of most classes, current budget constraints, and the wide spectrum of materials and methodologies can be overwhelmingly difficult to handle. This article explains how traditional materials available to most teachers can be a point of departure for a program which focuses on communicative competence, and suggests ways of incorporating computer programs, slide/sound presentations, and conversational activities into the curriculum in a carefully integrated fashion. Many of the ideas can be adapted to suit most intermediate programs and most foreign languages, with little or no financial investment by the teacher, the student, or the school.
Culture and Constructs: Communicating Attitudes and Values in the Foreign Language Classroom
Authors: Kramsch Claire J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT George Kelly's psychology of personal constructs can serve as a useful framework to promote cross‐cultural understanding in the classroom. To avoid developing in the students a tourist's perspective on the foreign culture, cultural facts and events must be interpreted in the light of underlying attitudes and values. This interpretation is an on‐going process of exchange and negotiation of meaning between the two cultures. By constructing both their own and the foreign values, by organizing and extending the range of convenience of these constructs, students can find bridges to the other culture, anticipate foreign events, and discover alternatives to their own cultural patterns of thought.
Syntax Flowcharts For Advanced French Courses
Authors: Bryant William H.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Although today's students are visually oriented, thanks to television, computerized video games, and motion pictures, effective visual aids for the teaching of syntax are comparatively rare. Following in the steps of science and industry, this article proposes the use of syntax flowcharts to help make syntax more meaningful and comprehensible through the graphic illustration of syntactic rules. Flowcharts for the following syntactic structures in French are presented for consideration: 1) the negating of verbal expressions; 2) the balancing of conditional tenses; 3) the use of the imperfect (imparfait) versus the compound (passe composé); 4) the agreement of past participles; and 5) the sequence of tenses in the subjunctive mood. Although the flowcharts shown in this article are specifically in French, it goes without saying that such auxiliary adjuncts may be utilized in any foreign language class. In Spanish, for example, flowcharts would prove useful in helping to present the difference between por and para, or between ser and estar, to name but two troublesome structures. In German, on the other hand, one could imagine flowcharts showing German prepositions and the different cases which they govern in various situations, or, perhaps, flowcharts showing word order in subordinate clauses. In Russian, flowcharts could be used to help get across the idea of perfective versus imperfective aspect, or to point up the difference between the various contexts in which Russian verbs of motion are used. Flowcharts are mean to enhance—not replace—grammatical explanations by the instructor, and may even be used as a heuristic device by students to discover for themselves the underlying structure of rules of application of a particular syntactic structure.
Immersion Education à l'Américaine: A Descriptive Study of U.S. Immersion Programs
Authors: De Lorenzo William E. , Gladstein Lois A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Since the early 1970's, immersion education has become an increasingly popular vehicle in the United States for achieving functional competency in a second language. Borrowed from our Canadian neighbors, immersion education is characterized by teaching the school curriculum entirely in a second language in the first two years of the program, and gradually introducing instruction in the native language in the third year, until it represents fifty percent of the instructional language by grade six. Directors of U.S. immersion programs have adopted the Canadian immersion education concept and have simultaneously adapted the concept to meet the needs and objectives of their particular instructional settings. The following article presents an overview of fourteen immersion education programs in this country. The seven categories which comprise the framework of this descriptive study are: 1) Program Origin; 2) Program Format; 3) Program Articulation; 4) Student Backgrounds; 5) Program Funding; 6) Factors Contributing to Program Success, and 7) Research Results.
The Scope of a Spanish Grammar for Minimal Communicative Competence
Authors: Miller William I.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Foreign language teachers have long recognized that it is neither possible nor necessary to teach a complete grammar of Spanish in a course designed to develop communicative competence. Studies of colloquial usage show that even a native‐like command of the grammar can consist of far fewer verb forms than are traditionally thought necessary. Basing himself on these studies, the author proposes a minimal grammar of verb forms for correct active use. More tentative suggestions are made for the development of an easily expressed and understood simplified Spanish for beginners. The paper considers briefly the order of presentation of grammatical forms and concludes with a review of some other aspects of a communicative course in Spanish.
North Carolina's Well‐Kept Secret The North Carolina Foreign Language Center
Authors: Wallace Judi Lawson
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This article describes the North Carolina Foreign Language Center, which has, until recently, been a well‐kept secret for most North Carolinians. The various services as well as the wide range of materials are described. The purpose of the paper is to inform other foreign language educators about the origins and development of this center, which can serve as a model and impetus for similar centers in other parts of the country.
The Status of Foreign Languages and International Studies: An Assessment in Colorado
Authors: Ranwez Alain D. , Rodgers Judy
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This survey assesses the current status of foreign languages and international education studies in Colorado, and describes the critical needs of those academic areas. As intended, this survey resulted in the formulation of specific recommendations for curriculum improvement at the elementary and secondary levels. Our assessment was made in direct response to the published Report of the President's Commission on Foreign Languages and International Studies.
Getting Down to Business in the High School Foreign Language Class: A Model
Authors: Parcell Dale E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Career‐specific foreign language courses, in which students learn to apply their linguistic skills to given professions, have become an integral part of many college‐level programs. Not enough attention has been given to high school language courses, which for the most part are totally lacking in career orientation. This paper describes a Business Spanish course, made possible through the mutual efforts of the high school Foreign Language and Business Education departments. This type of course (in any language) can increase awareness of the value of a second language in the job market, can help students develop specific language skills applicable to the business world, and at the same time can be highly motivational. Bibliographic data is included for resources found to be helpful.
Are You Listening? The Practical Components of Listening Comprehension
Authors: James Charles J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Language has three dimensions: (1) linear, (2) structural, and (3) experiential. Listening also involves the following components, which evolve out of the realization of the three dimensions: (1) the sonic realization, (2) the segmental/suprasegmental form, (3) the musical pitch and rhythm, (4) the lexical phrasing, (5) the purpose of the message intended by the speaker, and (6) the actualization of the message in the listener. The author discusses the practical aspects of listening comprehension exercises, focusing on sources such as (1) the teacher, (2) other speakers of the target language, (3) recordings of radio broadcasts, music, speeches, etc., (4) films and television programs, and (5) commercially produced language laboratory films.
Supervising the Teaching of Reading in Multi‐Section Courses
Authors: Walz Joel C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The assignment of a lengthy reading selection in a multi‐section, elementary college foreign‐language course presents problems in varying teaching techniques and standardized testing. Providing lesson plans is too rigid an approach unless the teachers involved in the course write them and provide an ample selection of ideas to allow for selection and modification.

The recommended format for group planning includes activities in four areas. First, teachers check students' comprehension of the text they prepared. Second, classes work with the units of language (vocabulary, morphology) and how they fit together (syntax) so that students may read more efficiently. Third, teachers drill the oral skills of listening comprehension and pronunciation. Fourth, teachers personalize the reading assignment to develop the productive skills.

Cooperating teachers plan twelve activities in all. With each teacher completing one part of the total syllabus, sharing finished plans gives all participants a complete set. The number of activities permits selectivity yet assures that all classes are working toward the same goal.
Unitary Placement Testing for Spanish: Can a Single Instrument Adequately Serve Native Speakers and Non‐Natives Alike?
Authors: Parisi Gino , Teschner Richard V.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The article responds affirmatively to the question its title poses. A single testing instrument can indeed adequately place and evaluate native speakers of Spanish and non‐native learners alike, provided that it incorporates various special features found in the two tests analyzed here—the Parisi Spanish Proficiency Test (PSPT), developed at Georgetown University, and the Examen de colocación en español (EdCE), produced at the University of Texas, El Paso. Coefficients of correlation between the two were determined through multiple administrations of both to divergent student populations at the two cited schools. The tests themselves along with the statistics derived from them are discussed in detail. Also arrived at is a refinement of what is understood to constitute native‐speaker proficiency in Spanish.
Inspiring Creative Writing through Conversation
Authors: Houpt Sheri
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Classroom conversations may effectively serve as a first step in the process of second‐language composition. As a pre‐writing oral exercise, guided conversation stimulates and organizes thoughts about selected subjects, fictional or real. The student thus receives aid in preparing his homework writing assignment in that he has discovered one or more topics for composition, has discussed the pro's and con's, has started to shape his narrative or his thesis, has begun to amass detail in a coherent way. The composition process has been successfully launched in the classroom; the actual writing and proofreading done as homework will thus prove more interesting and require less initial effort.
Effects of the Red Pen
Authors: Semke Harriet D.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT A research study, conducted for ten weeks with 141 first‐year, third‐quarter German students at the University of Minnesota compared the effects of four methods of teacher treatment of free‐writing assignments: 1) writing comments and questions rather than corrections; 2) marking all errors and supplying the correct forms; 3) combining positive comments and corrections; and 4) indicating errors by means of a code and requiring students to find corrections and then rewrite the assignment.

Results of this study indicate that student progress is enhanced by writing practice alone. Corrections do not increase writing accuracy, writing fluency, or general language proficiency, and they may have a negative effect on student attitudes, especially when students must make corrections by themselves.
The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines: Gateway to Testing and Curriculum
Authors: Liskin‐Gasparro Judith E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The ACTFL Provisional Proficiency Guidelines, a series of proficiency levels for speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture in a foreign language, are a guiding principle for the development of communicative, proficiency‐oriented tests and curricula. Based on proficiency descriptions originally developed by the U.S. government, the guidelines at each level include statements of characteristic linguistic functions, content areas, and accuracy. The features of proficiency and achievement tests are discussed, and two proficiency‐based curriculum projects are described.
Oral Proficiency Testing and the Language Curriculum: Two Experiments in Curricular Design for Conversation Courses
Authors: Kaplan Isabelle M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of the workshops in Oral Proficiency Testing organized by ACTFL and the Illinois Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA). These workshops are designed to train college professors to administer oral interviews as a means of rating the level of oral proficiency of foreign language speakers. But the procedures of the interview and the criteria used by the rating scale have also served to reevaluate traditional curricula and to provide new ideas and guidelines for rethinking foreign language curricula so as to integrate the teaching of oral proficiency.
Testing Speaking Ability in the Classroom: the Semi‐direct Alternative
Authors: Larson Jerry W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Although a significant amount of research has been done to improve testing techniques and scoring procedures for oral proficiency testing, only limited discussion has focused on ways to improve oral achievement tests. In the following discussion, the author describes an alternative to direct, face‐to‐face oral achievement testing. The technique, semi‐direct testing, provides a way for classroom teachers to assess the oral ability of individual students without the commitment of class time involved in direct testing. Additional advantages of semi‐direct tests are also mentioned. A study was conducted to compare achievement scores of semi‐direct and direct tests of German and Spanish. An affect questionnaire was also given to each of the students to determine student attitudes toward the two testing procedures. Results of the study are presented.
Reading Proficiency and a Psycholinguistic Approach to Second Language Reading
Authors: Woytak Lidia
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article presents psycholinguistic views of second language reading, discusses kinds of reading to teach, and provides advice on text and materials selection for different proficiency levels. Examples of the second language reading activities appear at the end.
Computer‐Assisted Teaching and Testing of Reading and Listening
Authors: Wyatt David H.
Published: January 2009

The computer has the potential to play an important role in the teaching and testing of the receptive skills. In the area of teaching, this role need not be limited to traditional tutorial and drill‐and‐practice activities, and a wide range of other possibilities should be considered. The area of testing also holds promise for computer‐adaptive innovations in addition to the computerization of familiar types of test.
Foreign Language Instruction: A National Agenda
Authors: Lambert Richard D.
Published: January 2009

The following is the text of the keynote address delivered by Dr. Richard D. Lambert at the 1984 Joint Annual Meeting of ACTFL, AATF, and AATG on November 17, 1984, at the Chicago Marriott Hotel, Chicago, IL.
Teaching Reading: Asking the Right Questions
Authors: Babcockx Arthur E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Reading in foreign language classes is an important source of the comprehensible input that fosters second language acquisition. Available materials, however, do not always encourage reading for meaning. Rather, they invite teachers and students to disregard meaning and concentrate on form. A reexamination of some widely held ideas about reading materials is overdue.
The Effect Of Background Knowledge On The Reading Comprehension Of Second Language Learners
Authors: Levine Martin G. , Haus George J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This study investigated the effect of relevant background knowledge on the reading comprehension of high school students of Spanish as a Foreign Language. Two hundred three Spanish Level 2 and Spanish Level 3 students were asked to read an authentic report of a baseball game from a Spanish language newspaper. Comprehension of the text was determined by a 12‐item multiple choice test consisting of two types of questions: explicit and implicit. A subject's relevant background knowledge of baseball was assessed by means of a 9‐item multiple choice questionnaire. Subsequently, 52 of the original subjects were identified as having “Limited Knowledge” of baseball and 38 as having “High Kno wledge” for a total of 90 subjects. Forty‐four of them were enrolled in Spanish Level 3 classes and 46 in Spanish Level 2. Test scores for these 90 subjects were used in the data analysis. Results indicate that 1) background kno wledge is a significant factor that affects reading comprehension across the two types of questions when the textual material is at the “instructional” reading level and 2) background knowledge could be more important than language level in comprehending such material.
Measuring and Explaining the Reading Threshold Needed for English for Academic Purposes Texts
Authors: Laufer Batia , Sim Donald D.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This study attempts to answer two questions concerning the reading threshold needed for English for A cademic Purposes texts: I. How can the threshold be measured and expressed numerically? II. How can it be described in terms of its components, linguistic and conceptual?

The measurement of the threshold was conducted by: 1) location of a group of students who were on this level; 2) measuring the reading comprehension level of these students by the First Certificate of English exam; 3) testing a large group of students by both the FCE exam and a self‐produced reading strategies exam. The results of the three stages suggest that the threshold seems to be reflected in a 65%‐70% score on the reading comprehension section of the FCE exam.

The nature of the threshold of reading comprehension is addressed in the interview part of the study. It appears that the most important element for interpretation is the vocabulary, then the knowledge of the subject matter, and then discourse markers and syntactic structure.

The paper discusses possible implications of the findings for the teaching of L2 reading comprehension.
Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! Foreign Language in the Elementary School
Authors: Met Myriam
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  As interest in initiating new elementary‐school foreign language programs increases, program planners face several crucial issues.

In order to formulate an appropriate program model, decision makers must be clear about the purpose and intended outcomes of the program and about pupil and parent needs. In addition, they must consider the feasibility of the planned program in light of the resources available. Further, careful planning for the elementary school sequence of study is required, along with consideration of articulation with the post‐elementary grades.

This article examines several of the key decisions to be made and relates them to the three most common forms of elementary school programs: FLES, FLEX, and immersion.
Slang Usage of French by Young Americans
Authors: Ensz Kathleen Y.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This study describes reactions of native French speakers to usage of French slang by young American students. The author conducted interviews in several areas of France and French Switzerland where participants rated thirty tape‐recorded slang expressions ranging in nonstandard usage from very familiar to rather vulgar. The possible reactions, “très mauvais goût” (very bad taste), “un peu incorrect” (socially inappropriate) or “langage normal” (acceptable speech), were scored one, two, and three, respectively, and mean scores were calculated for each expression. The French listeners were also asked to express their opinions generally about the use of slang, both by native speakers and by foreigners. Reactions to the thirty slang expressions were evaluated relative to the sex, profession, age, and residence of the respondents as well as for the sample as a whole. Results show attitudes definitely critical of the use of slang in general, even though some of the expressions approached acceptability. The findings of the study suggest a need for discrimination in slang language usage in French classrooms and in the curriculum. While an awareness of some slang expressions can increase students' understanding of everyday French, the active use of most French slang by our students may evoke negative reactions on the part of native speakers.
ESL and Deaf Education: Mutual Needs
Authors: Magrath Douglas R.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The prelingually deaf, whose first language is American Sign (ASL), have a need to learn English just as do individuals coming from other countries. The teaching methods of English as a second language have proved successful when applied to deaf education and there is a need for improved cooperation between teachers of the deaf and teachers of ESL.
National Endowment for the Humanities Institutes for Second‐Language Teachers: The Purdue Model
Authors: Wipf Joseph A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT As a result of the findings by the President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies, the attention of the entire country focused on America's monolingualism. The report of the Commission postulated that part of the problem stems from ineffective language instruction in our schools. A solution to this dilemma might be in‐service opportunities, such as intensive summer institutes funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The format and content of two highly successful four‐week sessions conducted at Purdue University to help meet the needs of practicing secondary school teachers of French, German, and Spanish is described and is proposed as a model for similar programs elsewhere.
Culture and Language: The Individual Approach
Authors: Hammers James
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Several educators have emphasized the importance of the individual viewpoint in any culture. This article discusses a procedure for individualizing and personalizing foreign culture and language study. What is proposed is that the students each create a fictional autobiography of themselves in the foreign culture. They do this by adapting what they are learning in the text and other sources to four simulated conditions each experiences in the foreign culture, i.e. to a physical and social environment, to an orientation to time and to genetic characteristics found in that culture.
Inexpensive Nonphotographic Slides Illustrate Grammatical Concepts or Lexical Items and Stimulate Student Conversations
Authors: Seng Mark W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Inherent in the audio‐lingual method which was introduced in the late fifties and which flourished into the sixties was an emphasis upon the sounds of language. This emphasis restricted the use of visuals in the foreign language classroom. An exception was the growing use of the “Audiovisual” method in Europe. Rivers' 1962 critique of the audio‐lingual method reawakened interest in alternative methodologies in some of which the visual can play an important role. The Functional‐Notional method provides one example. This article describes simple ways to create visuals with non‐photographic slides which can enhance both language teaching and learning. Using transparency materials intended for making transparencies for the overhead projector, two‐by‐two‐inch slides can be made quickly and easily. They especially meet the unique needs of foreign language teachers. Learning audio‐visual skills in training will prove useful both during student teaching and in their subsequent professional work.
Vestpocket Ideas: Improving Communication Using Negatives and Partitives
Authors: Miller Ann F.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The author suggests a rationale for teaching negatives and partitives as a unit. She describes in detail three classroom activities that promote affective communication and focus on the use of negative and partitive constructions. The activities are designed to promote fluency, as they generate original responses, and they include material that lends itself to cultural comparisons. Students have received them enthusiastically.
The Georgia State Program in Translation and Interpretation
Authors: Coughlin Josette M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Georgia State University is ideally located for a program in Translation and Interpretation. Government buildings, international finance and business offices, the Georgia World Congress Center, and the Merchandise Mart are all within short walking distance of its Atlanta campus. Academically Georgia State is best known for its business school. The Institute of International Business and the World Congress Institute are also part of the institution. When the chairman of the Department of Foreign Languages first conceived the idea of the program in Translation and Interpretation, her department had recently implemented a new commercial track for the study of French, German, and Spanish at the undergraduate level. Location and the academic orientation of the institution were the two most important factors which influenced our choice of this type of program. Location prompted the decision to offer two complete certificate programs, one in Translation, the other in Conference Interpretation.
Soap in the Language Lab
Authors: Turner Bruce I.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT One of the problem areas of a language program is often the language lab, especially at the intermediate level. This article discusses the use of a “soap opera” as one constituent of an integrated course approach. Each episode incorporates a vocabulary list derived from whatever reading texts are employed; the list is supplemented by translation exercises and by discussion of the particular grammatical principles being studied. At the end of each episode questions test listening comprehension; later the written text is presented to the class for brief discussion. Students write the final episode of the soap opera themselves at the end of the semester.
Video, Authenticity, and Language for Special Purposes Teaching
Authors: Svensson Sture E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article deals with the use of video in the teaching of foreign languages. In the article I discuss the use of prerecorded video cassettes and video recordings taken from TV. The object is to present the medium's special usefulness and to discuss the communicative functions in connection with teaching and student capability in general.

I also discuss the use of video cassettes as an especially effective means of reinforcing foreign language teaching in secondary technical education where the teaching of Language for Special Purposes (LSP) among other things must concentrate on the most conspicuous and frequent traits in this particular use of the language.

In one example from the teaching of technical English in Swedish secondary technical education I try to show how video cassettes give the learners motivation for LSP studies.