bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Input Hypothesis: An Inside Look
Authors: Higgs Theodore V.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The article briefly summarizes and then discusses Krashen's Input Hypothesis as presented in his Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. The Input Hypothesis is considered both as a psycholinguistic and as a pedagogical model. I suggest that as a psycho‐linguistic model the Input Hypothesis fails to account convincingly for the widely accepted fact of fossilization (arrested L2 acquisition) in an acquisition‐rich environment. As a pedagogical model the Input Hypothesis may not be directly applicable to the reality of the U.S. high school or university foreign language classes, since these are so far removed from the immersion/second language environments on which much of the theory underlying the model is based.
Undergraduate Internship in Conversation
Authors: Laroche Jacques M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Despite the current rise in interest in language studies, two sensitive problems remain in departments of foreign languages‐limited ability in communication for lower‐division students and lack of enthusiam for literary courses for upper‐division students. The Conversation Internship may open up options beyond these programs and eventually result in an improvement of elementary language acquisition.

The undergraduate role seems to be experiencing a revolution: more programs welcome advanced students to teaching duties. In agreement with the spirit of Stephen Krashen's Monitor Theory, our Conversation Internship offers comprehensible input with no error correction or grading. It is thus a moderate innovation, expecting only conversation facilitation.

The coordination, planning, training, and grading of facilitator performance is controlled by a faculty member. The elementary participants are voluntary and motivated by limited incentives. Experiments conducted at this institution might be fruitfully replicated at other institutions with larger enrollments.
Curricular Teams: A New Wrinkle in Foreign Language Camps
Authors: Shrum Judith L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The Foreign Language Camps at Virginia Tech have operated since 1981 providing week‐long immersion experiences for approximately 150 high school students of French, German, and Spanish. This report describes a staffing concept and differentiated reward system at the Virginia Tech Camps: a curricular team composed of a high school teacher, a native speaker, and a junior counselor. This team effectively combines the unique expertise of each member: the teacher's knowledge and experience in teaching adolescents a target language; the native speaker's first‐hand knowledge of language and culture; the junior counselor's experiences as a target language learner who is almost one of the campers' peers.
Testing Oral Skills in a FLES Short Course
Authors: Alexander Loren , John Maria H.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the testing procedure (Haring, 4) employed in a brief FLES course in a second‐grade classroom. The authors perceive testing as an integral part of any instruction; they give here a rationale for the testing procedure and explain the test and test results as they were developed in this specific setting.
Spontaneous Playback of the Second Language: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Bedford David A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Spontaneous playback refers to involuntary, sometimes insistent “replay” in the mind of the second language being acquired. Anecdotal data led Krashen to hypothesize that this phenomenon is a result of stimulation of the language acquisition device. The present study surveyed 160 foreign and second language students to enlarge the data base. It was found that spontaneous playback is widespread. The data were consistent with Krashen's hypothesis and with the Monitor theory; therefore, it is concluded that the phenomenon is of interest to the profession and merits further investigation.
Wait‐Time and the Use of Target or Native Languages
Authors: Shrum Judith L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT In the second language class, interactions between teachers and students serve as the focal point for learning how to use the language. After the teacher asks a question, students mentally process their answers. They hear the question, decipher its sounds and figure out its meaning and begin to form an answer. How long does it take to answer a question? How long should a teacher wait for an answer? Does it take longer to answer a question in the target language than in English? These are some of the questions that this study investigates.

This article reports the results of a descriptive study of wait‐time–the pause for thinking after questions and answers–in selected first‐year high school Spanish and French classes. Over 7500 classroom events were recorded and coded in order to measure and find the variance in time of3270 instances of post‐solicitation and post‐response wait‐time. The average durationofwait‐time was 1.91 seconds (S.D. = 1.64) after questions; wait‐time averaged 0.73 seconds (S.D. = 0.63) after responses. Post‐response wait‐time in all cases was short and of limited variance, indicating very little time for revision of thought in reaction to responses. Wait‐time was significantly longer after questions in the native language.
Culture and Vocabulary Acquisition: A Proposal
Authors: Halverson Rachel J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Two vital elements of effective communication in a foreign language, the understanding of the foreign culture and the acquisition of vocabulary in a cultural context, often receive inadequate or inappropriate attention in the classroom. The goal of this investigation and its proposal will be to provide concrete suggestions about the effective handling of time currently available in a curriculum which hopes to produce students who are able to communicate with a more sensitive control of linguistic and cultural subtleties. In order to address the question of culture linked with vocabulary acquisition in the classroom, I will first examine the problems in current research and classroom practice, and then delineate a proposal for the alleviation of the associated difficulties by modifying the existing notional/functional syllabus.
1984: Latin in the United States Twenty Years After the Fall
Authors: LaFleur Richard A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT After a precipitous decade‐long decline during the late 1960s and the early 1970s, interest and enrollments in secondary school Latin language and literature courses have been steadily rising across the nation since 1976. A disturbing consequence of this otherwise felicitous trend has been the development of a serious shortage of qualified Latin teachers in most areas of the country over the past five to ten years. This study examines trends in both high school and college enrollments, as well as such other indicators of interest in the language as student and professional organization memberships and College Board Achievement Test and Advanced Placement exam participation rates. The seriousness of the teacher shortage is underscored and some measures for alleviating the problem are briefly suggested.
Rationale, Structure and Methodology of a French Language Program for American Bankers and Traders
Authors: Finel‐Honigman Irène
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Spurred by the expansion of the multinational corporations and the incursion of international banks into the American market, the Crédit Lyonnais, a world‐class French bank and one of the largest foreign banks in New York, recognized the need to institute an in‐house academic language training program. At present the Crédit Lyonnais is the only bank in the greater New York area to have such a program. This concept can serve as a model for American‐based foreign corporations or those with intensive foreign contacts. Although many universities are creating commercial foreign‐language courses, the business community is barely beginning to tap the academic market in developing in‐house programs.

The program's primary objective is to provide American bankers, traders and other commercial staff with instruction in basic through advanced oral and written communication skills, and courses in inter‐cultural knowledge of French banking history, semantics and literature.

Five courses are offered each semester. In each course, discussions and readings focus on business vocabulary, situations, and in the advanced courses, on analysis of economic and financial materials. The course sequence allows participants to enter as beginners and, after 3 or 4 semesters, to gain intermediate proficiency skills. Students with prior or even fluent knowledge of French enter at their specific level. Participation, although voluntary, is highly encouraged and closely monitored by upper management who themselves partake of the program.

The curriculum is designed by the professor to enhance the American's awareness of and adaptability to a French business environment. Courses are conducted entirely in French and emphasize conversation, oral presentations and phonetic skills (tapes and audiovisual materials are provided). At each level commercial French textbooks, business lexicons, in‐house documentation, articles from French economic publications and socioeconomic excerpts from literary works are incorporated.
Education in the World System: The Demand for Language and International Proficiencies in Economic Development and National Security
Authors: Hoegl Juergen K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: A series of national and state reports containing recommendations for improving education has prompted a reassessment of the status and goals of education in the nation and in individual states. In the context of educational reform proposals, second language and international studies gain greatest attention when discussions center on their role in economic development and national security.

This paper addresses that situation from a national viewpoint and adds a state perspective with the example of developments in Illinois. Relevant statistics on international trade and the labor market are cited, and the role of language proficiencies in science, technology, and research for economic development is defined. Two converging trends are outlined: the trend toward a consensus in both the education and business communities regarding the essential role and accelerating demand for language and international proficiencies in interconnected state, national, and world economies, and the corresponding trend in higher education toward internationalized curricula, characterized by combinations of majors in professional disciplines such as business, economics, law, and agriculture with second language studies.
The Fête Française: A Promotional Venture
Authors: Vidrine Donald R.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: The language contest is an excellent tool for stimulating student interest in foreign language study, at the same time that it increases public awareness of the accomplishments of students in acquiring foreign language skills. This article describes the organization of a successful language contest now in its eighth year of operation.
A Model of Proficiency‐Based Oral Achievement Testing for Elementary Arabic
Authors: Rammuny Raji M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this article is to provide a description of a proposed proficiency‐based oral achievement test for elementary Arabic instruction. It begins with background information about the materials used for elementary Arabic at the University of Michigan, the rationale for testing oral skills at this level, and a brief description of the types of oral testing of Arabic that have been attempted during the past two years. The major part of this article provides a detailed description of the proficiency‐based oral achievement test including its format, scoring procedure, administration, and implications. Included are a test facsimile and sample items.
Teaching and the Routes to Learning a Second Language
Authors: Graman Tomas L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Research in second language acquisition supports the notion that learners must have access to meaningful language (Sorenson, 24; Newmark, 15; Krashen, 13). In addition, Piagetian research in intellectual development indicates that learning is an active process of “constructing” knowledge and that there are three basic routes to knowledge: (1) the “perception” of data, (2) “action” with the data, and finally (3) a “conceptual” route consisting of formulas or generalizations about the data (Duckworth, 3). Many language teachers rely mainly on the third route; that is, they teach “correct” forms or generalizations about language and neglect to foster the use and interconnection of the other two routes.

In this essay, I present data from observations of two different ESL classes. In one of the classes, the teacher uses a “prescriptive” approach and demands linguistic accuracy from the students at all times. By contrast, in the other class observed, the teacher's role is to motivate the need in the students to constantly use the language in order to share ideas about topics of immediate concern or vital interest. In this setting, students are expected to take risks, err and “construct” language. Much of this “building of language” takes place when students resolve linguistic conflicts which occur in their attempts to understand and make themselves understood. I examine the two classes in light of Piagetian research concerning the routes to knowledge and conclude by supporting the methods used in the latter class because they adequately interassociate the three routes to knowledge and help the students move beyond their current levels of linguistic development.
Beyond Vocabulary: Pragmatic Factors in Reading Comprehension—Culture, Convention, Coherence and Cohesion
Authors: Bensoussan Marsha
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  As important as vocabulary is in reading a foreign language, other factors also appear to be involved. Some of these additional factors are the reader's familiarity with conventions of written texts in the native and foreign languages, awareness of cultural differences between both languages, and knowledge of the macro‐ and micro‐level structures of a text.

This paper examines evidence from different studies indicating problem areas in reading comprehension. Students' mistranslations from English to Hebrew were examined to diagnose difficulties in reading comprehension. Mistranslations and misinterpretations of illocutionary force, logical connectors, and modifiers indicated that many students were either unable to draw on a culturally appropriate memory schema to understand the texts or had preconceived notions about word meanings that dominated their interpretations and prevented them from correctly using contextual clues.
Total Physical Response: A Technique for Teaching all Skills in Spanish
Authors: Glisan Eileen W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Research in foreign language learning continues to reveal positive effects of an initial listening period with a delay in oral production. Studies have shown that use of Asher's “Total Physical Response” strategy, through which students internalize meaning initially by physically responding to oral commands, results in better listening comprehension, speaking, and reading performance. Despite TPR's acclaimed success, many teachers hesitate to adopt the entire method, because of the lack of explicit guidelines and materials for its use and because of the constraints of traditional language programs. This paper presents a strategy for utilizing an expanded version of TPR as one tool for teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. Ways are suggested to implement the technique within the language curriculum. Although examples are given for Spanish, the guidelines are applicable to any foreign language program.
Assessing Speaking Proficiency in the Undergraduate Curriculum: Data from French
Authors: Magnan Sally Sieloff
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  With increasing use of the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview, especially in conjunction with college foreign language requirements and teacher certification, it is imperative that we understand how well our students currently function in speaking a foreign language. This article presents research rating the speaking proficiency on the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview of University of Wisconsin French students at four levels of study: end of first year, end of second year, third year or minor, and end of fourth year or major. The data show a significant, positive relationship between level of proficiency and level of study. Each level of study includes a range of overlapping proficiency levels. Findings are discussed in detail for each level of study, and the UW data are compared with available data and related proposed requirements nationwide. The conclusion calls for an extended data base and acceleration of test development in other skill areas, in order to provide for realistic and comprehensive proficiency testing in our foreign language programs.
Sway Students in the Foreign Language Classroom
Authors: Faltis Christian Jan
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  A sway student in the foreign language classroom is a student who is not only capable of displaying linguistic knowledge, but also knows when and how to interact appropriately with the teacher. This study examines how six sway students affected the organization of interaction and language development in a traditional high school Spanish class. *The data indicate that the teacher selectively organized interaction around sway students at key points in the development of a lesson as well as when non‐sway students made errors. The overall effect of sway students was that they allowed the teacher to progress effectively through the lesson, with the result of increased amounts of comprehensible input for the entire class.
Vamos al Barrio: Presenting Spanish in its Primary Context through Field Trips
Authors: Goldstein Nina White
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Part of building for tomorrow is recognizing the importance of communicating in languages other than our own. But learning a foreign language is not just mastering the traditional four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking; it is also glimpsing the new language in its primary context—living it, and seeing how others live it as well. Foreign travel and speech must occur not only between nations; indeed, strangers within the same nation, even within the same city, must also learn to communicate. In the city of Chicago alone literally hundreds of languages and dialects are being spoken by hundreds of nationalities. The city is the home for nearly a million Hispanics. This article addresses the need and a method for providing students the opportunity to meet this most important minority outside the textbook and to learn to communicate with them.
Writing in a Foreign Language: Motivation and the Process Approach
Authors: Hewins Catherine P.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Like their counterparts in the English department, foreign language teachers have long been dissatisfied with student writing. Fortunately for students and teachers, Writing Across the Curriculum, an approach which views writing both as a process and as a valuable mode of learning in all subject areas, is being used in more and more schools and colleges. This article presents techniques from Writing Across the Curriculum adapted to the foreign language classroom. Strategies for encouraging students to write more comfortably and effectively in the foreign language are described. These include assigning relevant and challenging topics, treating writing as a process, and responding to and evaluating student writing in a more constructive way. Although the examples are for French, the techniques are adaptable to all foreign languages. They can be used at any level to reinforce grammatical structures, clarify ideas, and improve fluency.
A Case for Case Studies
Authors: Long Donna Reseigh
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Case studies are conspicuously absent from the literature on second language learning and teaching. Negative attitudes toward case studies may be attributable to the fact that they are viewed as aspects of a non‐scientific tradition. Researchers have begun to question the straitjacket effects of the “scientific method” on educational research. Case studies allow subjects to stand out as individuals and are characterized by natural rather than treatment variables. Many aspects of the second language learning/teaching process are not amenable to experimentation at the present time and case studies are valuable as precursors to experimentation.
Self Evaluation in Practice Teaching
Authors: Greis Naguib
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  According to the TESOL Guidelines, the evaluation of the trainee's teaching performance is an integral part of the teacher preparation program. A crucial component is self evaluation which ideally should not only help trainees identify strengths and weaknesses of their present teaching performance, but see directions for future improvement as well.

This paper discusses steps and problems involved in self evaluation and suggests a procedure and a format based on the analysis of comments by participants completing their practice teaching.
In‐situ Methodology Comes Home: The Native‐Speaking Community in Language Learning
Authors: Marshall Terry
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article proposes that in‐situ exploration, a methodology adapted from field‐based learning of unwritten languages, has useful applications in the American foreign language classroom. Based on learner independence and community involvement, in‐situ exploration utilizes native‐speaking mentors, who, using a five‐step “Learning Cycle,” help guide learners in defining their language‐learning needs, and in drawing effective language from the local community. In the process of learning the basics of the new language, students learn the skills needed to continue self‐directed learning once formal training has been completed.
Evaluating Speaking Skills in the Classroom: A Workshop for Teachers
Authors: Duncan Cynthia K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This workshop, which originated as part of a teacher‐training program at the University of Tennessee and was presented at the Tennessee Foreign Language Teacher Association's Conference in the fall of 1985, is intended to help teachers establish goals and guidelines for assigning the “class participation” portion of a student's grade. The principal motive behind the workshop is to make teachers more aware of the need to set standards for oral proficiency in the classroom, to conduct their classes in such a way as to promote maximum oral participation by students, and to be as objective as possible in assigning class participation grades. It is not intended to solve the problems inherent in evaluating oral proficiency in the classroom setting, but merely to guide teachers in defining and formulating the standards by which students' performance is to be assessed.
Beginning French via the Read‐and‐Speak Method
Authors: Harvey John E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  An innovative foreign language methodology, “Read‐and‐Speak,” was tried in a yearlong pilot section of beginning French at the University of Utah in academic 1984–85. The method involves the following: (a) from the outset students were assigned massive easy readings in the foreign language (300 pages during the first quarter); (b) from the outset they were encouraged to speak the foreign language in class; and (c) formal grammar instruction was delayed until April when an entire introductory text was covered in five weeks. At the end of the year, standardized testing showed the‐Read‐and‐Speak method to be significantly more effective than the traditional method. Moreover, student response was positive: the new method was perceived to be a relatively pleasurable way to learn French. Read‐and‐Speak's success may be explained by its grounding in basic learning theory: the new method lays down maximal memory traces, it widely spaces those traces over time, and it sets the traces in pleasing contexts. The success of Read‐and‐Speak may also be explained by its insistence upon early unstructured speech.
The Accuracy of Teacher Judgment of the Oral Proficiency of High School Foreign Language Students
Authors: Levine Martin G. , Haus George J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of teacher judgment of the oral proficiency of pupils in French and Spanish high school classes. Does such teacher judgment differ significantly from standardized ratings of pupil oral proficiency on the ACTFL oral interview scale? Eight experienced teachers of French and Spanish who had had no previous proficiency assessment training served as subjects. Each teacher‐subject was required to read the descriptions for each level of the ACTFL scale and then to predict the ACTFL rating of four students randomly selected from her class. Subsequently, 30 of these students were rated on the ACTFL oral interview by two certified testers. Actual ACTFL ratings for these pupils were compared with predicted ACTFL ratings of teachers. Results indicate that 1) teachers consistently overrate pupil performance and 2) the letter grade of a student in the foreign language class severely biases the accuracy of the teacher's judgment regardless of actual oral proficiency.
Phedre, Queen of Hearts, in the Classroom
Authors: Wood Allen G.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  In order to represent the basic structure and movement of drama (as seen in characters' stage presence and absence) and to move from written text to performative dynamics, a visual method of classroom presentation was needed. In Racinian tragedy, characters can be well represented by figures from playing cards, differentiated by a hierarchy of numerical value, while related (or also separated) by suit. A photographic slide can be made showing character presence in each scene, and the sequence of slides for the entire play presented for classroom explanation and discussion.
Crap Detecting: An Approach to Developing Critical Reading and Thinking Skills in the Foreign Language Curriculum
Authors: Sacco Steven J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This paper describes a three‐part approach to the enhancement of critical‐reading and thinking skills. In particular, this paper proposes 1) a rationale for emphasizing the skill; 2) a specific role foreign language can play; and 3) two classroom‐tested activities presented in French. This active and problem‐solving approach to reading a second language advocates the use of authentic and unsimplified non‐literary texts for use by advanced high school and intermediate college students. It is hoped that this approach will encourage foreign language students to think more actively, objectively, and critically when reading both native‐ and second‐language texts.
The Foreign Language Requirement: An Alternative Program
Authors: Demuth Katherine A. , Smith Nathaniel B.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  For various reasons, some college‐level students experience great difficulty in fulfilling their foreign language requirement. This paper reports on a new program at Boston University which 1) identifies students with severe language learning problems, and 2) offers an alternative sequence of courses designed to help these students achieve foreign language learning success. MLAT pre‐ and post‐test scores indicate significant increases in language aptitude after completion of the first semester of the new course sequence.
Testing How Well Foreign Language Teachers Speak: A State Mandate
Authors: Hiple David V. , Manley Joan H.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article reports on a three‐year project to help establish an oral proficiency requirement for certification of new foreign language teachers. The project was conducted by ACTFL in association with the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Foreign Language Association, and the University of Texas.
Un échange pas comme les autres: Normaliens et GTA's
Authors: Millman Mary M. , Cadenhead Kenneth
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Since 1982, an unusual exchange program has involved graduate teaching assistants from Auburn University and prospective teachers from the Ecole Normale in Caen, France. Using student journals, questionnaires, interviews, and correspondence as sources of data, the authors discuss problems encountered, insights gained and benefits derived from the program.
Second‐Language Composition Instruction, Computers and First‐Language Pedagogy: A Descriptive Survey
Authors: Harvey T. Edward
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This study reports on a survey of selected second‐language instructors' views on the use of computers in second‐language composition instruction. Data are reported for 208 (from a total of 1,678) full‐time instructional faculty at universities, two‐year colleges, and high schools across the nation. Most respondents taught one‐semester courses whose enrollment sizes were increasing. Text use for the majority of programs is three years or less. This corresponds to the advent of process‐model texts. Apples and IBM‐PC's predominate among the hardware available. The lack of foreign‐character support remains the major frustration reported. Essay analyzers are new to nearly everyone. There is mixed opinion about the real versus the expected benefits of using word processors as part of composition instruction. However, the time appears right for a paradigm shift and curriculum definition to include computer‐assisted composition instruction.
Vocabulary Instruction: What L2 Can Learn from L1
Authors: Hague Sally A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  To read, a reader must know words. To read better, a reader must learn more words. Although this relationship appears axiomatic, the acquisition of full conceptual knowledge of words is a deceptively complex process. This article summarizes five theories that have been set forth to explain the relationship between word knowledge and comprehension of text in L1. In addition, an overview of recent research that has demonstrated this relationship is presented. From these two sources, L1 researchers have begun to identify the characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction. This article synthesizes these findings and explores possible implications for L2 researchers and practitioners. Finally, two classroom applications of the knowedge hypothesis are delineated.
A Communicative Approach to Foreign Language Instruction: The UMBC Project
Authors: Rosenthal Alan S. , Sloane Robert A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The structure of university language courses at the elementary level tends to be governed by the chapters of textbooks which, in turn, have been determined by the presentation of grammar items. The authors have developed a thematic, communication‐oriented approach to the first‐year sequence in French and Spanish, under a larger developmental NEH grant for the restructuring of the elementary and intermediate curriculum in French, German, and Spanish. This article discusses the design of the syllabus and the materials and teaching techniques that were employed.
Speech as Process
Authors: Byrnes Heidi
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The emphasis on assessment of oral proficiency that is inherent in the proficiency movement has favored a view of speech as a product, to which a certain rating is attached. However, with proficiency's growing impact on language learning and teaching it is imperative that proficiency testing take a stronger learner stance. This article advocates a “process” viewpoint of language use and explores its potential for greater insights from five perspectives: text linguistics and discourse analysis, interlanguage, expectancy, negotiation and interaction, and communication strategies.
The Cultural Inventory: A Tool for Increasing Comprehension of Foreign Language Materials
Authors: Pfister Guenter G. , Poser Yvonne
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The inventory technique is a reading tool to help students take advantage of their background knowledge and experience to overcome the gap between native and foreign cultural perspectives. The greater the reader's access to the foreign language text, the larger the body of data the reader will receive and process. The cultural inventory worksheet is specifically designed to help students collect and organize cultural information in written foreign language material. Emphasis is placed on the cultural factors during the pre‐reading phase because they provide orientation and stimulate readers to form predictions concerning the text's meaning. The strategies presented here are geared to promoting independent analytical ability and critical responses to materials from the target culture.
Using The ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines To Achieve Goals of Exploratory Language Courses
Authors: Porter Lewis P.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Many middle schools are tending to incorporate an exploratory foreign language survey course into the curriculum. Through the introduction of several languages, the course seeks, among other goals, to begin to construct a foundation for later proficiency in a foreign language and to instill greater cultural sensitivity. To achieve the stated goals, a well defined, goal‐responsive curriculum model is needed. It appears that a model derived from the concepts of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines has the potential to meet these goals.
Conversation Classes: Activities and Materials That Encourage Participation1
Authors: Harper Jane , Lively Madeleine
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Tarrant County Junior College Northeast Campus offers conversation classes for high school students as well as for its own students. In addition, conversation courses approved by the Texas Education Agency for career‐ladder credit are offered to teachers of French, German, and Spanish. Materials and activities which are effective at any of these levels have proved to be beneficial and enjoyable at the other levels.
Improving Fluency in Spoken French Through a Study of Native Pause Behavior
Authors: Scanlan Timothy
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Pauses are often thought to detract from fluency in French when spoken by foreigners. However, proper pause behavior, if modeled after that of educated native speakers, is actually a definite mark of authentic‐sounding and well‐controlled speech. This article reviews the different categories of native pauses and suggests techniques for incorporating them cautiously into the spoken French of anglophones, especially Americans.
Understanding Spoken Spanish: A Course in Listening
Authors: Weissenrieder Maureen
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This paper outlines the format for a course dedicated exclusively to the teaching of listening skills at the intermediate and advanced levels. Although findings are based on an actual class given at Ohio University in Spanish, implications are applicable to all languages. Specific teaching techniques are not described, but pedagogical directions are discussed. Suggestions dealing with materials, testing, grading, assignments, class interaction and organization are made to give an overall view of the course.
The Din Phenomenon: Mental Rehearsal in the Second Language
Authors: de Guerrero Maria C. M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The din phenomenon, first discussed in the literature of second language acquisition by Krashen, is a form of mental rehearsal in which words, sounds, and phrases of the second language are spontaneously replayed in the mind. This paper reports the results of a survey on the din phenomenon in which 52 Spanish‐speaking ESL college students participated. The researcher was able to determine that the din was a very common phenomenon among the participants, to gain new insights into the nature of the din, and to establish that the din is present at almost all stages of acquisition. An important discovery was that mental rehearsal may be voluntary as well as spontaneous, voluntary rehearsal appearing as a way of monitoring language. The pedagogical implications and research possibilities of the din phenomenon and mental rehearsal are examined.
A Strategy for Change: Incorporating Women Writers into the High School French Literature Curriculum
Authors: Krier Kathleen A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  A recent survey among high school teachers of French literature revealed curriculum syllabuses composed almost exclusively of male‐authored literary works; data showed a ratio of thirty‐nine male to one female‐authored text. This paper defends the incorporation of renowned French women writers into the curriculum and suggests an implementation proposal for high school or college French literature courses which includes a list of noted works by French women authors and a sample guide for ideas and techniques to stimulate thoughts, questions, and interpretations.
Mediating Cultural Bias with Authentic Target‐Language Texts for Beginning Students of Spanish1
Authors: Bacon Susan M. Cameron
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The beginning levels of foreign‐language instruction present the greatest challenge to teachers who wish to include authentic target‐language (TL) materials. Often, when authentic materials are used indiscriminantly, research has shown that beginning students are more likely to miscomprehend, or worse, to form cultural stereotypes that are based on their own world experience. This paper suggests appropriate kinds of texts and ways the teacher can lead students through readings so that they not only build meaning, but also add to their understanding of the target culture. Although examples are in Spanish, the principles apply to any beginning foreign‐language course.
Improving the Performance of Teaching Assistants in the Multi‐Section Classroom
Authors: Rogers Carmen Villegas
Published: January 2009

ABSTRECT In a study conducted at a large southeastern university, it was determined that teaching assistants with no prior pedagogical preparation nor instructional experience could use supervisor‐prepared lesson plans to incorporate communicative materials and activities into their classrooms. This article mentions some of the common constraints placed upon large departments and points out the need for effective and efficient supervision of teaching assistants who staff many of the multi‐section courses. One approach for providing guidance to TAs when there is no regular group meeting is explored, and specific suggestions are made regarding lesson plan format, topics for follow‐up discussion, and classes oriented toward communicative activities. The article concludes with a synthesis of several recommendations identified as important in a language program that uses teaching assistants for instruction at the beginning and intermediate levels.
Adult Second‐Language Learning: Toward an American Adaptation With a European Perspective
Authors: Dannerbeck Francis J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRECT The adult learner has become a significant figure in many college and university second‐language courses. In the United States this person is part of the adult education movement which has, in the recent past, gained considerable momentum. Because the adult learner's profile differs from that of younger students, special classroom treatment is required. As the numbers of adult second‐language learners grow, it is becoming increasingly important that second‐language teachers apply learning strategies that are appropriate for adults. It is suggested in this article that the European perspective on adult second‐language learning provides important background information for adapting instruction in our country to American adult second‐language learners. Discussed are factors found in Europe to be paramount in working with these people. They are: the learning biography of each adult; specific motivation for adult second‐language study; how adults learn differently but not less well than younger learners; how individual differences are addressed; how partnerships between teachers and students work; special aspects of language skill development and testing; teaching methods and materials; and in‐service teacher training for such programs.
The Correlation of Parents' and Students' Attitudes With Hebrew Language Achievement
Authors: Ravid Ruth D.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRECT This study investigated correlations between parents' and students' attitudes toward the Hebrew language; and the correlation between students' attitudes toward, and achievement in, the Hebrew language. Additionally, differences in attitudes between boys and girls and between students in Levels 3 and 4 were investigated. The sample consisted of 217 students in the third and fourth years of Hebrew instruction, and their parents, from four supplementary Hebrew schools in the Chicago area. Students and parents were administered attitude questionnaires designed to measure their attitudes toward the Hebrew language. Students' Hebrew achievement was measured using standardized, norm‐referenced tests. Findings were contrary to expectations: Correlation between parents' and students' attitudes was low and not significant. Correlation between students' attitude and achievement, although statistically significant (p > .01) was low (r =.20). There was no difference between boys' and girls' mean attitude scores, and no difference between students in the third and fourth years of instruction. The discussion attempts to explain the findings, and suggestions for further research are presented.
Using Technology To Build Teacher Decision‐Making Skills
Authors: Skeel Dorothy J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Teachers must make quick, automatic, and conscious decisions in the classroom in order to maintain control and create an optimal environment for learning. The Department of Teaching and Learning at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University developed a program that uses technology to help give preservice teachers these necessary skills prior to entering the classroom. The program examined problems that student teachers had encountered in their practice teaching experiences and developed a series of learning experiences using videotapes, computer simulations, and videodiscs. The preservice teachers were enthusiastic about the program, and through observations it was determined that the experiences had developed their self‐confidence and effectiveness as teachers.
Walking on Water and Other Characteristics of Effective Elementary School Teachers
Authors: Met Myriam
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  A growing number of foreign language programs are serving children in grades K‐6 nationwide. Because good teachers are the key to the continued growth and success of elementary school foreign language programs, there is concern about the number of teacher candidates, the number of programs that prepare them to teach, and what these future teachers should learn. There is a configuration of skills and knowledge that all teachers preparing to teach in elementary school foreign language programs should acquire. Although certain program models may require greater emphasis in some skill/knowledge areas than others, the core areas remain constant across program models. Immersion teachers, who in most states must also be certified as elementary teachers, share in this core of knowledge and skills. This paper discusses the skills needed by teachers and the programs that might address those needs.
Teachers Teaching Teachers: An InService Model That Works
Authors: Riordan Kathleen M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This paper describes the efforts of two regional foreign language conferences to disseminate the conference programs to teachers not able to participate. The dissemination effort offers benefits both to the teachers serving as teachers of their colleagues and to those who have the opportunity to share in a program from the broader field of foreign language education. The paper discusses the need for inservice opportunities, and the need for encouraging greater professionalism. The projects described respond to both of these needs and offer models to other language associations.
The Beginning Teacher's Cultural Competence: Goal and Strategy
Authors: Nostrand Howard Lee
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The criteria proposed in the 1988 ACTFL Provisional Program Guidelines for Foreign Language Teacher Education (ACTFL, 1) invite elaboration: first, to delimit and structure the goal, and second, to shape a comprehensive strategy for generalizing the attainment of cultural competence by language teachers. The AATF Commission on Professional Standards has developed a useful plan which delimits the task of the beginning teacher by defining a basic level of proficiency, and which structures the definition of that goal by identifying three components of the requisite competence: sociolinguistic ability; knowledge, both descriptive and procedural; and attitudes.

The strategy for advancing toward the goal must deal especially with the need for a nationwide consensus on a common core of cultural competence; support for this new dimension of teacher education; the availability and the quality of databases, which are becoming a necessary source of sociocultural knowledge; and finally, the embodiment of the new field in thestandards for certification and accreditation, where the associations of language teachers are the only constant force representing an undiluted concern for quality
At a Loss for Words: The Use of Communication Strategies to Convey Lexical Meaning
Authors: Corrales Olga , Call Mary Emily
Published: January 2009

The study of communication strategies can provide insights into the ways in which interlanguage changes and develops as language learners become increasingly proficient in the target language. This article describes an investigation centered on the communication strategies used by two groups (intermediate and advanced) of Spanish‐speaking students of English to express lexical meaning. Two different tasks, one conskting of answering structured questions and the other a simulated communication situation, were used to elicit data from the students. Data were collected at two different times, once at the beginning of the term and again five weeks later. Proficiency level, task, and time were the independent variables and three types of communication stmtegies (transfer, overgeneralization, and task‐influenced) were the dependent variables. It was found that the unstructured task elicited significantly more transfer strategies from both groups of students, and that there was a significant interaction between time and proficiency level with respect to the use of task‐influenced strategies—the advanced group used a greater mean proportion of task‐influenced strategies than the intermediate group at Time1, while the intermediate group used a greater mean proportion of this type of strategy at Time2. A post hoc analysis of these data suggests that students of a language may go through a period of maximum exploitation of task‐influenced strategies which peaks and then drops off as they become more proficient in the language.
Content‐Based Instruction for Foreign Language Classrooms
Authors: Leaver Betty Lou , Stryker Stephen B.
Published: January 2009

Content‐based instruction (CBI) is a communicative approach to language teaching that is growing in popularity in both government and academic foreign language cides. The authors define CBI as a curriculum that 1) is based on subject matter, 2) utilizes authentic materials, 3) promotes the learning of new information, and 4) considers specific students' needs. Examples of CBI programs are provided. The Russian and Spanish CBI programs at the Foreign Service Institute are discussed in depth. Readers are requested to share their CBI experience with the authors.