bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Foreign Language Teaching and the Computer
Authors: Garrett Nina , Hart Robert S. , Goldfield Dr. Joel D.
Published: January 2009

This column presents ratiews of foreign language software and discussions of problems and perspectives in foreign language computer‐assisted instruction (CAI). We are eager to receive materials for review, and to hear from Foreign Language Annals readers experienced in foreign language CAI who would be interested in submitting reviews to this column. We also invite suggestions of problems or topics on which future discussions might focus. Send items of interest to the above mentioned editors at Language Learning Laboratory, University of Illinois, G 70 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801.
Foreign Language Policy at School Level: FLT and Cultural Studies Across the Curriculum
Authors: Corson David
Published: January 2009

This article is written with two audiences in view: the teacher of foreign languages who is interested in the relationship between the foreign language curriculum on the one hand and matters of school administration, policy and management on the othec and the school administrator or policy maker who is interested in the role and place of the foreign language curriculum in policy and planning at the school level. The article includes: an introductory treatment of relevant factors in successful foreign language teaching and learning that might be pertinent to the design of school policies; a list of foreign language policy questions that a policy making group might need to consider in its planning an update on what we mean by the phrase kommunicative competence: and some suggestions as to how cultural studies related to foreign languages might be included across the curriculum. The article also includes a specimen foreign language policy which has been developed as one in a series of language policy' case studies in schooki of various kinds.
Development of Sociolinguistic Skills in Spanish: Sample Activities*
Authors: García Carmen
Published: January 2009

One of the major concerns of forvign language teaching is the development of students' sociolinguistic skills in the language they are learning that is teaching students what, when whee how and to whom to say something so that their language is not only gmmmatically adequate but sociocultumlly appropriate This paper provides sample activities in Spanish that teachers can use to help students develop these skills.

The activities, which include exercises in Listening Comprehension and Oral Production, can be used at the Intermediate and Advanced levels of proficiency They have been developed to highlight native speakers' linguistic choices in different situations and focus on their use of deference markers.

It is important in well‐rounded proficiency‐based instruction to provide a knowledge of and opportunities to use appropriate deference markers, where appropriate is defined in terms of native speakers' authentic discourse. While this article presents a substantial proportion of the deference markers, it does not exhaust all the possibilities. Further study of deference markers used by native Spanish speakers would prove most useful.
Tolerance of Ambiguity and Use of Second Language Strategies
Authors: Ely Christopher M.
Published: January 2009

This study developed a scale of tolerance of ambiguity (as an aspect of personality or cognitive style) related to second language learning. The scale was used to discover if tolerance of ambiguity influences students' use of various second language strategies. The research was carried out with students of Spanish at the university level. Multiple regression analysis provided partial confirmation of several specific hypotheses regarding tolerance of ambiguity. Strength of motivation, attitude, and concern for grade were also found to influence use of strategies.
“The Best and the Worst”: An Exercise to Tap Perceptions of Language‐Learning Experiences and Strategies
Authors: Oxford Rebecca L.
Published: January 2009

Thiy article presents an exercise useful for rapping perceptions of participants' hest und worst lunguage‐learning experiences and the strulegies these individuals used in such experiences. Inforrnal results across six training sessions are presented. Positive language‐learning situations stimulated the use of a wide range of learning strategies, while negative situations stunted strategy use, restricting it mainly to strategies that helped learners cope with their day‐to‐day struggle with the dysfunctional environment. Possible juture uses of “The Best and the Worst” exercise with students, as well as for teacher training, are discussed.
Prochievement Testing of Speaking
Authors: Pino Barbara Gonzalez
Published: January 2009

Today's language teacher emphasizes, among other things, the development of students' oral skills. Therefore, many teachers are seeking or innovating ways to test the speaking skill while (1) overcoming perennial problems such as the lack of time and the subjectivity of grading, and (2) finding effective ways of making achievement testing more proficiency oriented. The author presents a practical oral testing model which she researched, developed, implemented, disseminated, piloted, and refined in a variety of middle school, secondary, and university settings in Texas over the past six years.

The author presents an outline of the principal considerations involved in establishing an oral testing program and covers a range of options under each heading. Major concerns discussed include: fitting speaking tests into the syllabus and course grade, linking teaching and testing approaches (with sample formats), testing interactive and individual performance, new versus old material, and impromptu versus prepared performance. Also covered are: sample size, scoring at various levels (with sample scales), partnering procedures, the role of tapes, scheduling, planning (with sample guide), and predicted outcomes.
The Effects of Transferred Vocabulary Knowledge on the Development of L2 Reading Proficiency
Authors: Koda Keiko
Published: January 2009

This study explored the specific effects of vocabulary knowledge, transferred from a first language, in the development of second language reading proficiency. The study was conducted with 24 college students enrolled in a first‐year Japanese program. Specially, the study examined the effects of transferred vocabulary knowledge on: (a) the acquisition of L2 linguistic knowledge, (b) verbal processing skills, and (c) reading comprehension. It was found that: (1) L2 vocabulary knowledge was most highly correlated with reading comprehension; (2) that vocabulary knowledge was the single most signifcant factor differentiating students with related L1 orthographic backgrounds from those with unrelated L1 orthographic backgrounds, and (3) that differences in test performance between the two groups became significantly greater over time. These findings seem to suggest that transferred vocabulary knowledge increases L2 reading Comprehension; moreover, the initial advantage magnifies its effects over time as task complexity increases, thus enhancing the overall development of L2 reading proficiency.
School‐University Collaboration in Second Language Teacher Education: Building a Successful Partnership
Authors: Mellgren Millie Park , Caye Leslie Ann
Published: January 2009

Working together to plan, implement and evaluate a new teacher education program, a public school district and a research university have established a successful collaborative partnership. Selecting personnel, developing positive relationships, establishing fluid communication, and providing incentives of value are among many important factors to be dealt with in building a cohesive team. Success in collaboration is possible if appropriate steps are taken.
The Listening Comprehension Exercise Network WEN): A Nationally Available Aid to the Development of Listening Proficiency in Russian1
Authors: Robin Richard M. , Leaver Betty Lou
Published: January 2009

Satellite access to foreign broadcasts opens an exciting era in learning to understand authentic foreign language by providing students with a culturally real context, extralinguistic cues and a pictorially accurate portrayal of everyday lqe. But teaching listening comprehension skills requires more than immersing students in foreign television programming. Preparation of exercises to accompany broadcasts, many of which become almost immediately dated, requires much time. As more universities obtain satellite technology and interest in teaching listening comprehension grows, the need increases for a systematic way to enhance students' listening skills and for a more efficacious means of exploiting this new technology. This paper describes a system, developed at the George Washington University and the Foreign Service Institute that shares listening exercises in Russian via national computer networks. This system alleviates the problem of time spent to develop essentially “throw‐away” exercises. Currently available only in Russian, the LCEN can be emulated in other languages.
An Investigation of the Construct Validity of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and Oral Interview Procedure
Authors: Dandonoli Patricia , Henning Grant
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This article reports on the results of research conducted by ACTFL on the construct validity of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines and oral interview procedure. A multitrait‐multimethod validation study formed the basis of the research design and analysis, which included tests of speaking, writing, listening, and reading in French and English as a Second Language. Results from Rasch analyses are also reported. In general, the results provide strong support for the use of the Guidelines as a foundation for the development of proficiency tests and for the reliability and validity of the Oral Proficiency Interview. The paper includes a detailed description of the research methodology, instrumentation, data analyses, and results. A discussion of the results and suggestions for further research are also included.
Computer‐Enhanced Beginning Russian
Authors: Tuman Walter Vladimir
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: The initial encounter with a foreign language requires a successful integration of oral, aural, and visual stimuli. A student of beginning Russian must learn to recognize the Cyrillic letters in print and cursive forms and to associate these symbols with underlying units of sound. CALL (computer‐aided language learning) provides an effective platform for this complex orchestration. A working prototype for introducing the Russian writing and sound system, the “Russian Dynamic Hand” (RDH) has been available for student use at the LSU Foreign Language Laboratory since September 1988. The project's evolution is discussed from an initial graphics‐centered IBM prototype to a Macintosh version enhanced by an audio component. Central to the development of the second adaptation is the utilization of commercially available innovative computer authoring systems and templates. Future modifications incorporating expanded pronunciation drills and applying alternate technologies are considered.
French Immersion Program: Testimony of a First Grade Teacher
Authors: Morgan Agnes P.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: In September of 1987, an elementary public school in Milton, MA began offering a French immersion program in first grade. This paper describes how the students' mode of communication during their first year of immersion evolved from implicit to explicit, physical to verbal, simple to complex. Input was made comprehensible by providing students with contextual clues that helped them predict the content of the message. Reorganization and correction of form occurred indirectly through individualized remodeling and negotiation of the message's content between student and teacher. Cooperation between immersion and non‐immersion staffs helped integrate the program into the total school curriculum. The linguistic and psychological reasons behind the program's success are discussed and benefits to the students are described.
Choosing and Using Videotexts
Authors: Joiner Elizabeth G.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Technological developments such as the videocassette recorder/player have facilitated the use of videotaped foreign‐language materials in the classroom and such materials are increasingly available to language teachers from a number of sources. If, however, students view foreign‐language broadcasts passively, little learning will take place. By carefully selecting and manipulating programs, the teacher can encourage more active viewing and at the same time foster comprehension by serving as a mediator between the learners' imperfect linguistic ability and limited cultural knowledge and the sophisticated videotext. The form provided and discussed in this article will enable the teacher/evaluator to motivate students and to accomplish course goals through a more effective selection and use of videotexts.
A Linguistic and A Cultural Competence: Can They Live Happily Together?
Authors: King Charlotte P.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This article describes a process by which authentic documents may be integrated into first‐ and second‐year college and high‐school classes to form a cultural component in the earliest stages of foreign language study. It discusses how linguistic and cultural information may be extracted from these documents in the form of “actes de parole” to conform to the grammatical level of the students, and outlines ways by which cultural and linguistic information so taught may be tested.
Improving Oral Communication in an Interactive Introduction to Literature Course
Authors: Iandoli Louis J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Many first‐ and second‐year language courses stress the acquisition of oral competence. To continue this emphasis on speaking in the third year, a generally difficult transitional level, an interactive introduction to literature course was developed. In this course, students learn the skills of literary analysis while continuing to refine oral communication skills. This article discusses the methodology used in the interactive introduction to literature course. Topics treated are: criteria for choosing a text; pre‐ and post‐reading strategies which make a text accessible, help students take an active role in literary interpretation and improve speaking abilities; and the tools acquired by the students to analyze and discuss literature.
Medieval Pictorial Art and Medieval Spanish Literature: A Case in Point for the Use of the Visual Arts in the Literature Class
Authors: Bergstrom Stanford E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article's purpose is to demonstrate how the literature/visual arts connection—a hallmark of comparative literature—can be applied as an effective new teaching technique in the foreign language literature class. As the centerpiece of the article, the technique's usefulness is illustrated by showing how the puzzling, enigmatic structure of the medieval Spanish masterpiece, the Libro de buen amor, becomes clear when the text is compared with medieval pictorial art pieces. Prior to the unfolding of this example in the article, the following topics related to this technique are addressed: its value to literature teaching in general, and its particular advantages for foreign language literature instruction; the validity of interarts comparisons; and guidelines for instructor use of the technique.
The FLES Methods Course: Key to K‐12 Certification
Authors: Mitchell Jane Tucker , Redmond Mary Lynn
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article discusses the components of a FLES methods course in a state where K‐12 certification in second languages is now mandated. Special emphasis is placed on Integrated or Content‐based Instruction, second language acquisition, and a unique practicum incorporated into the methods course which enables the participants to demonstrate such techniques as Total Physical Response, storytelling, and dramatization. Finally, the course evaluation procedure is presented as a means of assuring that teachers' needs are being met as their second language programs expand to upper levels.
Using Authentic Reading Texts to Discover Underlying Sociocultural Information
Authors: Garcia Carmen
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Reading in a foreign language involves decoding the linguistic code but just as importantly, understanding the underlying sociocultural context which the linguistic code reflects.

This article describes how to use authentic Spanish language materials to design a variety of activities aimed at helping students discover and understand a text's underlying sociocultural context.

The texts themselves are taken from a unit in a second year Spanish course at Miami University entitled “Rituals of Hispanic Culture” and are comprised of different types of announcements published in Hispanic newspapers: births, engagements, weddings, and obituaries. The paper presents pre‐reading, reading and post‐reading tasks aimed at facilitating comprehension.
Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum: The Applied Foreign Language Component
Authors: Allen Wendy , Anderson Keith , Narváez León
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Foreign languages have long been isolated from the heart of the curriculum. A Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum program based on the concept of an Applied Foreign Language Component (AFLC) can help overcome this isolation. The AFLC is an optional track within a discipline course; students with advanced intermediate proficiency or above in a particular foreign language replace English‐language course readings with foreign language texts and typically participate in a special weekly discussion session conducted in the target language. The AFLC and other approaches to integrating discipline content with advanced foreign language work are explored. Practical guidelines for implementing such programs, including forming faculty alliances, modifying courses, recruiting students, and expanding library holdings, are presented. This article describes projects established at St. Olaf College with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Fund for the Improvement of Post‐Secondary Education.
Pantomime as an L2 Classroom Strategy
Authors: Seaver Paul W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTInterpersonal communication is generally accompanied by non‐verbal forms of communication. Language teachers, however, often reduce language teaching to the single channel of strictly linguistic features, thus ignoring kinetic sources of input in language instruction. At the same time, current research on learner cognitive styles and learning preferences underscores the importance of providing a variety of instructional modalities. This article presents a kinetic approach to language instruction that has proven successful in arousing student interest and promoting language acquisition—pantomime. Several examples are given to demonstrate how to include mimetic activities for a variety of language instruction outcomes.
Computers and Teaching Composition in a Foreign Language
Authors: Greenia George D.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT New technologies for word processing provide incentives for changing the way writing is understood and taught in the foreign language classroom. Special hardware and software are expensive, however, and training faculty and students to use them is daunting. This article shows how any ordinary text editing program such as WordPerfect and a small number of computers can become the platform for a higher volume of student production, a greater variety of writing assignments in the second language and easier grading and writing management on the part of the teacher.
Tele‐Classes: The Way of the Future A Report on a Language Exchange Via Satellite
Authors: Gallego Juan Carlos
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT A class of UCLA students conducted a language exchange with a group of students in Spain using a photophone—a telephone‐like device which allows the interlocutors to see each other's still picture on a small screen while talking. This exchange is referred to here as a Tele‐class.

This report describes such Tele‐class while pointing out its linguistic and cultural gains, as well as its limitations. The U.S. students's responses to two questionnaires are also reported, in addition to a list of recommendations for Tele‐class planners.

The experience proved to be a success, enhancing motivation, language learning, and cultural awareness. However, more similar projects and substantial research are needed to explore the full potential of the Tele‐class as a language learning environment.
Is Knowledge of Cultural Diversity Enough? Global Education in the Elementary School Foreign Language Program
Authors: Rosenbusch Marcia H.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Most elementary school foreign language programs expose students to selected aspects of the target culture, but the infusion of global education into such programs has not been common. In this article, a unit designed to encourage a global perspective among 5–7–year‐olds in beginning level Spanish classes is described. The focus of the unit is on the global issue of inadequate housing. The rationale for global education in the elementary school is discussed as are the implications of global education for teacher preparation.
Language Anxiety from the Foreign Language Specialist's Perspective: Interviews with Krashen, Omaggio Hadley, Terrell, and Rardin
Authors: Young Dolly J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Recently we have acquired a body of data on language anxiety from the student's perspective. The following is an examination of language anxiety from the language specialist's perspective. Through the interview format, Stephen Krashen, Alice Omaggio Hadley, Tracy Terrell, and Jennybelle Rardin offer their perspectives on language anxiety—a complicated psychological phenomenon peculiar to language learning. They share their views on foreign and second language teaching and theory and offer insights into the theoretical as well as practical issues of language anxiety, such as its role in language learning and its sources and manifestations. They also suggest ways for reducing language anxiety. Many of their perceptions go beyond agreement with existing research, and often, their responses lead to insights into language anxiety fertile for future areas of inquiry.
Moving Toward Accuracy: Using the Student Monitor Sheet with Communicative Activities
Authors: Fleak Ken
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The student monitor sheet provides the foreign language student with a guide that indicates suggested correct answers when communicative paired and group activities are being emphasized. One student functions as the monitor who accepts the responsibility for providing corrective input. With the consistent use of interactive practices, additional methods are necessary in order for both instructor and student to establish greater control over grammatical and lexical accuracy. This article includes a detailed study of the use of the student monitor in situations in which the goal is conceptual or partial control.
Second/Foreign Language Immersion and At‐Risk English‐Speaking Children
Authors: Genesee Fred H.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  There is ample evidence from research in Canada and the United States that second language immersion programs are effective for English‐speaking children with average or above average ability from middle class, majority group backgrounds. The present review examines the suitability of immersion for English‐speaking children who are at risk in school because they have the following learner characteristics: 1) below average general ability, 2) poor first language ability, 3) low socioeconomic status, and 4) ethnic minority group status. A fifth factor is examined, namely age, because of the assumed difficulty experienced by older learners in acquiring a second or foreign language. Indices of first language development, academic achievement and second language acquisition are examined. The evidence indicates that such children benefit from participation in immersion without loss to their first language development or academic achievement.
An Etiquette for the Nonsupervisory Observation of L2 Classrooms
Authors: Murphy John M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Earlier discussions of an etiquette for classroom observation imply that a supervisor who observes a second language (L2) classroom in an official capacity poses more serious concerns for a classroom teacher than a person who visits for some other reason. Several writers suggest that a supervisory relationship between a classroom teacher and a visitor/ observer can be more unsettling for the teacher than one that is nonsupervisory. There is evidence, however, that visitors who are non‐supervisors sometimes provoke anxiety in the lives of L2 teachers and their students. While not always recognizing this concern, programs of L2 teacher preparation encourage pre‐service and in‐service teachers to visit and observe classes being taught by their peers. Under such circumstances, visitors who are not supervisors sometimes lack necessary skills for observing in an unobtrusive manner. For this and other reasons, the problems that nonsupervisory observers pose in classroom settings need to be examined directly. The present discussion addresses visitors to L2 classrooms who are the colleagues and peers of both pre‐service and in‐service classroom teachers. The article's premise is that a non‐supervisor's visit can be just as problematic for a classroom teacher as a supervisor's. Following discussions of the complexities of these relationships and possible solutions, illustrative guidelines for classroom visitation/observation etiquette are presented.
The Oral Proficiency Interview: Discrete Point Test or a Measure of Communicative Language Ability?
Authors: Halleck Gene B.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article1 reports the results of a study that investigated the relative contribution of discrete points of sentence level grammar and communicative factors on determination of proficiency level. Raters' responses on questionnaires concerning their choice of rating reveal that communicative factors rather than features of discrete‐point sentence level grammar were most influential in determining a subject's proficiency level. These data provide support for the ACTFL Guidelines and suggest that the concerns of some critics with respect to the Guidelines' failure to mention communicative competence are unwarranted.
Beyond Form‐Based Drill and Practice: Meaning‐Enhancing CALL on the Macintosh
Authors: Chun Dorothy M. , Brandl Klaus K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  By examining options in available software, we differentiate between new software for the Macintosh computer, which extends hypermedia capabilities to enable more meaning‐enhancing exercises, and the purely form‐based corrective exercises found in existing programs. Many of the programs for teaching foreign languages which are currently on the market are labeled interactive because they provide immediate feedback in the form of error correction and record keeping. In addition, many contain integrated hypermedia, i.e., they incorporate visual, audio, and graphic features in order to simulate genuine language and provide other nonlinguistic stimuli. However, the great majority of these programs are in essence form‐based drill and practice exercises. The new software we present contains meaning‐enhancing exercises, which provide both thematic and visual context and coherence, and which highlight the differences in meaning resulting from differences in form. Our so‐called Communicative Gap Exercises: 1) engage the user in a meaningful interaction or negotiation with the computer (there is missing information that the user tries to uncover or an agreement that needs to be negotiated); and 2) give users the opportunity to input complete sentences and to receive feedback about each word in the sentence, in contrast to the many programs which generally require users to fill in one‐word blanks.
Foreign Language Teacher Attrition: A Look at Those Leaving Public Schools in Illinois
Authors: Kleinsasser Robert C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The intent of this investigation was to extend the teacher attrition knowledge base by analyzing data1 from a major state's teacher workforce data base that included a sub‐population with an academic discipline and contained various characteristics of those foreign language teachers who left teaching. The main objective of the study was to account for the attrition of foreign language teachers in downstate Illinois. Descriptive statistics served as the basic technique for data presentation along with results of logistic regression. The article concludes with discussion and recommendations for future attrition data bases and analyses.
Selecting, Presenting and Practicing Vocabulary in a Culturally‐Authentic Context
Authors: Spinelli Emily , Siskin H. Jay
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Relatively few articles have examined the role of vocabulary in communicative approaches to foreign‐language teaching. In this article, we discuss the selection and presentation of vocabulary in current teaching materials and suggest alternative strategies that more closely reflect the goals of communicative curricula.
Phases of Listening to Authentic Input in Spanish: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Bacon Susan M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The study reported here is a descriptive analysis of an experiment in which learners listened to two radio broadcasts in Spanish, then reported on their strategies, comprehension, learning, level of confidence, and affective response to this input. Statistical analyses provided evidence of significant differences first, between male and female listeners in strategies, confidence, and affective response (Bacon, 4); and second, between effective and less effective listeners in both their level of comprehension and learning (Bacon, 3). The present paper describes in detail elements learners had in common, as well as some that seemed idiosyncratic, as they attempted to make sense of what they heard. The resulting description provides flesh and color to strategies and learning that have been previously categorized in a generic manner. Moreover, this qualitative analysis sheds additional light on listening process and effective listening strategies when dealing with authentic input.
Using Video to Introduce Children to a Foreign Culture
Authors: Herron Carol A. , Hanley Julia
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  In this study, we compared two methods for presenting cultural information to students in a French FLES program. Fifty‐six English‐speaking students enrolled in two fifth‐grade classes served as subjects. Eight cultural themes were identified and assigned to one of two teaching conditions for one class section; each theme was assigned to the opposite condition for the other section. In both teaching conditions, students read a passage in French and a subsequent cultural note in either English or French. Both the passage and the note centered upon the same targeted cultural theme. In the Experimental condition, students viewed a video, prior to the reading of the texts. This brief video module was related in cultural theme but scripted differently from the reading passage and cultural note. In both conditions, student learning, pertaining to the cultural theme, was assessed on the same day as the presentation. Performance was better in the Experimental condition. We interpret this finding as support for utilizing video to enhance the teaching of culture to the child foreign language learner.
Cooperative Learning in the Portuguese‐for‐Spanish‐Speakers Classroom
Authors: Milleret Margo
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Cooperative learning has a fifteen year history of research and application in primary and middle schools throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel. This paper briefly describes that history in terms of research conducted in primary education and in foreign‐ and second‐language education. It also outlines the components that make up cooperative learning. The discussion then describes a specific application of some cooperative learning structures in a post‐secondary foreign language classroom. The paper notes examples of successful structures as well as student reactions to the experiment and an assessment of the results.
Computer‐Assisted Classroom Discussion in the Foreign Language Classroom: Conversation in Slow Motion
Authors: Beauvois Margaret Healy
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article explores an innovative use of computer‐assisted language learning (CALL) in the form of a computer network used for real‐time, synchronous discussion in intermediate Portuguese and elementary French classes. Of special interest to the author are the communicative opportunities offered by a local area network (LAN) in the teaching of foreign languages. She describes how computer‐assisted classroom discussion (CACD) provides a unique environment for student‐student and student‐teacher interaction in an experimental networked laboratory established by the English Department at the University of Texas, Austin.
Using Proficiency as the Organizing Principle in an Advanced Speaking Course for Majors
Authors: Dodds Dinah
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  While the proficiency movement has spawned numerous first and second year textbooks, very few proficiency‐based materials are available for advanced students and majors. This article describes an advanced speaking course designed using the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines as the organizing principle. Students prepared and performed a wide variety of communicative tasks at the Advanced and Superior levels, including narrating and describing, hypothesizing, supporting an opinion, debating and being interviewed for a job. Assignments involved students in pairs and small group work as well as in the class as a whole. Audio and video taping provided feedback. Oral Proficiency Interviews administered at the beginning and the end of the course indicated an improvement in OPI rating for some students.
From Input to Output: Communication‐Based Teaching Techniques
Authors: Tschirner Erwin
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Communication‐based activities which guide students from input to output offer advocates of both communicative‐and structure‐oriented approaches the opportunity to foster accurate, yet communicative, language skills in the target language. This article outlines communication‐based teaching techniques that lead students from input to output in a stimulating and motivating learning environment. Four input and four output activity types are presented. Whereas input activities are most useful for the presentation of speech acts, vocabulary, and grammatical structures, output activities are valuable for the recycling and fine‐tuning of previously introduced speech acts, vocabulary, and grammar, and for expanding students' productive skills.
Learner‐Centered Tasks in the Foreign Language Classroom
Authors: Thomson Chihiro Kinoshita
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The article first discusses communicative language teaching and self‐directed learning, then introduces an analytical framework for designing a task, using Nunan's framework. This is followed by a case study done in the Department of Japanese Studies at the National University of Singapore involving 220 first‐year Japanese language students. The case study is a description and analysis of a task which is communicatively based, learner‐centered and which promotes self‐directed learning. Then some suggestions are made for course and task designers.
Rethinking Grammar and Communication
Authors: Mitchell Jane Tucker , Redmond Mary Lynn
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The role of grammar in the communicative classroom has yet to be determined. This article examines several recent views on grammar, then revisits some of the perpetual problem areas in teaching grammar such as the deductive‐inductive debate, the use of L1 or L2 for grammatical presentations, and the explicit‐implicit controueny Examples of contextualized exercises, a guided inductive lesson using the target language, and the use of “many instances of the same structure” to suggest ways of introducing grammar into the communicative classroom. Since much of the current research favors more explicit teaching of grammar and since textbooks remain grammatically oriented, it seems clear that grammar and communication must join together in order to produce more pmficient language users. The use of the target language for grammar explanations by the teacher and in the textbook may facilitate real communication in the classroom.
The Teacher‐Learner Relationship and Classroom Interaction in Distance Learning: A Case Study of the Japanese Language Classes at an American High School
Authors: Yi Hyangsoon , Majima Junko
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  With a growing demand for Japanese language courses at secondary schools, satellite language programs have become a solution to the shortage of qualified classroom teachers In the disrance learning Japanese classes of the high school where our research was conducted, various aspects of the teacher's role in traditional Foreign language classes were divided and handled by different people. This article examines the role of the facilitator in distance learning classes by analyzing the mechanism of distance teaching and describing students' perceptions of the teacher and their classroom interaction. It argues that the classroom Facilitator's function to mediate betwen the remote teacher and the learner is a key Factor in the successful operation of distance learning language classes.
French Cuisine in the Classroom: Using Culture to Enhance Language Proficiency
Authors: Abrate Jayne E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  French cuisine offers a valuable resource for creating culture‐based contexts for language use in the classroom. Situating a food in its historical and social context prior to tasting, following up the experience with a detailed discussion of student reactions, and comparing the situation to other aspects of French or American eating habitspermit learners to appreciate more fully the important sensory differences between cultures. This article presents numerous suggestions and ideas for exercises incorporating food‐related activities in the French class.
French Instruction in Elementary and Secondary Schools: The Canadian Experience
Authors: Poyen Janet M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article reports on the results of the National Core French Study(NCFS), a comprehensive research and development project undertaken throughout Canada between 1984 and 1990. It First reviews the four syllabuses ‐ Communicative/fiperiential, Language, Culture, and Genernl Language Education ‐ developed for the multidimensional curriculum model proposed by the NCFS. Strategies for student evaluation are discussed. Finally, it describes a possible instructional model ior French second language teaching, based on the experience of teachers who have attempted to incorporate the research results into their classroom practice.
Graded or Nongraded Communicative Activities–What is the Answer?–An Update
Authors: Moeller Aleidine J. , Reschke Claus , Hahn Sidney L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  An earlier study (Hahn et al., 1989) showed that grading classroom communicative activities did not by itself affect student performance. Because its sample was small (23), we have replicated it with a largergroup: 84 junior high school students, 47 in Levell classes and 37 in Levelll. At each level students were divided into an experimental group, whose oral performance was graded, and a control group, where it was not. An ACTFL‐certified tester; who had evaluated the oral proficiency of Level II students at the beginning of the semester; tested all students after six months, using both the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Scale and the Bruschke Rating Scale. Results indicated no significant difference in scores between the experimental and control groups at either level. However, the ratings of ten Level II students (five in each group) increased from Novice to Intermediate, thus validating the conclusion of Hahn et al. that grading itself does not affect a student's oral proficiency
Walk Your Students to Verb Competence: A Model for Reality‐Based Learning
Authors: Host Ray Elvin
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  As James Asher has ably demonstrated in Total Physical Response, physical involvement enhances language learning. Walking/not walking and the third‐person/firsr‐person contrast provide a ready model for involving students in learning verbs, in several tenses, while they create the meaning of the words they are learning. Classroom demonstration of walks, was walking, and walked not only offers active learning for a Few students; well‐planned questioning and choral responses involve the entire class in meaningful oral use of new verb forms, with the demonstration serving as a visual aid for all.

Further, the demonstration‐based question‐answer sequence developed for conjugating Spanish caminar (to walk) may readily be applied to a wide variety of verb concepts which students can grasp quickly through classroom performance, in any language.
Communicative Language Teaching: An Incomplete Revolution
Authors: Whitley M. Stanley
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Communicative language teaching has been hailed as a revolution, and it has achieved a solid base of widely accepted principles setting it apart from previous paradigms. Yet its transmission from scholars to teachers has been hampered by unnecessary debate and confusion. This paper explores the reasons why the channels of diffusion in the field have been unsuccessful, and suggests that further progress depends on overcoming disunity and translating consensus into standard course materials appropriate to local teaching conditions.
Changing Perspectives on the Utility of Error Correction in Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Mings Robert C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Views among foreign language educators regarding the value of error correction have changed considerably in recent decades. This paper examines contemporary trends in the error correction literature. Emphases are on the: 1) Types of Errors and 2) Methods of Corrections which affect second language acquisition.
Preparing Teachers to Make a Difference in Global Education
Authors: Mantle‐Bromley Corinne
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Our nation is in critical need of a globally competent citizenry. Educational leaders have increasingly called upon second language teachers to accept partial responsibility for preparing today's students for tomorrow's complex, interdependent world. Given the inseparable nature of language and culture and the complexities of intercultural communication, language teachers are uniquely placed to teach their students cultural understanding and intercultural skills. Unfortunately, many teachers lack a comprehension of the essence of culture and of the culture‐learning process, both of which are fundamental to teaching culture in a progressive, skill‐building fashion. Through no fault of their own, they may not have the tools necessary to teach for global understanding.

This article describes an experimental course. This course tested the hypothesis that teachers, given an in‐depth understanding of culture and culture‐learning theory, and given the experiences necessary to discern the process both affectively and cognitively could successfully develop the meaningful, skill‐building, cultural curricula necessary for increased global skills and understanding.
Strengthening Foreign Language Teacher Preparation Through Teacher‐Supervisor Exchange
Authors: Glisan Eileen W. , Sullivan Valerie J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Recent national reports call for a reorganization of the teacher preparation process through closer collaboration between basic and higher education. This article describes how a university supervisor of Spanish and a cooperating high school Spanish teacher participated in a one‐week exchange of professional duties for the purpose of understanding each other's roles more fully. The results of the exchange prompted the redesign of the teacher preparation program to integrate the efforts of the university and school district in the development of foreign language teachers.
Beyond Memorization: Teaching Russian (and Other Languages‘) Vocabulary
Authors: Boyle Eloise M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  As foreign language instruction becomes more proficiency‐oriented, the majority of theorists favor placing vocabulary into a meaningful context. Nonetheless, the presentation and learning of vocabulary remains problematic, principally because acquiring vocabulary, which must involve its repetition, often is boring. Ensuring daily practice of new and already learned lexical items need not be a chore dreaded by both teacher and students, but can develop into one of the most eagerly awaited parts of each new lesson. Effective classroom techniques go far in aiding learners in their own search for efficient acquisition strategies, helping to render them more independent of the instructor, more able to work on their own. This article presents a number of methods, including context‐related activities, board games and filler exercises, developed and tested in the Russian classroom, designed for stimulating vocabulary learning and retention.
French Films: Pre‐Texts for Teaching Syntax
Authors: Arey Marie‐Jo
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Many language professors agree that we have to find a radically different way to teach grammar if it is to be taught at all. This paper presents and comments on an experiment that was started at Gettysburg College in 1989. Using a proficiency based approach, this course uses films as texts, that provide a cultural, visual and linguistic context in which the class functions. Various activities are organized around two films every semester, before the viewing, during and afterwards. This article also explains the articulation and purpose of such an organization by themes and units where the students' personal experiences meet French culture from within. Challenged in this way, students enjoy the creative experience of learning while they do not always notice the skill they are acquiring in French grammar.
The “Bimodal” Aspect of Proficiency‐Oriented Instruction
Authors: Pallotta Lucille Izzo
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Neurolinguists have recently demonstrated that language learning is a multifaceted process which activates simultaneously the modes of perception of the left and right cerebral hemispheres. Current brain research therefore points to the need for “bimodal” foreign language instruction ‐ that is, eclectic pedagogical practices which stimulate in tandem the brain's two hemispheres. This paper evaluates the “bimodality” of the theoretical model accepted by advocates of proficiency‐oriented instruction and recommends that further research be conducted to ascertain the effects on student proficiency of a “bimodal” pedagogical approach.