This professional paper builds on the work of TESOL's issue briefs, "Implementing the Common Core State Standards for English Learners: The Changing Role of the ESL Teacher" (February 2013) and Overview of the Common Core State Standards Initiatives for ELLs (March, 2013). It discusses the shifting landscape surrounding the new Common…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002) has had a great impact on states' policies in assessing English language learner (ELL) students. The legislation requires states to develop or adopt sound assessments in order to validly measure the ELL students' English language proficiency, as well as content knowledge and skills. While states…

The paper considers the effects of study abroad on student second language acquisition (SLA) and suggests areas for further study. It begins with an overview of current research on study abroad, its relationship to foreign language programs, and the innovations that this growing research base holds for program development. Attention then turns to…

Current brain research indicates a need for "bimodal" foreign-language instruction. 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 approach. (Contains 32…

In response to criticism of his study of input processing and processing instruction, a relatively new concept in second language teaching, the author discusses a number of issues raised, including concepts underlying input processing, methodological concerns, instructional materials used in the study, the concept "traditional instruction," use of…

Issues facing schools, teachers, and policy-makers in the expansion of elementary school instruction in modern second languages are discussed, particularly in the context of Scotland's educational system. An introductory chapter defines key terminology, the transition from pilot programs to institutionalization, and discusses briefly the…

A discussion of bilingual education analyzes current issues, reviews related research, describes innovative and exemplary program formats for dual-language programming, and examines issues in bilingual education for both limited-English-proficient (LEP) students and monolingual native-English-speakers. The first chapter provides an overview of…

This book is a guide to categorizing, measuring, testing, and assessing aspects of language, and is intended for language teachers, speech therapists and other language-related practitioners, and researchers, in conjunction with other resources on research methods and statistics. The first part is a discussion of basic terminology and the varied…

The three numbers of the new journal contain these articles: "Content-Related Teaching Through Distance Learning: A Viable Alternative?" (Zoe E. Louton); "Teacher as Researcher: Motivating an Eighth Grade Spanish Class" (Emily Francomano); "Traveling to South America on the Internet" (Margaret Reardon); "U.S.…

This second edition of "Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe" contains 44 indicators in five chapters entitled "Context," "Organisation," "Participation," "Teachers" and "Teaching Processes." It has been produced in collaboration with Eurostat and belongs to the "Key…

Researchers have suggested a language factor as an obstacle in the mathematics learning process for students who do not have a command of English. A review of the literature is presented, focusing on the nature of the interaction between language and mathematics learning. Implications for the design of instructional activities are presented, with…

Two studies measured the effects of overall and genre-specific extensive reading habits on performance on tests of school-based writing. Results suggest that, at most, extensive exposure to written texts may have little impact on nonnative writing proficiency. Further research is recommended. (13 references) (LB)

A study investigated the relationship of English proficiency, measured by self-report and standardized test scores and selected nonlinguistic variables to academic problems perceived by 245 foreign graduate students. Self-rated proficiency, prior English training, and age were the most significant predictors of perceived difficulty. Language test…

Issues in second language teaching methodology are discussed in light of the concept of proficiency as defined in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Guidelines. It is proposed that rather than think in terms of identifying one optimal methodology for all second language learners, the profession should be…

This set of 82 summaries is based on papers written between 1963 and 1982 concerning the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). TOEFL is currently required by more than 2,500 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada to determine the English proficiency of applicants whose native language is not English. It is also required…