Providing foundational academic support to Indiana's culturally and linguistically diverse students is a cornerstone of the state's educational goals. Over 140,000 Indiana students speak a language other than English at home, and there are over 295 different languages represented in Indiana schools. Of these, over 93,000 students have been…

Postsecondary level study presents current opinions on and pedagogical uses of translation. The choice of texts, ways of using translation, preliminary analysis of text, monothematic texts as aid to translation and problem of evaluation are discussed. (LET)

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…

Describes a five-step creative writing program designed to improve student language skills. (JL)

The Hindi language proficiency guidelines are based on the 1986 generic ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency guidelines. They represent a hierarchy of global characterizations of integrated performance in four skill areas (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) in Hindi. The guidelines for each skill area…

A brief history of foreign language study in the U.S. is given and several popular language teaching theories described. Emphasizing the importance of learning communicative skills in the foreign language, various procedures for stimulating communication in the classroom are suggested. (CHK)

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…

Viewing language learning in terms of the development of proficiency has important implications for the process of curriculum development in English as a second language. A proficiency-oriented curriculum derives not from an analysis of the language code, but from an analysis of target language behaviors. The interest is in both the product and…

Offers suggestions for providing social studies instruction to recently arrived refugee students with limited English proficiency (l.e.p.). Examined are levels of English proficiency, how students acquire language skills, and the need to teach the major social studies concepts. A model lesson plan for use with l.e.p. students is included. (RM)

Describes Audio-Lectal Practice, a technique which offers systematic and controlled practice in connected discourse while emphasizing oral discourse features of rhythm, tempo, pausing, and suprasegmental patterns. Students listen to, read along with, and imitate recorded texts concurrently. Such practice facilitates oral fluency in the target…

Defines three previously overlooked subpopulations of English proficient students (English superior, equally limited, non-English superior) in terms of their relative proficiency in English and the home language. Presents data and clarifies assessment terms, criteria, and procedures used in relative proficiency assessment. Makes program…

A brief description of the English-language proficiency level expected of ninth-grade Israeli students introduces a tabular guide to various English readers, along with their basic vocabulary ranges. (LB)

Methods to contextualize tests in the four skill areas of listening, reading, writing, and speech are described. The roles of grammatical and lexical cues, recording semantic details, cloze adaptation, comprehensive questions, logical continuation items, global classification, and sociolinguistic factors are examined in relation to test formats.…

In recent years, the theoretical framework of Jim Cummins has been widely discussed by bilingual educators. This paper traces the evolution of Cummins' theory and examines the criticisms which have been raised against it. The first part of the paper discusses the major elements of his theory of bilingual proficiency: the threshhold hypothesis, the…

Notes that children who speak little or no English are often placed in regular classrooms without benefit of help from bilingual programs. Offers ideas classroom teachers can use in helping these children learn to read. (FL)