Willingness to communicate (WTC) in a target language is considered a critical variable impacting engagement when students learn the language. Notwithstanding the research conducted on WTC of students, fewer attempts have been made to investigate their willingness to listen (WTL), especially WTL augmentation. To address this gap, this research…

Language teacher education is widely identified as one of the most important areas that needs addressing in order to improve early language instruction, yet research into teacher education for early language teachers remains relatively sparse. This volume responds to this gap by compiling studies with diverse methodological tenets from a wide…

Presents procedure for designing a course in directed conversation in a second language, including choosing topics and developing workbooks that become the psychologically accepted replacement for an official text and a tool for the teacher. Gives two sample units. (Author/BK)

Gives a syllabus and suggested activities for an evening adult course in survival German for travelers. (EKN)

A new set of course descriptions has affected the teaching of writing as part of the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia. The focus of writing is now on the functions of written expression, the writing content and situation, and the domain of writing. (one reference) (LB)

The composition segment of a fourth-semester college German course at Bucknell University is described. The segment was based on the beliefs that writing is a process, that meaningful response does improve writing, and that peer editing draws the students directly into the teaching process as they help to shape fellow students' writing at various…

Describes a university course on East German art and politics. Provides a syllabus and list of required tests. (EKN)

An argument for the role of a structural syllabus as a means to promote "gradual mastery" of implicit second-language knowledge is refuted. The author responds with further discussion of the relationship between explicit and implicit knowledge. (Contains 13 references.) (LB)

An examination is made of a foreign language teaching concept called pre-language that attempts to help foreign language students increase their speaking confidence and speaking abilities in the new language. The teaching method is designed for four distinct environments, including: (1) an independent mini-course for tourists or emergency needs;…

It is argued that the frequent model shifts in the field of second- and foreign-language teaching have not resulted in significant progress in language teaching. Advocates of the new task-based syllabus must demonstrate its greater effectiveness over more conventional approaches. (Contains 84 references.) (Author/LB)

Describes a French introductory course that prepares students to travel in France and relies entirely on materials and themes related to such travel. Use of realia and props helps the instructors to stage real-life situations. Emphasis is placed on comprehension and oral language communication. (MES)

Tips for English-as-a-Second-Language classes include collecting passport stamps in an oral skills class (R. Kay Hart); turning process essays into treasure hunts (Margaret Moulton); using icebreakers (Beverly Williams, David Rutledge, Brent Green); and techniques for understanding course syllabi (Ruth Overman Fischer). (LB)

The leadership component in a teacher certification course for teaching English as a second language (ESL), adapted from an administrator development course, was designed to encourage teachers to think of themselves as leaders within their present classroom roles. Techniques include such activities as introductions and the sharing of varied…

Three communication courses for nonnative English speaking pharmacy students at the University of Maryland, Mercer University, and the University of Southern California are described. (Author/MLW)

High school students enrolled in a Spanish language class heightened their awareness of the Mexican people by studying and discussing Mexican crafts. Working in the style used by the Mexicans, they designed and made their own art products. (RM)