Adult education's mission is a critical one. It seeks to provide the large and diverse population of adults who lack basic skills, a high school credential, or English language skills with the competencies they need to be productive workers, family members, and citizens. Federally funded adult education serves learners in three types of programs:…

Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 directs the federal government to conduct a national assessment of adult education, including activities to understand the extent to which adult education strategies positively affect learners. A systematic review of the research on the effectiveness of particular strategies in adult…

Suggests rethinking purposes of the second-language listening lesson, and examines ways the skill can be taught, not just practiced. The approach is based on micro-listening exercises that practice individual subskills of listening. Implications of authentic materials are examined, a case is made for teaching recognition of features of spontaneous…

This article suggests a variety of ancillary activities in which poetry may be introduced into the foreign language classroom to build confidence and have fun in the second language, while practicing and reinforcing important linguistic concepts. The use of topics and themes such as wishes, comparisons, dreams, colors, or metaphors, is…

Three dimensions in the teaching of listening comprehension are outlined: (1) a theory is presented that takes account of the cognitive processes used (approach); (2) listeners' needs are analyzed and a taxonomy of microskills and objectives for teaching them are proposed (design); and (3) classroom exercises and activities are suggested…

Demonstrates ways the sentence combining technique can play a significant role in developing the writing skill, in making students more aware of their creative ability, and in heightening their sense of stylistic preferences. A range of combining exercises using Italian as the model language are provided. (Author/AMH)

A Greek television series in French language instruction for adults and adolescents used a variety of technical tricks, including stop-screen, flashbacks, special effects, decoupage, insets, and voice-off, and a contest to make the programs more interesting to listen to and to increase general attention. (MSE)

An approach to elementary school French language instruction emphasizes sustained oral language through language analysis. The guide is intended for teachers of grades 3-6. It contains an introductory section, an explanation of the approach, a brief discussion of the linguistic content of oral language instruction, and four communicative classroom…

Presents a method of using traditional puzzles and crosswords in foreign language instruction. Instead of merely providing amusement, the puzzles are designed to assist in the learning of various language skills. This article gives directions for developing puzzles specifically designed to teach grammar, vocabulary, and culture. (Author/PJM)

A discussion of second language reading instruction to develop language proficiency examines the concept of reading proficiency, the reading processes used by native speakers and language learners, the importance of top-down and bottom-up reading, activating predicting and projecting skills, the difference between reading at the peak of one's…

The adoption of proficiency-based principles in second language teaching does not mean using a new method of instruction, but rather providing maximum opportunities for students to perform communicative linguistic tasks in a variety of contexts and with a given degree of accuracy. This definition has implications for the learning and teaching…

While most people know how conversations, narratives, and other types of discourse are created in their native language, it is difficult for students to know how they are created in a second language. To deal with texts in a new language, the learner needs extensive exposure to a variety of language in realistic situations. The immediate recall…

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…

A major difference between teaching translation skills and teaching English is the sense of teacher-student partnership in translation classes. Techniques for teaching translation are suggested. (LB)

Although listening comprehension has been identified as the first and most important foreign language skill, research has shown that little class time is devoted to developing more than very basic listening skills. Early practice in listening in a foreign language helps to develop both language skills and confidence in communicating in the target…