This book focuses on appropriate English for Academic Purposes instructional concepts and methods in the Japanese context. It investigates a variety of pedagogical techniques, addressing the fundamental academic English skills -- listening, speaking, reading and writing -- as well as assessment and materials development. All the research included…

Discusses the use of "talk" to prepare students for reading; as an instrument for learning and thinking; and as an instrument for social and emotional growth. A taped discussion is presented: seven girls who speak five different languages discuss a story they have read. (EJS)

Discusses the advantages to considering writing an integral part of learning English as a Second Language at all grade levels, offering a day-by-day lesson sequence on the topic of courage that affords ample opportunity for writing and for class discussion to share and evaluate the writing. Suggestions for each day's classwork are followed by a…

Characteristics and types of role-play for the language classroom are discussed. Sample activities for grades K-3 and for grades 4-6 are offered. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/LB)

The group discussion test has gained prominence as a measure of oral interaction skills in second-language learning. This article reviews test types and administration, the communicative nature of the test, development of criteria and rating scales, and advantages. A sample rating scale is appended. (Contains 15 references.) (LB)

Suggestions are given for activities to celebrate Foreign Language Week, including public awareness exhibits, teacher involvement, food-related activities, sports, festivals and fairs, round tables and discussions, library involvement, planning and organizing techniques, and publicity efforts. (MSE)

Describes application of cooperative-learning techniques to a translation course, using small group discussions to collectively arrive at more in-depth understanding of source texts and greater grammatical correctness, accuracy, and faithfulness. Argues that social support is important as participants share difficulties, gain confidence and…

Student apprehension about discussing intellectually "risky" ideas in the foreign language literature class can be addressed through construction of a classroom environment in which students gain confidence. The governing principle is the sequencing of risk. Students perceive risks to be in: (1) making a linguistic error; (2) making an error of…

The "hot potato technique" (HPT) is described as an effective way to engage high school English-language students in class discussions. HPT involves using newspapers and magazines to stimulate participation. (LB)

Suggests that small group instructional methods in the adult language classroom can accomplish the task at hand and also bring about interaction and real communication among the students and, therefore, significant learning. Small group instructional methods are presented and discussed. (EJS)

This manual is designed to assist coordinators of an English-as-a-Second-Language discussion group program in program planning and administration. The program uses volunteers to conduct discussions on topics of interest to limited English speaking community members. The introductory section of the manual describes the program, outlines the…

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data included in America's Challenge: Accelerating Academic Achievement, indicate the scope of the task of reaching the National Goal for Education on Student Achievement and Citizenship. This discussion guide focuses on the five corollary objectives of the National Goal, which are to: (1)…

This videotape and viewer's guide kit is designed for use in a teachers' study group that is part of a comprehensive professional development plan. It encourages teachers to critique and inquire about standards and standards-based teaching in their diverse schools and classrooms. The kit was designed based on a 3-year project in which researchers…

Describes the use of cooperative learning groups in junior high school French classes. Summarizes how cooperative learning affects: (1) student attitudes towards French, (2) student relationships with peers, and (3) student-perceived personal gains from this experience. (PMJ)

Reviews early research on innovative use of networked computers in language learning, focusing on a study of computer-mediated discussion that examined student/student and student/teacher interactions in a college French course. Due to rapid nature of computer-mediated exchanges, the "conversation" is a hybrid somewhere between writing and…