Expanded and revised to include four entirely new chapters, this thoroughly updated edition presents a model for how educators can design high-quality, challenging, and supportive learning opportunities for multilingual learners. Starting with the premise that conceptual, analytic, and language practices develop simultaneously as students engage…

This paper discussed Cross-Linguistic Transfer (CLT) and Language Proficiency in multilingual education in general and highlighted samples of CLT in Burundi as the existing literature reveals. As there exist CLT on all linguistic levels, this discussion has provided examples of phonological (including phonetics), lexical and semantic, and…

English as a second language teachers often find themselves teaching classes of heterogeneous students who have very divergent English language skills, abilities, and learning needs. One effective approach to address some of the challenges teachers face when teaching heterogeneous, mixed-level classes is task-based language teaching (TBLT). TBLT…

Over the last few years, I have seen a significant impact on student learning from improving and adapting my instruction in three main areas: backward designing instruction for target proficiency levels, transitioning to standards-based grading, and implementing performance-based assessments that focus on proficiency. These strategies have not…

Students continually ask, "Does this count?" "Is this on the test?" They want to know how they'll be evaluated. Discover how to answer these questions in ways that shape student learning and keep teaching focused on what really matters. Written by language expert Paul Sandrock, this superb manual clarifies precisely what…

At the Louisiana State University Laboratory School, the 4-year course sequences in French and Spanish use American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines as a basis for planning for language skill development. In listening proficiency, the course sequence integrates teaching of listening skills with other…

The manual provides information to assist secondary school level program and curriculum designers in the creation and administration of second language programs. It is not a how-to manual, but includes descriptive data about program types in existence and criteria for evaluating language proficiency. It contains: a list of terms used and their…

The manual provides information to assist elementary school level program and curriculum designers in the creation and administration of second language programs. It is not a how-to manual, but includes descriptive data about program types in existence and criteria for evaluating language proficiency. It contains: a list of terms used and their…

As schools shift to a performance-based model of language instruction, your world language programs will be challenged to keep up with new instructional activities and assessments. This new volume in our "Priorities in Practice" series can help. Explore the new directions schools and districts are taking in designing and implementing flexible…

The curriculum guide for the basic German second language program in Manitoba elementary and secondary schools is presented. The first part offers the rationale for the broad goals of the program, with a focus on the benefits of cultural and language education for individuals and society alike. This section also contains a discussion of the…

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…

Failure to progress on the language proficiency scale is often due to lack of linguistic accuracy. Even motivated students are sometimes unable to improve proficiency ratings beyond a particular level. Pedagogical factors contributing to this problem include: focus on form and meaning at the same time; fossilization; overuse of communicative…

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' Provisional Proficiency Guidelines are criticized for their narrow view of language use and the inadequacy of their construct of "proficiency." The appropriateness of the guidelines as a basis for developing a syllabus or designing a curriculum is questioned. (MSE)

An adult education curriculum integrating language and life skills instruction for students of English as a Second Language, based on the English Language Matrix (ELM) model, is presented. The curriculum is designed to meet the adult language learner's life competency needs, integrating communicative language skills of listening, interpreting…

The scope and sequence for high school English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction outlines the goals, objectives, skills, and assessment techniques for an integrated, holistic curriculum for the ESL program found in most Chicago public high schools. It is not coordinated with specific instructional materials, but designed to be adaptable and…